New program to help kids of homeless families cope
Nearly any given day, the 62 beds at The Salvation Army in St. Cloud are full. That includes the beds set aside in seven separate rooms for families with children. Homelessness can be especially hard on kids, but a new program in St. Cloud is designed to help.
“The Salvation Army does a terrific job,” said St. Cloud State University professor, Sheila Moriarty. “But it’s not like you get to go back to The Salvation Army at night and go to your room and shut the door, and not have anybody bother you. That room is for their entire family that’s staying there.”
The S.M.A.R.T. Kids program (Support and Mentor through Arts, Recreation and Tutoring) will help children cope with those challenges. S.M.A.R.T. Kids is a partnership with St. Cloud State University social services graduate students. The students will meet regularly with kids living at the shelter so they can talk about the realities of being homeless, while helping them learn the skills to thrive.
“It’s like rewriting the narrative of how they see their lives. Instead of feeling embarrassed or ashamed of current circumstances, it’s about helping them note that they are some pretty tough kids in a good way; this is not a bad thing,” explained Moriarty. “They understand survival, and ‘hanging in there,’ and thriving in a way that other kids don’t until so much later in life.”
In other words, the graduate students will help empower the kids, focusing on their strengths, capabilities and potential. The S.M.A.R.T. Kids program also includes academic tutoring, mentoring, recreation, arts and other enrichment components.
S.M.A.R.T. Kids is possible thanks to a $100,000 grant from Otto Bremer Trust, along with the partnership of Saint Cloud State University and community members throughout St. Cloud. St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids Public School Districts will assist with curriculum development, and ServeMN Action Network will assist with training tutors. The College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, like SCSU, will also provide student tutors and mentors.
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