Every year the sixth-grade students at Prairie View Elementary read Jerry Spinelli’s book, Maniac Magee, about a homeless boy’s struggles and adventures, and as part of their beyond-the-book discussion, they invite Laurie Willson, community relations coordinator for the Union Gospel Mission, to share about what it means to be homeless. Sixth-grade teachers, Mrs. Vanderzee and Mrs. Ramsey, described the students’ reaction to the unit as “thoughtful.”

“It helps them become aware of other people outside their experience,” said Mrs. Ramsey, “and provides a bridge to another culture.” Laurie shows a video of a homeless mother and child that is particularly moving for the children, Mrs. Vanderzee said. “It dispels a lot of misconceptions.”

After the unit this year, the students were on fire to know how they could help. First, they got the entire school involved in making placemats for Thanksgiving at the Mission. Then they initiated a stuff-the-sock project for Christmas – filling holiday socks with candy canes, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hand sanitizer, tissues and deodorant.

When asked what they learned, the students had some profound responses:

• “Homelessness can happen to anyone.”
• “People don’t necessarily look homeless.”
• “It opened my eyes and made me want to help out.”
• “People judge them because they’re homeless, and that’s not fair.”
• “I always thought of a homeless person as an old guy sitting on the street corner asking for money, but in the book we read, Maniac was a kid who hung out at the zoo and never asked anyone for money.”
• “Maniac Magee was like my best friend for two months while we were reading the book. So now, when I see someone who is homeless, I think, they could be my best friend.”
• “Homeless people had a life before they were on the streets, but something happened, and they lost everything.”

Laurie finished her time with the students by reading aloud the beginning of chapter 14 where "Maniac" is welcomed into a home: "Maniac loved his new life. He loved his new sneakers, the ones Mrs. Beale bought for him. He loved the new quietness of his footsteps as he trotted Bow Wow through the early morning streets. He loved the early morning. . . He loved the sound of pancake batter hissing on the griddle . . ."
           
That sense of warmth, Laurie explained, is what we attempt to offer those who come to our shelters.