This week’s post comes in the wake of a widely observed, and usually beloved, holiday: Mother’s Day.

Now, if you’ve been following this blog, you may have noticed that my mother is somewhat absent from these posts. Like many families struggling with homelessness, mine was headed by a single parent, and in my case it was my father. However, there are almost six times as many single-parent families in homelessness that are headed by mothers as fathers. I’d like to take this post to highlight one such mother, Kristen Smith.

Previously working in homeless prevention services, Kristen began blogging about her own experiences in homelessness with two daughters in November 2015. Losing her home over the summer of 2015, Kristen has her own unique set of variables that have led to her circumstances. Like many families in homelessness, it was more than one factor.

Braving inclement East Coast chills and a frosty civic climate around aid for low-income and homeless families, Kristen is documenting her story in real time. In a raw day-to-day play-by-play, Kristen has made her experiences and emotions publicly available in hopes of raising awareness and action for families and children facing homelessness. To follow her progress and offer encouragement through this harrowing and uncertain struggle, check out her blog here.

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