Letter: Homeless numbers rising

I am a senior in high school and recently did a project on the facts and statistics of homelessness in Washington and Oregon and, frankly, the numbers astounded me.

One out of every six children will not get to go home and eat dinner with their families tonight. One out of every five adults will not be able to put breakfast on the table the next morning. There is an increasing homelessness epidemic among us.

I am writing this letter in hopes that these numbers and facts will urge people to start taking action, for them and for the others out there who need our help.

Our neighboring state of Oregon has some of the highest homelessness and poverty rates that the state has seen in years.

So many people are unable to provide basic nutrition to their children and to themselves. Children who do not get proper nutrition during critical years often have stunted growth and do not fully develop as they are supposed to. This lack of nutrition also causes a large amount of obesity in children and adults as the need for cheap food leads them to places where the meals are packed with sodium, carbohydrates and overall fatty ingredients.

I urge you to become more aware of what is happening around you and what this epidemic is doing to both states.

Olivia Weesner

Vancouver