Young and Homeless

Twins Marquise and Marcus Are Among Hundreds Of D.C. Kids Living in Shelters

Up, up, up to the fourth floor the two boys loudly race. In the homeless shelter where they now live, there is no elevator to get them to the three-bedroom apartment they share with their mother and three older brothers.

Twins Marcus and Marquise Adams are 10. They used to live in a rented home in Northeast Washington that had a yard where they could play football. But that was about four months ago, before the person who owned the house decided to sell it.

When the boys' mom didn't have enough money to rent somewhere else, the family found itself at a shelter in Northwest run by a group called Community of Hope. "It feels a little bad, but then you get used to it," Marcus says.

The brothers are among an estimated 1,200 homeless children in the city, many of whom live in shelters.

Kelly Sweeney McShane, an official with Community of Hope, says the number of homeless people has declined slightly in the past year, but the family shelters are always full.

These children "probably don't look like what kids think a homeless person looks like," she says. "They are just like any kid."

Marcus and Marquise don't look alike. But the bond between them is clear. Their beds are next to each other in the room they share with their 13-year-old brother. (Two older brothers share another bedroom in the small apartment.) Marcus and Marquise like chocolate-chip cookies and video games. And both want to drive trucks or buses when they grow up.

Marquise says he hopes "to drive around the country."

The twins say they miss having a house to live in. But the shelter, which has 20 apartments, offers safety and stability.

Their old neighborhood had more violence and drugs, they say. "If we'd hear shooting and stuff, we'd go in our house and mind our business," Marquise says. "We'd think nice things," Marcus adds.

Although they hope their shelter stay doesn't last too long, the boys agree that the place is "nice." There is a computer lab on the first floor, and the basement has a small library and a room with art supplies, toys and board games. Volunteers come by to help with homework. As a result, Marquise and Marcus are becoming better students, earning B's and C's, their mom, Alice, says.

Moving to the shelter meant going to a new school, and that was difficult at first. But the twins say they haven't had much trouble making friends in their new fourth-grade class.