As students prepare to return to the classroom, most back-to-school lists focus on supplies: notebooks, pencils and backpacks. But a student’s most important resource may never appear on a list—a safe, dependable place to begin and end each day.
For students experiencing homelessness, ordinary school routines can become difficult. Where will they sleep? Where will they keep their belongings? Will they have a place to complete assignments and rest before doing it all again tomorrow?
These questions became real for Jane and her two daughters when the single mother brought her family to Samaritan House Greeley, one of five Samaritan House locations operated by Catholic Charities across the Archdiocese of Denver.
The family had nowhere else to go.
Having a safe place meant a great deal to Jane, but it did not immediately erase the effects of housing instability. Her oldest daughter has experienced depression, while her youngest has faced increased anxiety. The girls are also adjusting to the structure of shelter life, including curfews and policies for young residents.
Even amid those challenges, each member of the family is taking an important step forward. Jane’s oldest daughter is training to become a medical assistant, preparing for a career helping others. Her youngest daughter will begin her sophomore year of high school in August. Jane recently secured employment as she works to build greater stability for her family.
Case management at Samaritan House is helping Jane navigate what comes next. “Everyone has been super helpful,” she said.
The family is now working hard to find housing where their entire household can be together again. For Jane and her daughters, having a space of their own would mean the world.
Jane’s story does not yet have a final chapter. A new job and a new school year do not erase the emotional strain or uncertainty her family has experienced. But hope does not begin only when a family receives the keys to a new home. Sometimes, it begins with a safe place to sleep, someone ready to help and the opportunity to keep working and learning while the next steps take shape.
This back-to-school season, Jane’s family reminds us that students need more than supplies to succeed. They need safety, consistency and the freedom to imagine a future beyond their present circumstances.
Through the generosity of Catholic Charities supporters, families facing homelessness do not have to navigate uncertainty alone. Together, we can provide the stable foundation parents and children need to keep learning, growing and moving forward.
Jane’s name and photograph have been changed to protect her family’s privacy.