'Sesame Street' takes on homelessness

Lily, a fuchsia Muppet with a mop of hair, green eyelids and a lavender nose, debuted on “Sesame Street” seven years ago. She was shy and soft-spoken. Her family, she explained to Elmo, did not have enough to eat.

At the time, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that produces “Sesame Street,” wanted to create a Muppet that could help illustrate the food insecurity that was affecting nearly 17 million households with children.

Now, Lily is reappearing for the first time, as someone who is homeless. In the story line, her family is going back and forth between shelters, crashing with relatives and staying with Sofia, a person who works at the local community center.

Lily’s dramatic return was unveiled Wednesday on YouTube. The segments have been uploaded to YouTube and on the Sesame Street in Communities website.

Sesame Workshop realized that the issue - 2.5 million U.S. children are homeless - needed attention, said Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president for U.S. Social Impact at Sesame Workshop. In New York City, where Sesame Street is set, one out of every 10 students was homeless during the past school year.

On “Sesame Street,” “homeless” is never uttered because of the stigma surrounding the word; on the show, “H” stands for hope, help, healing and home.

Sesame Workshop has produced several segments involving Lily’s story arc, including one where Elmo and Rosita interact with real-life children who are homeless.

The videos can be seen on YouTube and on a show-related website that has resource materials to help parents, teachers, social workers and others learn how to help children cope with homelessness.

A storybook, penned by children’s author Kama Einhorn, shows Lily in a shelter comparing her situation to that of a baby bird whose nest has been destroyed.

Lily has not appeared on the show since her debut in the 2011 special that aired on PBS. Her recent plight is rooted in a realistic trajectory for many families who end up homeless: Food insecurity signaled instability, which led to homelessness.

Three videos follow Lily’s plight, from the revelation of her homelessness to getting an apartment. Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, the puppeteer behind Abby Cadabby, a regular on “Sesame Street,” brings Lily to life. Sofia is played by actress Jasmine Romero.

A part of Segment 2 called “Connect the Dots” features Lily and Sofia talking about how to always feel at home. Sofia says her grandmother taught her a game called “Connect the Dots of Love.”

“I do it whenever I feel worried or scared,” Sofia says. “Can I show you?”

She tells Lily to think of someone who loves her. Then, she makes dots out of the people Lily identifies. “What do you get when you connect all these dots?” Sofia asks.

She then draws a heart out of the dots. “All of these people love you,” Sofia says, “and they are going to take care of you no matter where you are.”