On an average night in our community, there are around 9,500 individuals and families without a place to stay, according to the State Research Group on Homelessness and Poverty (2009). Because of this fact, there is a desperate need for shelter and volunteers to serve at these shelters. There are only 1,995 emergency beds, which is not enough to accommodate all of the homeless, and there is an even smaller number of workers willing to volunteer. The Homeless Center offers beds and meals to the homeless, working poor, and unemployed. There is a need to do service learning at this location because volunteers are needed to serve as greeters, serve meals, conduct daily prayer time, lead worship, work with the Big "A" Club, fellowship with the attendees, prepare the newsletter, help with maintenance and repair projects, organize clothing rooms, and help with many other tasks The purpose of this study was to serve the people of downtown and lighten the load of work for the staff of the Homeless Center. This paper will address the purpose, research questions, literature review, findings, discussion, and implication of my service-learning project at the Hope Center.
The research questions guiding this study are:
1. Do people sometimes choose to be homeless? If so, why?
2. How do these programs help the homeless/ working poor/ unemployed?
3. Do these programs enable the homeless/working poor/unemployed to stay at the same place in life? If so, how are the clients enabled?
Literature Review
Service learning is a rather new concept, but it has proven advantageous in connecting students with their communities when paired with reflection and when included in school curriculum. . Weigert’s (1998) view of ser...
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...ice and learning – Linking students and communities. Journal of Social Issues, 58(3), 517-534.
Johnson, E. B. (2003, October). Service learning stimulates the brain. [Electronic Version]. World & I, 18(10), 146-153.
Strage, A. (2004, June). Long-term academic benefits of service-learning: When and where do they manifest themselves? College Student Journal, 38(2), 257-261.
Toro, Dr. Paul.. Wayne State University Research Group on Homelessness and Poverty. 2002. Retrieved December 3, 2007 from http:// cotsdetroit.org/cots/aboutus.stats.wml?section=aboutus
Waldstein, F. A., & Reiher, T. C. (2001). Service -learning and students' personal and civic development. [Electronic Version]. Journal of Experiential Education, 24(1), 7-13.
Weigert, K. (1998). Academic Service Learning: Its meaning and relevance. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 73, 3-1
Although most people know what homelessness is and it occurs in most societies, it is important to define because the forces of displacement vary greatly, along with the arrangement and meaning of the resulting transient state. The Stewart B McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 defined a homeless person as “an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence or a person who resides in a shelter, welfare hotel, transitional program or place not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, such as streets, cars, movie theaters, abandoned buildings, etc.” Resent surveys conducted in the U.S. have confirmed that the homeless population in America is extremely diverse and includes representatives from all segments of society, including: the old and young, men and women, single people and families, city dwellers and rural residents, whites and people of color, employed and unemployed, able workers and people with serious health problems. The diversity among people that are homeless reflects how difficult it is to generalize the causes of homelessness and the needs of homeless people. Robert Rosenheck M.D., the author of Special Populations of Homeless Americans, explains the importance of studying homelessness based on subgroups, “each subgroup [of homeless people] has unique service needs and identifying these needs is critical for program planning and design.” Despite these diversities, homelessness is a devastating situation for all that experience it. Not only have homeless people lost their dwelling, but they have also lost their safety, privacy, control, and domestic comfort.
We expect that this program will decrease office referrals and suspensions, increase attendance, and increase the number of students participating in service learning at a statistically significant level. In addition, we expect that Parent-Teacher Association attendance and parental awareness of good character will increase. Also, we anticipate an increase in involvement in schools of the faith and business communities, a fusing of character and religious teachings within the faith community, and an increase in the in-kind and financial support of the schools from the business and social community.
Many believe that a common thread among the homeless is a lack of permanent and stable housing. But beyond that, the factors leading to homelessness and the services that are needed are unique according to the individual. To put them into one general category ? the homeless- suggests that people are homeless for similar reasons and therefore a single solution is the answer. Every homeless person shares the basic needs of affordable housing, adequate incomes and attainable healthcare. But a wide range of other unmet needs cause some people to become or remain homeless which include drug treatment, employment training, transportation, childcare and mental health services (Center 8.)
McNamara, Robert Hartmann. "Homelessness." Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Social Issues. Ed. Michael Shally-Jensen. Vol. 3: Family and Society. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011. 1024-1031. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 May 2014. .
The economic component of the homelessness situation can be broken down into two interrelated parts: housing affordability and a low income rate. The economic recession that followed the financial crisis of 2007 left many individuals unemployed during a time that saw a spike in the price of housing. So not only did the cost of living increase, the rate of income also decreased accordingly. Unsurprisingly, during these same years homelessness rose from 24.2 percent in 2007 to 29.4 percent in 2009 (citation).
The leading questions that assist in handling my research proposal include; what is homelessness? How and why is homelessness taking center stage in America’s economy? What are the causes of homelessness? What are the characteristics of homeless individuals? I chose these questions because they simplify the understanding of the phenomenon of homelessness to any reader without much difficulty.
Here in Tahoe, we are lucky enough to experience a great quality of life, and only a few have to face the horrible life of poverty and homelessness. However, nationwide, even right outside the basin, homelessness is a growing epidemic across the country. There are many ways one can become homeless; for the most part poverty. There are also different concentrations of homeless in different types of terrain, such as urban or suburban areas. Last, there is the ever- growing homeless population, and how much money it costs us for others to live in poverty. These are the questions we ask ourselves about homelessness, and the only way we can help is to know the facts about this lingering subject.
"Overview of Homelessness In America." Homelessness In America. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014. .
...l health services” (Ferguson, 2007, p. 106). While the end goal of the alternative social development approach is supposed to offer an improved quality of life through economic development, this approach also aims to keep those homeless youth from disengaging from their services out of boredom. The social development approach also works best when incorporated with traditional methods of case management, counseling, motivational intervention, and cognitive intervention just to name a few.
Homelessness has gained mass attention throughout the world. It’s an ongoing, insoluble issue that continues to exist and affect many in the Unites States. “Approximately 3.5 million people are homeless in the United States at any given time” (McBride, 2012). Sadly, due to the nature of homelessness, it is difficult to obtain an accurate number of the homeless population (McBride, 2012). Many people have negative prejudice views of homeless individuals. Self-worth, dignity, as well as trustworthy affects the homeless, often questioned by society. Through the testimony of John Doe, a better understanding will enlighten others, myself included, and bring awareness to this mass population.
A service learning experience is designed to enhance a student 's growth in personal and social development and to obtain an understanding of community involvement. For my service learning experience, I volunteered at Change Point Center. In this reflection paper, I will discuss in depth information about the services that Change Point provides, my goals while I was there,and what I ultimately learned from this experience.
...At its root, homelessness is the result of the inability to afford and maintain housing. Government funding should be put into place that can incorporate an investment in creating affordable housing. This includes supportive housing, which is permanent housing coupled with supportive services. In order to maintain housing, people exiting homelessness must have income. Cash assistance programs are available through federal and state government, and career-based employment services can help formerly homeless people build the skills necessary to increase their income. Mainstream services, including the Workforce Investment Act, should be used for this purpose (Ten Essentials). Lastly, programs must ensure that the homeless have access to these services but are able to attain independence as soon as possible as well. To do this there must be instant access to housing.
Community service is something that I have always engaged. In college, I worked with chemically dependent children as both a caretaker and a mentor. After I graduated, I taught at-risk children in a community youth outreach program. To remain involved and aware of the focus of my studies during my first year of law school, I volunteered at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center teaching youth their basic legal rights. Essentially, we strove to empower kids by providing practical information about the legal system and to help them develop more favora...
Many homeless people do not have access to healthcare and they go many years without seeing a doctor. According to Fitzpatrick, “there is a clear and defined need for healthcare for homeless people and their families.” She is right, it todays society homelessness is just ignored by many people and has became a serious problem. Most of society does not know about the organizations that help the homeless. For example, Fitapatrick believes in a organization called The Opening Doors Project it is a group of nurses and other health professionals that look at substance abuse within the homeless community. Due to not seeing a doctor and the common knowledge of homeless people abusing drugs and alcohol, “homeless people can have complex and multiple health problems” (Who quoted it). Not everyone agrees with Fitzpatrick, “I am convinced that handouts are basically wrongheaded,” says Sherman. She believes giving anything to the homeless will not help change the homeless persons situation (Sherman). Sherman's advice does not make sence, ignoring the problem will not help either and without proper medical care there is no way to improve homeless health which will cause many people to die a unessary death. According to Hopper, “generative forces behind widespread homelessness runs deep and their correction will req...