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 will reappear 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 real-life person who works at the local community center.