Last week from Oct. 8-13, KSU hosted the 2012 Homelessness Awareness Week.
Roy Juarez Jr. was the keynote speaker last Monday at the conference that marked the beginning of HAW. When Juarez was 14-years-old, he along with his 9-year-old sister and 2-year-old brother became homeless.
“In life, we get bitter or we get better,” Juarez said.
Juarez is from San Antonio, Texas and has a personal tour called “Homeless by Choice.” He travels the country speaking to students about homelessness and how to deal with it.
Throughout the week, there were speakers in several classrooms and a clothing and food drive in the Social Science Building. HAW concluded Saturday after a two-day sleep-out from Thursday night to Saturday afternoon.
“This is just two nights, but these people have to do this for weeks and months and years, and I feel like I’m struggling just to do two nights,” said Josh Machado, KSU sophomore.
Sophomore Alexis Hembree said, “I think sometimes I forget about the luxuries that I have to enjoy, and I hope other people gain that as well.”
Many students left Friday morning due to rain the night before, class, work and other responsibilities.
Janese Thompson, one of KSU HAW’s founders, said she learned how many students are left homeless because their parents kick them out after learning something they find displeasing about their child.
“It didn’t occur to me the number of young people that have been kicked out of the house by their parents for some infraction,” said Thompson.
These infractions could include sexual orientation, pregnancy or something else the parent was unable to cope with.
Lana Wachniak is another one of HAW’s founders, and said that the intent is, “To have our students give a hand up rather than a hand down, and to become proactive in dealing with the social issues that impact our country.”
As Juarez said Monday morning, “I don’t know youbut what I do know is that we all have a story. Together we can make a difference.”
Students can help by donating food, clothing, toiletry items and other things to shelters for the homeless.
Based on information compiled by the Kennesaw State University Center for Statistics and Analytical Services in November 2011, Cobb is estimated to have the second lowest rate of homelessness in Georgia, based on per-county percentages. From 2009 to 2011, the estimated population of homeless and precariously housed individuals fell from 0.1249 to 0.1156 percent.
