One that Phoebe Russell asked her mother was, Why do the homeless live that way?
It’s a question that seemed unanswerable. In Phoebe’s city, San Francisco, the homeless population ranges between 6,200 and 15,000, depending on which source you consult. There may be disagreement about the numbers, but the homeless are highly visible in the city that only measures 7 miles by 7 miles. Phoebe’s mother, Kathy Russell, explained about hunger and homelessness. That led to another question: “It makes me sad. Who helps them?” Phoebe also took this question to her preschool teacher, Kathleen Albert. “She asked me about the people she would see with the signs, why they were hungry. I explained to her some people don’t have homes and jobs; some people have really bad things happen to them,” Albert recalled. Phoebe was determined to help. If you ask her why, she’ll tell you, “To feed hungry people; they have no food and shelter.” Her family would often take cans to the grocery store and recycle them for cash. She asked her parents, “We collect cans at home — can we do that for
