Congressman Doyle Presents Check To Homeless Children's Education Fund

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (PA-14) presented a check for $72,750 to Joe Lagana, the founder of the Homeless Children’s Education Fund, last night.

“I am glad that I could secure this federal funding to help Joe and the HCEF with the important work they’re doing to provide greater educational opportunities for homeless children in Allegheny County,” Congressman Doyle.“The Homeless Children’s Education Fund is making tremendous headway in the struggle to ensure that local homeless children don’t get left behind.”

Congressman Doyle worked successfully to earmark $72,750 for the Homeless Children’s Education Fund in the Fiscal Year 2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act. This money will be used for the revitalization and renovation of its learning centers in homeless shelters in Allegheny County.

In 2004, HCEF operated learning centers at 7 of the 18 homeless shelters serving families with children throughout the county. These learning centers provide homeless kids with computer access, a place to do their homework, educational materials, and tutoring. The program currently reaches about 700 homeless children and youth, and has the potential to reach 2,000 children annually.

These learning centers are located at The Salvation Army Family Crisis Center (downtown), Three Rivers Youth – The Hub (Strip District), Womanspace East, Inc.(Uptown/Lower Hill District), Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh (Shadyside), HEARTH – Benedictine Place (North Hills School District), YWCA Bridge Housing, and YWCA of McKeesport.

In 2004, HCEF provided a new backpack filled with school supplies to the 1200 children who were homeless when the 2005-2005 school year started.

The Homeless Children’s Education Fund is a not-for-profit organization formed in 1999 to supplement federal educational assistance to homeless children so that those children have the same access to educational opportunities as other kids. It engages in both action to help local homeless kids and advocacy to “Engage local partners to raise community awareness of the plight of homeless children and to work with homeless families and school districts to protect and promote homeless children’s educational rights.”

Its operating budget is provided by corporate sponsors and foundations, and 100 percent of all private donations are invested in an endowment fund that funds the learning centers and provides mini-grants for educating the more than 3,000 homeless kids in Allegheny County.

More information about the Homeless Children’s Education Fund can be found at its web site, https://www.homelessfund.org/.

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