Here are a few of the comments the kids made:A 12-year-old girl – “When we first came to the shelter I was scared. But now I feel safe. We all have our own rooms, but my mom has to go to a friend’s house to cook because we don’t have a stove or refrigerator, but somehow we always manage to make it.” A 13-year-old boy – “A shelter is for women. It is a must for women who are thrown out of their home. We do things that relieve stress.” A 10-year-old boy – “I like the Women’s Shelter because they help us. They give us a place to stay. I learn ways to keep violence off my mind. I can get calm, when I get help from them.” A 14-year-old boy – “The Women’s Shelter is a place where parents like your mom come. They come to a Women’s Shelter because they will get beat on by husbands or boyfriends … I am not going to hit on a woman never in my life.” A 12-year-old girl – “The reason I came to the shelter is because me and my mom needed housing. The shelter helped us with public aid they helped me to get into school. I like the shelter because they are so nice and are willing to let us come down here if the lights go out at our place and we can stay as long as we want.” A 5-year-old girl – “I love my mom and my baby sister. My mom loves me, too. We came to the shelter because we didn’t have anywhere to live. My room is going to stay clean. The shelter is a good place. The Women’s Shelter is very neat and my mom thinks so, too.” A 12-year-old girl – “I like the Women’s Shelter because they help us. They help us to get a good home. They help to get us a better life. They take us to our counselors, doctors, to the store, and court. They come to school and check on us. They help us to get our minds off things that are bad.”

These are just a few; there are many more. These kids don’t know if they will even have a home. They live in an environment of constant turmoil and violence. It makes me realize how petty my troubles are and how much God has blessed me and all of us who are lucky enough to have the good solid jobs SIU provides. We need to count our blessings every day and realize that there are so many others out there who are not as fortunate. Those of us who are can do something for those who aren’t. Please come to the library in the main hall and find your own perspective. Happy Holidays.

graphic designer, Library Affairs