LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools hosted its second "Mile in My Shoes" walk Saturday, Oct. 19 at Shawnee Park, raising awareness for its homeless and foster care students. 

JCPS officials said it has thousands of students who are experiencing homelessness. 

“I’m out walking to support a good cause of homeless students in JCPS," said Charity Patton, Butler High School order receiving clerk. 

Patton said she interacts with many students who need assistance.

“I’ve seen a lot of babies who have had help who were homeles,s and it just kind of breaks your heart," she said. "If you can give a little back, it's always good to do that." 

The district said it had nearly 3,600 students last school year who were identified as homeless, but there are likely thousands more.

“I want people to walk to understand the reality, to understand that it's a hidden problem," said Giselle Danger, specialist in the JCPS office of Access and Opportunity. "Because if I say we have 5,000 homeless students, please understand that those are families that have shared their housing situation." 

Each JCPS school has a houseless liaison that is helping homeless and foster care students get the help they need under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

“Once you provide the support, the transportation being number one, also providing wraparound services and making sure that they have access to extracurricular activities ... we see them being academically successful,” Danger said.

Danger said once the district provides services mandated under the McKinney-Vento Act, many families often come out of homelessness.

“Students want to know that you care, so if you show them you care, they are glad to talk to you; they open up to you," Patton said. "It gives them a safe place to relate." 

JCPS’ 2024 "Adopt a Family" winter program also kicked off Oct. 19, allowing people in the community to get gifts for homeless students during the holiday season.