McKinney-Vento Act

I registered my kiddos for school last week....all five of them online.  I have completed residency verification for the two youngest....the other three are this week.  While registering them, there is much to fill out.  When I get to the part that inquires about living conditions....if there is a place to live, running water, electricity....my heart aches.  It's hard to imagine kids, in my neighborhood, who are homeless or don't have running water or electricity; but they are here. The main thing that I've gained from reading Interrupted the first time and the second is that we are called to serve.  It's not like I haven't known that for years and years, and it's not like I don't serve.  We are a serving family, but there are ALWAYS ALWAYS more opportunities and people to serve.  Sometimes it overwhelms me, and I sit and try to figure it out; but then God will say...."MOVE!"  One of the main things I want my kids to learn is that we are here to glorify God, and one of the ways we do that is through service. I remember a few years ago, a good friend told me that she asked people what they thought of the word "servant".  Many of them thought of it as a negative....as in a slave or someone forced to serve people.  It was so odd to me, because I had never ever associated of the word "servant" with anything but positive.  Maybe because my parents were very good servants as well.  They weren't big church goers, as you have read in past posts long ago; but they were good servants...among other things.  When I was young, we didn't have a lot; but I never really realized that.  And when I think about it, I know now that we had plenty; but my parents were generous and served others well.  As I grew and my parents became more successful....mainly my mom....we had an abundance.  I never went without anything, and they were more generous and served well.   I didn't really realize that there might be kids that I knew who didn't have a home or electricity.  It wasn't until I was an older teen or young adult when those realizations were in my face....especially when I met my better half.  NPayne and his family did without a lot....they did have a place to live, but not always running water or electricity.  He worked hard as a young teen to help his family, and he still works hard to help his family.  He has one of the biggest giving hearts of anyone I know, and it has made me want to serve that much more.  It has made our kids want to serve.  It has made many want to serve.  The McKinney-Vento Act has been designed to help children who are homeless through their school districts.  It may be hard to imagine kids, in your neighborhood who go to school with your kids, who don't have a place to live; but they wouldn't have this act if there weren't.  This year instead of letting my heart ache and then moving on,  I am going to do something to help.  I am not sure what that will look like yet, but God knows.  Want to join me?