As the country celebrates the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, a group of homeless kids have come together to give their personal take on the civil rights leader’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
The Coalition for the Homeless, a New York City-based advocacy group, filmed a number of homeless kids sharing their biggest hopes for the future.
“I have a dream to go to a really good college,” one boy said.
“I just want to be a nurse,” one girl shared.
“I have a dream that I’m on stage and everyone’s laughing their heads off,” a giggling boy said.
One in 30 kids in America is homeless, a staggering figure that marks an all-time high for the country, according to a recent National Center on Family Homelessness.
The issue has hit New York City’s children particularly hard.
In the last five years, the number of homeless kids in the city’s public schools has jumped 63 percent, according to the Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness.
Martin Luther King Day offers an auspicious opportunity for supporters to help the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
The federal holiday is celebrated as a day of service, and invites advocates to answer one of King’s defining questions.
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"
Learn more about the Coalition for the Homeless and how you can support the organization here.
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