Primo Center for Women and Children

For my Bat Mitzvah project, I decided to work with the Primo Center for Women and Children. The Primo Center helps homeless women and children get temporary or permanent housing.
 
Half of the homeless people in Chicago are families, and over 1/3 are children. When I found this out I was really surprised. Most people think that most of the homeless people in Chicago are adults but that’s not true. A lot of the homeless people in Chicago are mothers and their children who left home because they were abused. This leads to many of the children at the Primo Center having depression and anxiety. I can’t imagine being in a situation like that. And if the kids don’t get a lot of help when they are young, many of them will have even bigger challenges when they get older.
 
My sisters and I have always felt bad when we have seen homeless people on the street. We always try to say hello or give the people we see as much money as we can but it never feels like enough. That’s why I chose the Primo Center.
 
We found the organization last year when my sister Mollie was looking for a project. She found the Primo Center and decided that that’s what she wanted to do. That winter, we volunteered at the Primo Center and were able to meet some of the kids there. We did arts and crafts and ate snacks with them. It was a really amazing experience but we didn’t get to spend a lot of time there.
 
So, for my mitzvah project I want to continue helping the kids at the Primo Center. My goal is to raise $5000, which is the amount it will take to help a family start their new life in their new home. It will pay for all the things they need, like beds, sheets, utensils, pots and pans, plates, and clothes. It will also get the children and the adults the help they need to deal with their issues and live happier, more independent lives. It will pay for social workers and psychologists, and help for the mothers to get jobs.
 
This organization means a lot to me and I would be so grateful if you could donate. Thank you so much.
 
Naomi

(Donations to the Primo Center are Tax Deductible)

Every time I see a homeless person, I feel sad. I worry that they are hungry, they have nowhere to go when it is raining or snowing and they might get sick or die. No one chooses to be homeless. Some people are homeless because they lose their job, or maybe they have problems with drugs or alcohol, or maybe just a lot of bad luck. But that doesn’t mean they deserve to suffer. Wealthy people who have the same problems don’t become homeless. I know that if I had a problem that might cause me to become homeless, I have parents, grandparents and other family members who would give me support. I am also very lucky to be able to go to a very good school that gives me a good education, and that should help me to avoid being homeless. Homeless people aren’t as lucky as I am. They didn’t choose their parents or relatives. It’s not their fault that they aren’t as lucky as I am. I want to give them money so that they can maybe start turning their lives around. And even if they don’t turn their lives around, homeless people are people just like me and they shouldn’t suffer.

My Bat Mitzvah project is to help homeless people. I am working to raise money for the Primo Center for Women and Children, which focuses on helping homeless families. Did you know that half of the homeless people in Chicago are families and more than 1/3 of the homeless people in Chicago are children?! A lot of them are mothers and their children who left a home where someone was abusing them. They are faced with the challenges of getting a good education and having enough food to eat at a very young age. They have very difficult lives and a lot of these children have depression. If they don’t get help, many will have lots of other problems when they get older.

The Primo Center for Women and Children focuses on helping to get these families into a house. They provide temporary housing to 184 people and permanent housing to 78 families. I want to help them do more. My goal is to raise money for a family that is moving in to permanent housing. The money I raise will help this family start their new life in their new home. We will provide them with basic things like blankets and towels, eating utensils, pots to cook with, plates to eat on, clothing and more. The money will also help pay for people like psychologists and social workers who will help the family deal with all the other challenges and help them to get a job so that they can have happier and healthier lives. It would make me happy if you made a donation to the Primo Center to help a homeless family have a place to live and get the help they need.

(All donations are tax deductible.)