$9 million for Super Bowl / $0 million for Homeless Teens

So, big news in the Metro section of the Dallas Morning News today: "$9 million raised for Super Bowl; more on tap". But, poor babies, due to the bad economy, they may end up shy of the $15 million they are looking for. O.K., so here I go again.......

Does anyone have any idea what Promise House could do with just ONE of those millions????? And WHY is it that the rich folks are so eager to support huge stadiums, huge football games, huge entertainment venues, huge hotels, but not huge problems like teens who live in cars, under bridges, on the street, on top of buildings??? Teens who have suffered unspeakable abuses and have chosen the streets as refuge??? Teens who will be the next generation of chronically homeless adults, cause NO ONE who can really ante up and put some serious money toward solving the problem is paying attention to them??

I used to say it made my head hurt. But now, it makes my heart hurt. Promise House struggles every year to meet the gap in funding between government dollars and the actual costs of providing critically needed services to these teens: emergency shelter, long-term housing, street outreach, crisis counseling. Not to mention basic needs of food, clothing, a bed to sleep in, toothpaste, socks, underwear, etc., etc. I often say that whatever it takes to raise a kid is what Promise House does.

But sometimes it seems that Dallas would rather raise a convention hotel, or a stadium, or fancy new condos that are now sitting empty, than raise these teens. But guess what? We will NEVER end homelessness in Dallas until these teens get the attention and help they need.

The last thing I always say is: "If it was your child on the street, you would want all the help you could get."

That is all we are asking--all the help we can get.

So, how about just one of those millions??