It has just started to feel like summer here in King County, and yet the school season is just around the corner! While many students are getting all the required items they need for school as well as the “cool” new school clothes, others have a bigger issue to worry about…where they are going to sleep at night.

SchoolHouse Washington (a website that provides information and support for homeless students) recently came out with some findings breaking down homelessness for children and teens in grades from kindergarten to 12^th grade. The data can be viewed for all of Washington as well as specific counties like King County. This new interactive tool of student homelessness allows community stakeholders to conduct their own targeted analysis, in ways not previously possible.

According to the study, 29,049 students in Washington were identified as being homelessness during the 2010-2011 school year. Specifically for King County it was found that 4,423* students were homeless with the largest number of students in the ninth grade (452 identified as homeless). This is unacceptable—United Way of King County believes that every individual deserves a safe place to call home, and to see the number of children and teens that are experiencing homelessness right now is heartbreaking.

What can you do to help?

Spearhead a supply drive for the Community Resource Exchange. The Community Resource Exchange connects individuals and families experiencing homelessness with the services they need all in one place, on one day. We need community members to collect items such as new socks, hygiene items, and books. The items will be distributed to those who attend the Community Resource Exchange.

Volunteer with a local nonprofit that focuses on youth.

*Updated numbers as of 10/2012