Homelessness Vision Statement

My work with the Somerset Home has increased my understanding of the circumstances surrounding teenage homelessness. With caring and support, they can succeed both in school and in life. I read in their recent newsletter

According to Volunteers of America, over 670,000 Americans are homeless, 48 million people go hungry every night, and 46.2 million Americans live in poverty. In 2013, Volunteers of America helped hover 83,000 homeless individuals. This organization works to prevent and end homelessness through a range of support services including eviction prevention, emergency services, transitional housing and permanent affordable housing. By doing so they engage homeless individuals, including youth and families with children, and stay with them for as long as it takes to return them to self-sufficiency. This organization reach out to homeless individuals through street outreach and mobile outreach services and engage with homeless individuals, youth and families with children. Moreover, they provide assistance that ranges from paying a first month’s rent to offering permanent supportive housing so that people with disabilities can become stable and productive members of their communities.

Homelessness is a major problem in the United States. An incredibly vulnerable group is the homeless youth due to their young age and lack of education. According to Edidin, Ganim, Hunter, & Karnik (2012) on any particular night in the United States there are ~2 million homeless youth living on the streets, in shelters, or in other temporary accommodation. Youth become homeless for multiple reasons whether it be because they have aged out of foster care, ran from home, were kicked out of their home, or because they have become homeless along with their family members. Within the umbrella categorization of homeless youth there are high at risk subgroups, common misconceptions, and a serious concern of lack of support and medical services.

One of the simplest pieces of knowledge we acquire in elementary school (for future growth and development) are the three basic needs a living organism requires for living: food, water, and shelter. However, not everyone has access to all of these essentials. Homeless people are faced with awful conditions and suffer more due to poor weather conditions, diseases, and lack of safety. There hasn’t been much progress on this issue, and if this continues, the number of homeless people will only increase. In a few states the topic is being named as a “statewide emergency”, but unfortunately this problem is national. Instead of focusing on state programs, local programs and non-profit organizations to fix the housing issue, we must all contribute to ending this epidemic. The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) released an article stating, “In January 2015, 564,708 people were homeless on a given night in the United States” (Snapshot of Homelessness). We must develop a solution to end long term homelessness immediately. The best way of solving this issue is to provide stable long-term housing, which is a term used to describe the home’s environment and financial status.

In 2013, I had the opportunity to assist local public school administrators on the issue of illiteracy and the allocation of resources in inner-city schools. Additionally, I collaborated on a small team to implement plans to provide public housing for the homeless in Orange County, CA. During this time, I also had the opportunity to be a nanny for five kids who were formerly homeless. I was able to be a part of their transition from street life to home life and witness the effects of poverty

Purpose/Mission – The mission is to actively represent the community to focus support for every child’s success.

Homelessness is a problem in many communities across the United States. It is particularly sad when one sees women and children that are homeless. The Cornerstone Rescue Mission Women and Children Home in Rapid City, South Dakota addresses this need in this particular community. They serve pregnant women, single women, Veteran women, girls under the age of 18 with their mother, and boys under the age of 16 with their mother. A community assessment was completed on this population to identify strengths and their particular needs; interventions were then done based on these needs.

Homelessness is all around the world, and many people have either dealt with the issue or had first-hand experience with it. Thus causes everyone to think about the possible solutions to such an important social and economic problem. Whether or not anyone wants to support or ignore the issue, it will always be there. However, the youth population is on the rise among the homeless. While the exact number of youth among the homeless is hard to determine, given various information about homelessness available and the age range that is considered youth, a 2012 survey from the Department of Education shows that 52,950 unaccompanied homeless youth were reported through school-based programs (Sparks 31). Homelessness among youth can be

Many people have gotten to experience what life is like in big cities or small rural communities. Often times, these places have a population of wealthier people and an area of poorer families. What many do not experience is what it is like to be homeless in these places. Homeless men, women and children can be seen under bridges, on front stoops, in cars, and several other locations of “shelter”. This problem is more common and local than a lot of us believe. Whether we know it or not, we have people that are struggling with homelessness in our own communities today. This epidemic is more real than we may ever know. It is very sad to imagine these people living in these conditions but things can be done to help. Homelessness is a reality in local communities and can be improved through schools, educational programs, charity, and helping them overcome barriers or stressors.

About 1.7 million youth in America will encounter homelessness each year (Tompsett, Domoff, & Toro, 2013). Homelessness within the youth population in America is a serious problem and there are many associated risks and hazards identified with being homeless as a youth. For this research youth has been established to be any person between the ages of 12 and 18; in the process of maturing through adolescent stages of growth (Oliveira & Burke, 2013, p. 154). Youth whom become homeless are at risk of developing a lifestyle or acculturation to street living. Researchers are exploring the causes of homelessness in the youth population and the consequences of homelessness.

Therefore, I recommend future students, if they have the opportunity, to stay longer with the organization to witness the changes in these individuals’ lives. To fully understand the consequences that homelessness creates for families, children, and individuals, time has to be invested. Further, these services are here to help homeless individuals and families develop long-term solutions with lasting success.

Psychological health has more to do with acceptance and potential than it does for comprehension. An addict that once had choices now has no opportunities until psychiatrist have acknowledged their elimination of drugs all together. It is kind of like a one-tracked mind state. Their potential to understand and begin to plan, organize, and strategize has been lost or given away to society to handle for them. Think it would not be wise to provide substance abusers the chance to commit additional mistakes on a scale from once they already at one point had. A homeless person was not always homeless since there are factors to that cause such as: "income loss, release from institutions or transitions out of social service programs, family violence, and mental health or substance abuse"(Burt, 2005).

Homelessness, in Western contemporary culture is often discussed yet rarely understood. A composition of many existing interdependent elements account for the rates of homelessness experienced at national and local levels. Consequently, due to the many contributing factors that shape homelessness, not one city’s plan to decimate homelessness should look like another city, not even within the same state. Currently, the national government, equally the states throughout the nation, employ a universal plan to end homelessness. For instance, plans like the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness which is broadly adopted the states’ governments, Street Outreach programs which aims to assist unaccompanied homeless youth and The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program

Give hope, give mission, give purpose, demonstrate standing under persecution, constantly be compassionate, promise to walk alongside, equip young people with responsibility and value - but from a place of humility and vulnerability.

Imagine a young child growing up, learning, and trying to further his or her life to obtain success in the future. For an “everyday” child this can be challenging, however “everyday” obstacles can be overcome. For thousands of children in the United States, this dream is almost impossible to achieve. These children are a part of the homeless population that is spread throughout the United States. Many times these individuals try to hide this major secret from the rest of the world, but homelessness is very prevalent among these youths today. Various problems occur in these peoples’ lives that others could not even begin to understand. Homelessness affects children in every stage of life physically, mentally, and emotionally.