Keep in mind the invisible homeless

When people think about homelessness, they tend to think of those living on the side of the street in cardboard boxes. In reality, a more modern definition of homelessness is needed.

Many children without a home sleep over at a friend's house every night, take a shower and then show up to school appearing perfectly fine. Many families with children who have lost a home generally stay off the streets for fear of Child Protective Services splitting them up. These families opt for cheap motels and doubling up with other families to provide a home for their kids.

I'm a student at Fremd High School in Palatine, and like most other kids, homelessness was not something I ever thought about. I'm in a club at school called H.O.P.E. that spends its time fundraising for needy students. When we thought about sending the money overseas, our club sponsor let us know that there are around 60 kids in our school who are homeless.

Sixty doesn't sound like a lot when I write it down, but these are 60 kids who I go to school with, eat lunch with and take classes with.

My school isn't special. According to the National Center for Homeless Education, across Illinois there are over 50,000 students without a home. Our Illinois legislators need to change the definition of what constitutes a homeless child, and allocate funds to help people that I now think of as the "invisible homeless."

Hira Baig

Palatine