What We’ve Been Building

I know it’s been a while since I’ve shown up in your inbox. But I want you to know, the silence hasn’t been absence. It’s been work. Deep, necessary, humbling work. And today, I’m finally sitting down to tell you about all of it.

Over a year ago, two conversations changed a lot of my impact work. First, a conversation with my family about how we wanted to show up to support more children experiencing homelessness and second, a conversation with a social worker who expressed a growing concern about homelessness in school systems across the country. Those two conversations planted a seed.

That’s how Zion’s Closet was born, a program where we have been able to work with literally hundreds of people to directly impact students and families who are unhoused and impoverished while trying to navigate the school system.

I am so proud to share that Zion’s Closet is now operating in four schools, reaching a combined population of 2,000+ students and we have a waiting list of 10+ schools, some here in Georgia and others out of state.

What’s become clear to me over time is that you when we show up for a student experiencing homelessness, we are also showing up for their parent, their grandparent, their entire household.

And, part of why expanding Zion’s Closet feels so urgent right now is the broader crisis surrounding family homelessness.

Family homelessness has hit record highs, and a few school districts around the country have begun offering their parking lots as safe overnight sites for students and their families to sleep.1

Some families actually prefer safe parking programs over emergency shelters because it allows them to stay together, maintain some privacy, and hold onto a sense of normalcy in an impossible situation.

And it goes even further than that, there are over a hundred cities across the U.S. that have made it illegal to sleep outdoors, which is why so many families have no choice but to safely park in lots just to sleep in their vehicles at night.23

What’s coming next

We are working to launch two more schools this summer, Feldwood Elementary and Bear Creek Middle School,4 who are joining the Zion’s Closet community network of care closets. These are real communities full of children and families who deserve every resource and every bit of dignity we can bring to them.

Writing this update has reminded me of just how far we’ve come and how much road is still ahead. If you’ve been watching this work from the sidelines, I am personally inviting you in.

There are real, tangible ways to get involved and every single one of them matters. Please check them out below.

With so much gratitude,

Terence

We are also launching the Forever Forward Scholarship in partnership with HBCU Connect, a scholarship designed to directly invest in higher education for nontraditional students who have overcome homelessness, navigated poverty, and beaten the odds to get here. This scholarship is for the overcomers. For the student who didn’t have a straight path, a safety net, or someone telling them it was going to be okay, and kept going anyway.

We are starting with three small scholarships and 100% of contributions go directly to the student through HBCU Connect. If you want to get involved, reach out or donate here.

• If you are in Atlanta, we would love for you to volunteer and serve with Love Beyond Walls.

• Check out our wishlist and send items our way. Every donation goes directly to a student or family in need.

• If education and justice matter to you, consider supporting and sharing my recent book about education with someone who cares deeply about students (Available Now).

• If you are looking to collaborate, invite me to speak and engage people who need encouragement, perspective, and hope.

• And if nothing else—send prayers and positivity as we continue to do this work.

A couple of weeks ago I got to travel to NYC to speak at a conference and sit down for an interview on the Mighty Pursuit Podcast, which should be out soon, where we break down poverty and how we should address it as the need continues to grow.