JONATHAN KIRSHNER PHOTOGRAPHY

Stories: A Wish For Khali

She's filled with laughter, light and hope, despite her surroundings. Khali, a girl who remembers birthdays, reads to her sister and basks in her teacher's praises, has a problem.

School officials consider the 8-year-old homeless.

Khali Friedmann is not unlike most eight-year-olds. She's smart, sociable, caring and energetic. It would be hard to believe that she is faced with overcoming a cycle of poverty being tought to her by parents. Khali is the oldest of four children, one of which has been adopted by a relative. The parents, both 26, are unmarried, unemployed, and former drug users. They provide little emotional support, guidance or positive interaction. How will this seemingly bright and normal child fair as she grows up? Will she continue the cycle her parents are in?
   
No maid service, no telephone, no permanent address. Khali carries the family's garbage to the trash bin.
   
The family lives in a $34-a-night motel room after being evicted from their apartment. Khali rarely receives attention from the parents. The parents avoid contact with other people staying in the motel.
     
  
Khali sniffs blouses from a clothes pile. "Ew, it smells like puke," Khali said.
   
During school, Khali often studies with her second-grade classmates. Khali's teacher said five students have left her class since December. Some were among the school's 8 percent homeless population.
   
After walking to the motel after school, Cheyenne, 4, and Khali turn their attention to television. It stays on most days. "All you can do is sit there and watch TV and play in the little room." Khali said.
     
  
Khali works on homework during the last week of school before the holiday break. She wrote two letters to Santa Claus at school. One asked for a house for her mom and siblings. In the other letter she asked to be able see her six-year -old sister who had been adopted.
  
Five people in a one-bed motel room forces Khali to sleep on the floor. She sleeps on top of dirty bath towels and her dad's flannel shirt for cushioning.
  
Depression looms heavily over Khali's mom, Angela, as their food stamps, welfare money and handouts from family members runs out.
     
  
Khali and her parents, Christopher Ainsworth and Angela Friedmann, step out of the stuffy room. They don't allow their children to play outside the motel room.
   
Khali pens a note on her mother's 26th birthday. "You remembered," Angela said. "Thank you. You're the only one."
   
Great-grandfather Jim Keller gives Khali a feather boa as a Christmas present. Relatives have been the only consistent source of love and attention.
     
  
Khali relishes affection from Grandma Billie Mitchell during a Christmas Day visit. "I love you," she said. "You're so gorgeous."
   
Cheyenne leads the way as the family walks to a bus stop after a visit with grandma Billie.
  
Christopher attempts to find work at a fast food restaurant.
     
  
The family loads items into their car as they begin to move out of the motel.
   
Angela combs the classifieds, looking for work.
  
Nationwide, homeless children are a growing segment of the population. Some 1.3 million children were homeless in the United State last year. The number grows about 10 percent a year.