Homeless Connect Reflection Paper

mouth, depending on generosity of strangers or efficiency of a government agency for your survival, for your children’s survival.”

My capstone project is on homelessness and preventative methods. Research on the various factors that are associated with homelessness and how to best reduce or end the homeless situation. Research shows that there are many suggestions on methods to reduce homelessness (the Homeless First Program) which have proven to reduce the numbers in various states across America (Tsemberis, Gulcur & Nakae, 2004). The homelessness problems are multifaceted with overlapping of other factors such as mental illness and risks, which include substance abuse, health disparities, and victimization, all of which have a role in the homelessness (Canton, Dominguez, Schanzer, Hasin, Shrout, Felix, McQuistion, Opler & Hsu, 2005).

“Homeless is more than being without a home. It is tied into education needs, food, security; health issues both mental and physical, employment issues, etc. Don’t forget the whole picture.” (“Boxed In” 2005 pg. 108)

November is Homeless Awareness month, and administration wanted to highlight the district’s social/emotional support that is provided to students. Stephanie Kasprzak from MCOP shared some community data, and several of our social/emotional support team members talked about the services they provide.

Homeless in America is the most shameful problem that we try to ignore.Such as Arnold Abbot, a 90 year old man who went around making good for the homeless; and the couple Brenda Knokrl and her boyfriend Robert Bloch letting homeless people sleep on their porch. Getting fined for their effort to help. Homelessness continues to be a major issue in our country because we as people look down upon them and do not treat them as equals, we assume that they are in situations based on the addiction and dependency of drugs and alcohol. Not all homeless people are drug addicts or alcoholics, most of these homeless people are young adults with children and most people don't understand that homelessness goes

Homelessness is an enduring nationwide social problem that eludes accurate tracking. In their 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated the number of homeless people in the United States to be nearly 565, 000. In the state of Florida, the most recent number is found in the 2014 Council on Homelessness Report to Governor Scott, prepared by the Department of Children and Families. This report estimates the Florida homeless population to be just over 41,000, of which approximately 188 could be found in Citrus County, and 918 in neighboring Marion County. The problem with these numbers is that they do not paint a true picture of the actual number of homeless, due to exclusion of emergency shelters and individuals living in places not intended to house humans, such as parks, cars, and wooded areas, to name a few. In Citrus County, there are just a handful of homeless shelters. The most well-known of these is the Path of Citrus County, which now serves Marion County as well.

Topics for a final paper: I know other students are thinking the same thing, what am I going to write about to cover that many pages? Where am I going to find the information to support the subject? Will people be interested in the subject? The last question is what I am asking you, my fellow students.

I feel there is a need for services to help those who want assistance. The project affected me. I live in this area and although there are resources available, they tend to run out of space or funds quickly dissipate while trying to service the demands of the homeless population. The project has influenced me to become more active in my community, donating canned goods is not enough. One significant point I learned, was that the lack of an exact head count of the homeless in Jefferson County. Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission went out and completed surveys to aid with grants and HUD compliance, but they only reached five hundred (Lewis, 2017). Whereas, I found evidence to support that there is two-thousand or more homeless here. I feel a correct number is needed to obtain resources and funding for the organizations which serve them. From my group members, I learned that we are all headstrong with

1) I have been in various amounts of situations where I have experienced a culture shock, but the one that was most influencing my life was when I went to a homeless mission here in Las Vegas for the very first time to volunteer. I have always had a presumption on how the homeless lived and what they were like, but I could never have imagined what I experienced that day.

The followings are the possible extraneous variables that can be influenced the study include: Settings, present health status, and the tool using (tape recorder). Settings can influence the result of this study because homeless individuals who live on the streets roam around and they normally do not have a stable place to be. Fortunately, these particular homeless individuals can be controlled because they can be targeted at Salvation Army Ministries lunches serving streets in most of the Polk County. These individuals regularly roaming on these specific streets and corners to get lunch every day and they will be the best participants to recruit for this study. The present health status must also consider because if their basic needs such

At eleven-years-old, my world was turned upside when I first volunteered at the Manna Soup Kitchen and became aware of the substantial issue of homeless youth. While serving the beautiful food I helped prepare, I recognized one of my best friends who I volunteered in the Southwest Conservation Corp with as she waited in line with no parent in sight. After eating her meal, she went into the thick woods behind the kitchen where she still continues to live. Curiously, I followed her and witnessed the horrific reality of homeless youth for all she had was a tent and a blanket in below freezing weather. The matter of homeless youth carries great importance with me because it affects the lives of a substantial amount of my friends and peers.

Addressing homelessness, regardless of its cause, requires creativity, empathy and dedication. Oftentimes, the factors that lead to homelessness are complicated and intertwined, with no clear origin. Medical catastrophes, job loss, and foreclosure or eviction can be the catalyst into a life of insecurity and chronic homelessness. Once secure, stable housing is lost, a person faces a slippery slope. In Kansas City, like many other substantial cities, efforts to combat homelessness must be creative and comprehensive in order to succeed. Social programs that focus on stable housing and address the complicated causes of homelessness prove to be the most successful.

When we were first introduced to this assignment, I was both excited and nervous. I was excited because it gave me the opportunity to step of my comfort zone. I was also excited to be able to get out into the community and practice some of the social work skills that we have learned in class. I was nervous because I knew it would be hard to hear the struggles of a single-parent experiencing homelessness. As someone who was raised by a single-parent, I also know how easy it can be to fall into homelessness. Overall, I think I was more excited about doing this assignment because I truly did want to hear the stories that single-parents experiencing homelessness wanted to tell.

My participation in Project Homeless Connect was a learning experience. Before my participation, I had assumed homelessness meant as living on the streets or in shelters without basic needs like food and clothing. These assumptions changed when I volunteered at PHC here in Rochester. There is a stigma of mental illness and drug use associated with homelessness and I have been guilty of looking the other way because I thought the same. What I realized that day is I had more in common with the people I encountered than I thought. I was familiar with many of the services offered that day. I personally know how hard it is to get those basic needs met and could have easily been in the same situation myself. I know what a difference having your basic needs met can do for you as an individual; I know how it feels to need and not have anywhere to turn.

The homeless stand down was an eye-opener experience for me. I had the opportunity to interact with several individuals, and one family. Initially I conducted some interviews with them to help complete the questionnaire; and the remainder of the time, I escorted the individuals and helped them choose items that were necessary for them. As I talked to each of them, I realized that the present state of these individuals were a product of the current economic situations. According to the National Homeless Coalition (2009), work factors are one of the many reasons why individuals are homeless. One of the individuals that I spoke to informed me that he was working a regular nine to five job at a construction site, but now due to the