One of the things that sickens and saddens me in homelessness.

On a such special day as today – Mother’s Day – where is our “mothering” skill when it comes to others – we’re all connected aren’t we?

In this rich country of ours, these homelessness statistics are mind blowing to me:

  • About 3.5 million people experience homelessness in a given year
  • 40% are families with children—the fastest growing segment
  • 1.37 million (or 39%) of the total homeless population are children <18.
  • 1 out of 50 American kids will be homeless

And, with people losing their jobs the homelessness situation is getting worse.

Last Friday, we helped out our good friends and former Steelers Tunch Ilkin and Craig Wolfley reconnect with the super cool folks at KDKA’s Pittsburgh Today Live TV Show (many thanks to KD’s super producer extraordinaire Jill Neely) to talk about their 8th Annual Walk for the Homeless on Saturday, May 15 – benefiting Pittsburgh’s area homeless via the unsung heroes at Light of Life Rescue Mission on the city’s North Side.

Check out the very funny and yet touching Tunch and Wolf KDKA-TV video here.

What can you do to help?

Here are a few more marketing ideas that might spark a few more from all of you terrific marketers and brands:

Love this gal – one of my new heroes – Shay Kelley and her Project 50/50 – here’s her amazing story about helping the homeless after becoming homeless herself as told by CNN – Jobless woman finds generosity on the streets

Here are three great Web sites to kick start your thinking:

  1. Change.org
  2. Invisible People
  3. Homeless Children in America

And, here’s a list of more ideas and ways (some overlap of course) to help:

Granted, a lot of the ideas are tactical in nature, but certainly a lot of tactics can build up to a strong strategy.

You know one thing for sure and that is, your good, sainted mother would be proud of you, if/when you would help those less fortunate than you.

I have come to realize more and more that the greatest disease and
the greatest suffering is to be unwanted, unloved, uncared for,
to be shunned by everybody, to be just nobody [to no one].
Mother Teresa  ‘My Life for the Poor’