August 31st, 2012
Missy Race, 22, and her 10-month-old son, David Martinez, are living in transitional housing. Because she is unable to afford daycare, it’s difficult for her to go on job interviews. Photo by Craig Blankenhorn
By CRAIG BLANKENHORN
SADLY for the children across America who are homeless today, neither presidential campaign is expected to pay much attention to them, with big policy speeches or new ideas about improving their situation.
There are 1.6 million homeless children in the United States. I want to be the witness to this, to provide evidence of their bleak condition. I want to speak for the victimized children of our country who aren’t even fully cognizant of their own poverty. Infants, young children and teenagers are living on the streets, in hotel rooms and in their parents’ cars, forsaken by bad luck. It is my hope that these photographs will show this problem to those who are unaware or have done their best to ignore this issue.
The families who were willing to share their stories made this project possible. I have photographed them in cities around the country, including Janesville and Beloit, Wis., Kissimmee, Fla., and in Essex County, N.J.
Recently, I spent a week with homeless families in Tampa, Fla., site of the Republican convention. The common refrain of the parents was this: “It’s the kids — they don’t deserve this.”
To watch the slideshow and read the stories, click here.
Source: New York Times
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