You know, some stories cross all those lines we put up between people and simply touch your heart. This past Friday, 11-year-old Brendan Foster passed away after battling leukemia. Often, we hear about a kid getting his/her last wish fulfilled with some item they wanted, a special trip or meeting a celebrity. But, when Brendan Foster found out that he had only two weeks left to live, he instead wanted something else for his last wish — to feed the homeless.
As I sit here, I wonder how many of us, when we are faced with even moderately-tough challenges, find it in our hearts to think of helping others. Brendan Foster taught me a lesson today.
This child, DeVaughn Davis, is one of 3,450 homeless children attending public school in Detroit. His mother is out every day looking for a job and some place for them to stay. But, for now, she gets $480/month on public assistance and is trying to save for a deposit on an apartment.
But, for now, she is forced to try to keep her family together by moving from homeless shelter to homeless shelter every few weeks. These moves also mean new schools for DeVaughn and his sister, Cherish.
In the state of Michigan, some 20,000 homeless students join their struggle. Who knows just how many homeless children their are that don’t attend school. I shudder to think of what their circumstances lead them to do to survive.
In America, we can find money to build “bridges to nowhere” or fight wars with no end but, we it comes to helping out Americans, our concerns wane. It is my hope that the DeVaughns of this world make it, despite their circumstances but, the fact is, too many won’t.
