You may not realize how many local students go to school each morning without first having a place to shower.
Maybe they slept in a car overnight or in a hotel room. They may not know where they will be sleeping tonight.
According to Family Promise of Martin County, more than 740 students in that school district are registered as homeless. There are thousands of other students considered homeless in Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Okeechobee, and Indian River Counties.
Family Promise of Martin County is holding its annual fundraiser this weekend to continue its work helping homeless families find a safe and stable place to live.
The Martin County Bed Races aim to raise at least $50,000 for homeless families in Martin County. Local groups and organizations build “beds on wheels” with creative themes and race down Flagler Avenue.
Anyone is welcome to attend, watch the races, and consider donating to the cause.
The event is Saturday, Nov. 16, and runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 600 SE Flagler Ave, Stuart, near Sailfish Ballpark.
Family Promise of Martin County has been serving homeless families since 2018.
One of the families is Trinetta and her two children, ages 2 and 16.
Her two-year-old son, AJ, spent the morning on a swing set and riding down a slide in the backyard of Family Promise’s main location.
“He’s so energetic,” Trinetta said.
Having her own backyard for her son to play in is a dream that, for so long, felt out of reach. She was homeless for years.
"It wasn’t just something that came out of the blue. It was years of it. It was so hard to get back on my feet. I kept trying over and over again,” Trinetta said.
She was homeless even before AJ was born. She wants to make sure he doesn’t experience the hardships she went through.
“Failed relationships, domestic violence, incarceration. I just couldn’t get it together," she said.
It wasn’t just the struggle to find a place to live for a month. Sometimes there was uncertainty about where she would stay the night, even when her daughter needed to be in school the next day.
“Her having to switch schools so much, because we didn’t know whether the place we were going to would last a month, two months, three months, or even a year, she just closed up.”
Eventually, losing her kids was a turning point.
“DCF wasn’t hearing that we had a temporary housing situation. They need to know you have a permanent housing situation," she said.
She found out about Family Promise of Martin County, which helped her family get on the path to having their own home, and made sure she could get her children back to live with her.
“I’ve been able to obtain a better sense of managing my money, taking my GED, getting a car, and having safe, stable housing,” Trinetta said.
The reasons families and children are experiencing homelessness are many, but the cost of living and wages not keeping up are making matters worse.
“These aren’t the people who are panhandling. These are the families that are hiding because they don’t want anyone to know that they’re homeless. Most of them don’t report it because they’re fearful their kids will be taken,” said Paige Cortes, director of operations for Family Promise of Martin County.
Aside from providing housing for some families, the nonprofit also finds landlords willing to work with struggling families. They also work with families to learn to manage their budgets and offer financial support when ends don’t meet.
“I really feel like with the tools they’ve shown me, I have a chance to be OK,” Trinetta said.
It’s given her new hope for her future.
“In five years, I see myself owning something or running something, where I have workers working for me."
