Sesame Street in Communities

Share the video with children and adults. Point out that home is not necessarily a house or apartment—it can be wherever one is feeling safe and loved. It can mean a sense of comfort, or connection, or of confidence. It’s a feeling in one’s heart.

After hearing what the children in the video have to say about what home means to them, talk together about what home means to everyone. For instance, children might say, “Home is my city,” “Home is my classroom,” or “Home is my grandma’s lap.” Reinforce the idea that families experiencing shelter insecurity are much more than their current circumstance, its labels, and its stigma.

You might post a sheet of chart paper with the title “Home Is…” and an outline of a giant heart, and invite both adults and children to write or draw their ideas on sticky notes and post them in the heart.

Special thanks to Women in Need, a provider of shelter and supportive housing for families experiencing homelessness in New York City.