In neighboring Loudoun County– one of the richest counties in the nation–there are about 1,100 homeless or “precariously-housed” children, as defined by the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The Washington Post reported that a local nonprofit has found a unique way to support them.
Every Wednesday evening, Mobile Hope Loudoun, an offshoot of Inova Loudoun Hospital, delivers a bus full of groceries, toiletries, toys, clothes and books to children whose families can’t afford such items. In addition to the bus trips, the organization offers services at its office, such as free food distribution days and a bimonthly “shopping night” for clothes.
Donna Fortier, founder and executive director of Mobile Hope, said that representatives from other Washington-area organizations have expressed interest in operating a similar program. That’s hopeful news for D.C., which has 6,500 homeless children, according to a recent report by the National Center on Family Homelessness.
