todaySpin - Feb. 27, 2009
Gulbransen Model E Electronic Organ, absolutely free

500 homeless students in the Allentown School District?

Monica called my attention to a Letter to the Editor in Wednesday's Morning Call wherein the writer pleaded for help for the victims of the recent fire in Allentown. 

What especially hooked me was the following paragraph: "A roll of quarters given to Russell 'Rooster' Valentini, homeless coordinator for the Allentown School District, will allow a small family to take the clothes from a burned apartment to the coin laundry to be washed clean. If your children are in school in Allentown, have them bring in a roll or two of quarters to their principal for "Rooster" to use. He already has 500 homeless students on his caseload. Now he has more."

The online version of the letter includes only the first sentence of that paragraph Although I point that out, my question is not s much about the reason for the online omission but it is about 500 homeless students in the Allentown School District. Can that be?

A little Googling resulted in these possible confirmations: (1) From a 2006 Moravian College news release: In any given year, Rooster has to manage approximately 500 cases with active files normally approaching 75 cases. (2) From a June 2007 Commission Report on Allentown's Plan to End Chronic Homelessness by 2017: From 2001 through 2006, the Allentown School District documented in excess of 600 homeless students annually.

Now, if that is so, where do they stay ... and what opportunity for creative and compassionate ministry might it suggest?




I was one of those who were homeless due to a fire and "Rooster" was such a God send! As any parent knows, it is the parents' responsibility to transport their child to school. Sheridan Elementary is located in what parallels to the California clover. There are only three points of entry which have no driving on the primary point of entry, hour restrictions on the secondary, and the only street which you can drive on, there is no attendance for the students! After being burnt out, and having to stay at the Ramada @$400 weekly rate out of pocket, I then received a notice from Sheridan Elementary for my child having excess tardiness primarily for the duration we stayed at the Ramada. In this notice there were threats of fines/arrest contingent upon a hearing by the magistrate. Isn’t there enough turmoil with the economy, political unrest and the housing market without reprimanding parents for something so trivial!

"Rooster " Russell Valentini

I am the Homeless Educational Liaison in the Allentown S.D. and for a
portion of Region 8 in PA.
I have documented roughly
600 students who experience homelessness
yearly for the last several
years. (This number also
includes about 65 from surrounding school districts)(Bethlehem S.D. documents over 250 students not included in my count)Shelters,hotels,doubled up,and less common places is where they are.
All area school districts have homeless because fires,Domestic abuse, job loss, etc. are everywhere.
The families are very invested into remaining invisible so we seldom see
them or can tell. Also older,unaccompanied youth are an issue to deal with.

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