By Meghan Zengel
Today we went to Vogel Alcove, a non-profit that provides services for children who are homeless in the Dallas area. This center is vital in Dallas because Dallas is the third largest city in the U.S. for child homelessness. At Vogel, I was pleasantly surprised at how organized and well-thought out this organization was. They have a max capacity if 200 children, but will put children on their waitlist if that capacity is reached. The only requirement to get their services was that the family must be currently staying in a homeless shelter. Children may also stay in Vogel’s for as long as it takes their parent to get back on their feet. This could include them getting a job or finding a home.
Before a child is placed into a class, they are also assessed to see if they require the services of an occupational, physical, or speech therapist. As for childcare and learning program, it begins as a toddler. Subjects in the STEM field, music, and gardening are taught to the children at an early age to enhance their learning and hopefully promote interest in a future.
While we were at Vogel, we separated donated clothing by gender, size, and used vs. new/gently worn. The more worn clothing was passed on to Goodwill, which gives back monetary donations to Vogel Alcove for the families to use at Goodwill. We also made snack bags for the kids, which provide them with a substantial meal for the day. They include two snacks, a serving of fruit, and a serving of protein. Altogether, we made approximately 270 bags for the kids, which will only supply the kids for one days worth of meals.
This made me think of how important every single donation- whether it is a pair of socks, a pack of applesauce, or five dollars- can really make a difference in a child’s life. That applesauce is a snack that they may not get at home. That pair of socks may come as a blessing to the parent who is struggling to find a job and cannot currently afford to buy their child a new pair of socks. Going to Vogel Alcove really opened my eyes to the problem of child homelessness in our society and how simple acts of kindness can really make an impact on a child’s life.