New book aims to teach Portland kids about homelessness
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Local artist Eva Wrzesinski illustrated the book. Photo: Courtesy of Blanchet House
A new children's book by the folks behind Blanchet House, a free cafe serving Portland's Old Town neighborhood, aims to educate kids about homelessness — how to talk about it and what they can do to lend a hand.
Why it matters: Many children who live in larger cities grow up seeing homelessness in their neighborhoods.
- "It can be hard for parents to talk about this complex and sad issue," Julie Showers, one of the co-authors, told Axios. "Kids have this natural compassion and inevitably ask how they can help."
The big picture: In "Toby Finds a Home" (for ages 3-7), a stray, orange cat searching for food wanders into Blanchet House's lunch line — where over 1,500 free, hot meals are served daily and guests are allowed to bring their pets, who get fed, too.
- There, Toby meets several people and gets to know their reasons for homelessness, whether they just left foster care, lost a job, or are housed and just need help with food.
- Showers said telling the story through the eyes of a cat seemed to "be a more gentle way to understand homelessness."
Between the lines: Showers, who works as a spokesperson for Blanchet House, wrote the book with her mother — a former elementary school teacher — and collaborated with students from Pacific Northwest College of Art.
- Local artist Eva Wrzesinski did the illustrations.
- All proceeds from the $19.95 book support Blanchet House. It can be found online and at Broadway Books, Green Bean Books and Powell's.
Plus: There's an added volunteer guide inside, where kids learn step by step how to pack care kits and sack lunches at home to give to their local shelter.
The bottom line: Though the book was written for children, Showers said it is really for all ages and addresses what many Portlanders may be feeling at the sight of our streets: compassion fatigue.
- "I think this book is a good way to remind ourselves that these are individuals — they have individual problems and they need help."
What's next: There will be a reading of "Toby Finds A Home" at kids' story time at Powell's Books on Nov. 16 at 10:30am.
- Afterward, kids will participate in a service activity and can write notes of encouragement and draw pictures "to show the person on the other end that you're thinking about them," Showers added.