Helping the homeless

I've added 24 beautiful stars with a stained glass feel to them. Don't Fear the Darkness came to be because I was inspired by a very motivational quote.

"To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don't worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest” ~Unknown

As a case manager for a homeless shelter I see people go through so much. Being homeless is hard, especially if you're homeless with your children. The parents are under so much stress as are their children.

I've also seen people gather enormous amounts of strength while times are their darkest. When I found this quote I really felt it was the perfect one to describe the parents that I work with.

These beautiful star designs are a reminder that even in our darkest of times there is strength, hope and beauty. Profits will be used for an emergency fund to help families who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless.

Here are some information for you that I learned from The National Alliance to End Homelessness. Most Americans underestimate how the problem of homelessness affects families. About 600,000 families and 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the United States. Family homelessness is more widespread than many think, but it is not an unsolvable problem. Across the country, hundreds of communities are planning to end homelessness, and a handful of communities and many local programs are making progress in ending family homelessness. I also learned that over 5 million low-income families pay half of their income for housing or live in severely substandard conditions.

The fact of the matter is many of our families cannot afford housing. Lack of education, lack of job skills and lack of daycare bring about this problem. Many of them are single moms struggling to just make ends meet while living in unsafe communities.

Moving into housing takes money. Money for first month's rent and security deposit, utility bills, moving expenses, furniture and household items. That is just a small sample of what is needed. I will use the money earned from Dark Fear the Darkness to help homeless families secure housing.