This story made me cry this morning. My President said last week, its "not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours." That's what I'm saying. When we know we may not be in the greatest of ways as a nation, but we do have enough, enough for everyone, enough that children and entire families should have a real roof over their head, and maybe a real window to look through as a child does homework, not a zipper slit.
It is also a testament to childrens' optimism. She knows its not really a room, but she can justify living like that because of her more abstract understanding of things. If she can keep the attitude and optimism she will do good things in the world.
Kiyomi: It's kind of like my own little room, because I have my bed and then I have, I can put my stuff here and then I have a window. It's like a room.
Magee, her husband, two children, and two grandchildren have all been homeless since November, when her husband lost his job as a trucker. For her daughter, 11-year-old Kiyomi, the EDAR serves as a place to do homework, draw, and to escape from the routine at the shelter.
Selmia Magee zips open the canvas flap of her EDAR unit and peeks outside. Last night, she slept on the floor of the chapel at an overcrowded homeless shelter on LA's Skid Row. The 7 foot-long tent is suspended inches off the cold ground by wheels. Its floor is a thin, firm mattress. Its ceiling, a beige water-proof canvas, is four feet tall.
Selmia Magee: And it has like these little windows that you can open up, right? And then you can just feel the mattresses, it's really nice.
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