National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week ended on a nice note: Sunday’s Chicago Tribune featured a follow-up story about the strong community support given to a homeless family that was living in a storage facility in Streamwood.

The family was profiled in an Oct. 28 feature about the growing number of homeless students in suburban Chicago schools – up 64 percent, with 4,137 students identified in the first quarter of this school year, compared to the same period last fall.

Of course, such a wonderful response does not solve homelessness for thousands of affected area families. That's why strong advocacy and a many-faceted approach is needed. But it tells us that people care. When visibility is given to those experiencing homelessness, people are moved to help. Sometimes, as in this case, a community embraces others during hard times. Chicago Coalition for the Homeless often sees awareness lead to action. For one family, a good result!

The touching article, by Bonnie Miller Rubin, can be accessed at http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-storage-unit-familynov22,0,892460.story

- Laurene M. Heybach

Director of the CCH Law Project