On today's show we visit The Drake House, a nonprofit in Atlanta helping mothers and their children recover from their homelessness situation.  Later in the show, Bruce Gale brings us our Kid Hero segment with this week's hero, Miguel Coppedge.

Family homelessness is a growing social problem that is affecting families across the nation.  According to the National Center on Family Homelessness, the number of families experiencing homelessness is greater in America than in all other industrialized nations.  Adults and children in families make up about 33 percent of the homeless population.

One in five families is now headed by a single mother and these families are at the greatest risk of becoming homeless.  Most of these mothers have limited education and few job skills or work experience.

For many of these families, domestic violence is the immediate cause of their homelessness.  Those women who are out of the workforce and rely on their abusive partners financially, are especially at risk for unstable housing after leaving an abusive relationship. The link between domestic violence and homelessness is evident:

• 90 percent of homeless women are victims of severe physical or sexual abuse, and fleeing that abuse is a leading cause of their homelessness.

• 38 percent of all domestic violence victims become homeless at some point in their lives.

Most of these women lack the economic resources to secure permanent housing on their own and require support services beyond housing to become self-sufficient.

This brings us to today's nonprofit, The Drake House...

The Drake House provides a lifeline of supportive housing and enrichment programs for homeless mothers and their children in north metro Atlanta. @thedrakehouseroswell

Over 40% of Atlanta's homeless population are women and children.  

The Drake House provides mothers and their children with resources designed to keep them together during their time of need and provide the tools to return to stable housing.  They offer both emergency, short term housing and an extended 2-year program.  Their programs include life skills and education, career services, empowerment program planning, children and teen programs and mentoring support for these families.

Moms and school-aged children are matched with a screened and trained mentor who provides support, friendship, and assistance with family needs.

Bev visited the village and talked with Kathy Swahn, Executive Director and Christy Merritt, Director of Programs.

March 2 is Read Across America

In the words of Dr. Seuss, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

The National Education Association’s (NEA) Read Across America Day is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss.

In cities and towns across the nation, teachers, teenagers, librarians, politicians, actors, athletes, parents, grandparents, and others develop NEA's Read Across America activities to bring reading excitement to children of all ages. 

Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.

Miguel Coppedge is a 13-year-old boy who lives in Washington D.C.  He was in a foster home from the time he was 5 days old until Yolanda adopted him at the age of 2.  

Yolanda read to him and taught him how to be a motivated, community-minded, and positive young man.  By the time he was 10, he had published three books and became a filmmaker, speaker, philanthropist, and app developer. He has received numerous awards for his achievements. Miguel uses his books to give back and make a difference in the world. A portion of proceeds from his books sales go to St. Ann’s Children’s, Youth, and Families Center because he was once an infant there as a foster child before he was adopted.  @miguelcoppedge

Bruce Gale brings us an interview this this week’s Kid Hero, Miguel Coppedge.