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Anyone who read the Nov. 28 Mirror front-page article "Homeless students a concern in region" had to have felt somewhat troubled about the scope of the problem in Blair County.
While that situation does not balloon beyond the size of the problem across the state, most Blair residents probably had, up until then, embraced the notion that a county of Blair's many positive attributes and circumstances would not be home to a problem of such worrisome dimension.
The issue of homeless students -- indeed, homelessness in general -- demands major worry in all aspects of the Blair community.
Regarding homeless students, though, the question that can and should be asked is: How can a young person who in school, preparing for life as an adult, achieve all of his or her potential when he or she lacks such a basic necessity as a solid, dependable, stable living arrangement?
Some homeless students are responsible for their plight. However, adults, in a bigger way, are responsible for the size of the problem because of bad decisions, failure to shoulder their responsibilities as parents or guardians, or through avoidable weaknesses or failures in providing their families a stable existence.
It is true that fires, accidents, illnesses or serious injuries are upheavals in some cases leading to homelessness. Yet, homelessness is largely preventable with the right resources, intentions and guidance available.
Fortunately, as the Nov. 28 article revealed, there are many resources in this county's school districts and communities that are poised to provide assistance where needed. The problem is -- and school districts and communities are not to blame -- most situations leading to homelessness remain "under the radar" until people actually are without shelter or living in temporary conditions that cannot exist for long.
The article described the issue as follows: "The term homeless encompasses a wide range of circumstances. While students and/or families might have a roof over their head for the night, they're considered homeless if they're sharing accommodations with another person, living in motels or hotels, trailer parks, campgrounds or shelters. If someone considers their primary residence to be a public or private place not designed for regular sleeping accommodations -- such as cars, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations -- they're also considered homeless."
It is doubtful Blair's overall homelessness problem ever will be resolved totally, but strides geared toward addressing identified student homelessness are being made here through various entities such as churches, charities, community resources and the school districts themselves.
Unfortunately, in some places, the troubling homelessness numbers are continuing to grow, and the reasons are many and concerning.
As the Mirror reported, the first step in getting help for the homeless is to identify those who qualify. Commendably, the help already being provided for homeless students is resulting from referrals or concerns emanating from teachers, counselors or other students.
But it is important, too, that students themselves who are in need reach out for assistance. There should be no embarrassment about seeking help. Another important point on which the Blair County community should reflect: There are people here who feel that their holiday season is complete only after they have provided help to someone in need.
Helping a homeless student would be a good way to achieve that holiday season completeness.