Homeless Meals Program

Thesis Statement: The Houston Food Bank uses the efforts of volunteers as well as donations to support the reduction of hunger in the community.

This research project studied the broad subject of homelessness from a distinctive perspective. Homeless individuals have different needs, and different human services organizations offer many homeless service programs to individuals, from temporary shelter to transitional housing, and training and health programs among others. Nonetheless, the most important service needed for homeless individuals should be the one that leads to permanent housing solutions. However, findings from this research study suggested that not all homeless service programs are as effective in alleviating homelessness in the community, as most have been led to believe in the past. Therefore, the required question had to be, how effective are homeless service programs in alleviating homelessness in the City of Springfield MA? Finding an answer to that question was the primary reason for this research. This research study sought to know more about the effectiveness of two distinctive service programs, which although similar in services offered, both operate with completely different funding and visions on how to solve the

The most recent survey of homeless individuals conducted January 29, 2014 revealed 958 homeless adults with no dependants, 70 of which were completely unsheltered, and an additional 130 homeless adults who also had dependent children with them. 208 of these homeless adults are chronically homeless (HUD’s 2014 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Programs, Populations, and Subpopulations, 2014).Wayside Christian Mission reaches approximately 7,000 homeless individuals annually (Wayside Christian Mission, 2007). In the Journal of General Internal Medicine, a majority of homeless individuals surveyed stated that they felt discriminated against or that they received lesser care because of their poverty or homelessness (Wen, Hudak, & Hwang, 2007). Homeless and impoverished individuals suffer from high rates of depression, psychiatric illness, alcohol and or substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, TB, Trauma, preterm birth, COPD, low birth weight, musculoskeletal problems, decreased access to care, foot problems, malnutrition, and high Emergency Room utilization (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2014). Not only do homeless persons have a high rate of illness, but they are also less able to appropriately treat health problems. Many homeless individuals have limited access to care, cannot afford medications or nutritious food, and may have difficulty with managing a strict

In the student center on the Marietta campus, I along with a friend of mine, assisted in making sandwiches for the homeless. I observed and 30 fellow students rally together and make 500 sandwiches. This action will help provide food for many homeless citizens.

This past summer, I acquired an internship at Baldwin and Lyons, an insurance company in Indianapolis. Every Wednesday during my internship, a couple of employees and I would participate in a prodigious community service project, Meals on Wheels. Throughout the three months that I worked at Baldwin and Lyons, I got acquainted with some of the individuals whom we delivered to. These inspiring individuals were so grateful and appreciative that we took time out of our day to volunteer to do such a service. One elderly woman who we delivered to would sing to us as she came to the front door “good meals, good meals, good meals.” She is one woman that I will never forget. First going into this, I was elated knowing I was I getting out of the

I have decided to create a social program that identifies the social problem of Homelessness. The new human services, social program will target helping homeless individuals and families to get off the streets. In order to have a successful program I have to come up with an outline and cover all of the basics. This program will have many different resources available to homeless or about to be homeless individuals and families. There are so many homeless people out there and her in the state of Florida there are not many places for homeless people to turn to for comfort and safety. So I am truly excited to be creating this new program that will help many people to go forward and live wonderful and successful lives, no matter what they have been through. Throughout this paper I will be discussing some of the things that are needed in order to start an organization. This paper will serve as an outline or an information source on how to create a social program as well as the social program that I am creating.

A Homeless Task Force was created by the Mayor of Sidney, Ohio. He saw that there were homeless citizens who were suffering in the cold. He created a Task Force in order to start programming and community services for these individuals.

Unfortunately, the homeless has little access to health care related to many factors. The homeless face health risks and are more likely to suffer from mental health issues and chronic health problems. They are exposed to the elements and have poor nutrition and limited access to health care (Potter, Perry, Stockert, and Hall, 2015, p. 620). As a result of limited access, they have less of an opportunity to receive help to prevent or treat illness and injuries. By not receiving help from care providers, their risk for injuries, infection, and terminal illnesses are highly increased. They are susceptible to many diseases more than someone who does receive health care.

The homeless and low-income families have numerous resources available like the Interfaith Church that offers a Soup Kitchen Supplemental Nutrition program that is made up of these sources: commodity supplemental food program, emergency food program, food assistance, and USDA commodity program. The number of soup kitchen meals served peaked in July to just over 50,000, and were the lowest in April at just under 40,000. Majority of their clientele is homeless adults. Another good resource is Social services that can assist with charitable healthcare, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or S.N.A.P. These programs help to provide access to health care and proper food and nutrition. The Affordable Housing Project offers studio apartments, 1-bedroom

The Center for Evidence-Based Policing defines successful interventions as place-focused, mostly proactive, and strategy-focused. A majority of their effective studies share all of at least some of the characteristics previously mentioned.

The homeless assistance programs in the United States are overloaded. There are more than half a million people who are currently homeless, either sleeping outside, in a transitional housing program, or in some sort of emergency shelter. Nearly 180,000 of those people are considered as unsheltered, meaning they sleep outside on the streets, or in makeshift tent cities (The State of Homelessness in America 2015, 2015). While the stigma of those who are homeless is widely perceived as those who are drug addicts, there are many other reasons people can find themselves without a place to call home. Foreclosure, poverty, eroding work opportunities, decline in public assistance, lack of affordable housing, domestic violence, and mental illness are

Many area charities focus on the short term survival needs of the area’s homeless population, and provide food and supplies to them by traveling from area to area to reach them. These charities policy feed anyone. From the hardcore homeless population to a family down on their luck, their patrons include drug addicts, criminals and vagrants just passing through town. They have information on the resources available, but it is not standardized and these organizations and individuals are not coordinated in any

An article in The Oregonian called “Sell Bonds to Help the Homeless: Guest opinion” written by Jane M. O’Brien, she while working with the homeless in Portland, Oregon notices a growing problem. Talking about her education and background I find her to be enlightening and agree with many of her statistical facts about the reasons for homelessness but I disagree on her plan to sell bonds to alleviate the problem. I think that the programs offered currently are effective as long as we change the mindset for these services. The programs need to be seen and treated as a stepping stone for the future and not a hand out for the day.

Have you ever wondered where you would rest your head at night? Where you would find your next meal? How would support your family given unforeseen sudden circumstances? I’ve never thought about the importance of these questions until a recent experience I had volunteering at a food pantry. There are organizations whose main purpose is to help those in need and provide resources to members of the community who are going through difficult times. A food pantry is a non-profit community serviced organization that provides members of the community with groceries and resources. From volunteering at this food pantry I learned more than ever to never “judge a book, by its cover”, or in other words, even though I person may look well put together on the outside, you never know what it is they are dealing with on the inside. I’ve encountered homeless members of the community, people who have suffered from physical abuse, and people who have experienced unexpected disasters such as house fires to expected job layoffs while volunteering at a food pantry. I’ve also come to appreciate everything that I have in my life from the roof over my head to the food in my stomach and that some people are less fortunate than me.

An Introduction: as a member in the community I stand with the homeless who have sheltered themselves in this beautiful location. I propose we help them building a community center and or apartment complex. Doing so will bring money into the community. Also it is the patriotic thing to do. By sending your own people you are standing against bringing money into our local economy and treating a human ad an inhumane being.