So I've gotten some emails from readers of my story on student homelessness. All of which are about how they can help this one family and if they can get into contact with them. (Read it here if you haven't: http://bit.ly/HomelessEd )

First: I do not share contact information of my sources without their consent.
Second: This family isn't in dire need food or clothes, they need a home and a stable income. They do genuinely want to help themselves.
Third: This problem is much bigger than them.

This doesn't mean you, dear reader, can't help. So here's my practical advice for you outraged do-gooders out there:

Volunteer or donate to family shelters or local family resource centers that help distribute basic necessities like. They can reach more people than one person can.

I mention @mpusd_now's, @MCOE_Now and @salinascitysd's in my story. But there are plenty of others out there (including @AUSD_FRCs!)

If you think your school district is undercounting homeless students, let them know during a board meeting, a phone call, an email. Homelessness isn't just in urban areas and "poor" neighborhoods. Tell them to do better and turn their numbers into HUD homeless census.

Next, remember to manage your expectations. It is not reasonable or sustainable to expect school districts to solve student homelessness. They're already expected to solve poverty in so many other ways.

Call your state reps, call your mayor or city council, raise hell to whoever represents your neighborhood and region and tell them to prioritize affordable housing and more funding and support for homeless students. If you think your reps aren't listening, your votes count.

This is what one person can do to help the 8,000-plus homeless students in Monterey County. Anyway, that's my #soapbox Twitter rant. Think about it. Get mad. Do something.