Personal Narrative: Overcoming Homeless

Ben joined the Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County in 2013 as a part-time Facility Manager. Through his hard work and dedication, he was promoted to the Case Management Department as a Men’s Case Manager by the end of 2013. Having acquired his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington, Ben’s attentiveness in serving the homeless population advanced as a team-player and recognized this was where he belonged. Strong-minded to further pursue his passion in serving others, learn administrative roles, and community advocacy, Ben enrolled back into the School of Social Work – at the University of Texas at Arlington, as a Community and Administrative Practice (CAP) student, and will be graduating December 2017 with

Miranda C. Watkins usually I send a private email to those who are leaving the Homeless Program... in my 19 years of working here, truly I find joy in getting to know and work with you. We built a trust that I pray will last for years to come and hopefully out paths will one day cross again...

In this paper, I will focus on the topic of why veterans are coming back homeless. Veterans are seen as a savior of the country they are risking their lives for every day, so why is it that they are coming back from tours and service and ultimately ending up homeless? Since 2009 the United States stated that in five years they would end veteran homeless, but the United States is still facing veteran homelessness in the year 2017. Though the homeless rates of veterans have gone down since then, why are veterans still facing homelessness if so many resources are supposed to be available for them. Is there more than meets the eye when it comes to homelessness especially with veterans, yes. Many things can attribute to this continuing issue such as lack of assistances provided, mental illnesses, PTSD, lack or loss of support from being deployed, the use of drugs and alcohol as coping strategies, and the economics.

As a kid I had always lived in well diversified areas. I didn't care who you were or what you looked like, I was raised to treat everyone the same. I wasn't personally exposed to the idea of inequality until I was in middle school. I had always imagined that everyone just had jobs and lived their daily lives. I didn't quite grasp the extent of the idea that people can die, be homeless, be criminals, or racists. I also didn't grasp how great the people of our society can be. That was until my parents told me about the first times they had in America coming from Mexico. I don't remember what I said or did to provoke these stories, but they were surely eye opening.

As a child, I grew up many places, my dad’s old job moved us around a lot. I was born in Hayward, Ca. and moved to Red Bluff as a baby and stayed until I was like 5 or 6. Then I moved to Taylor, Arizona and lived there until I was 8. I moved to The Dalles, Oregon and turned 9 shortly after, we lived at the very top of Oregon, right next to the Washington border. I could see Washington driving down certain streets, but by the time I was 10 I had been somewhat homeless. I lived in a car with my 3 other siblings and parents for a month or so. It wasn’t like it was horrible, we never slept in the car. We stopped at motels and we drove highway 101, because we were struggling and the beach solves everything.

Today, if we see a multitude of skin on the road settled, that there is nothing strange. In fact, according to The State of Homelessness in America 2013, 610,042 people were experiencing homelessness; as the result, we can see a significant number through that report. Due to that reason, many charities have been established to be able to help the homelessness. According to me, one of the charities that I appreciate is Thomas House which is an Orange County non-profit organization for homeless because it provide a safe, supportive environment and the resources necessary for homeless families with children while empowering them to become independent and self-sufficient.

We currently have over a half a million people, a quarter of which are children, living on the streets. Those are numbers we should all feel ashamed of, god knows I do, which is why I have taken in so many over the years. But, even as your beloved Dictator, I can't take them all in personally, so we're going to have to do this wholesale. Now, before we begin, I want to address a few things about being homeless.

In my life, I have always felt that I was different from other people, that I was meant for a Greater purpose. During the summer of my freshman year, I got a indication of that. Something unexpected happened and it hit me like a freight truck. The mere thought of it made my knees weak,my heart race and my mind scramble. Growing up, I always had fears but the presence of this phenomenon would Make the other fears look like fantasies. For the first and only time, I faced homelessness.

I'm a African-American boy named Marlon and I'm homeless. I walked from Chicago to Cleveland, Ohio. Then I encountered the garden, the Seedfolk garden, that everyone was talking about here was food that can I eat for a year or two.I tried to steal the food but someone approached me and I ran with some food he said “hey you!, I keep running to safety he chase me down I ran faster and food was dropping off me. I got caught and he said “why are you stealing are food” I said “get off of me!’’ he didn’t mean no harm. Then, I saw hundreds of people in the horizon I was shocked I was silent as the sky the man put me down and he said look at them they all used to be like you now they're all a family. I said wow soo much people. Finally, someone

Personal Statement Fourteen and homeless is where I found myself four years ago. My mother (a hard working single parent of two.) set sights for a better living situation in the big apple. Unfortunately with one suitcase, no money and two young children the only choice for my mother was to seek refuge in a homeless shelter. Contrary to popular belief, that growing up homeless could potentially harm a child, it has had a positive impact on my life while being a reminder of the humble beginnings I came from. Growing up homeless assisted in building my character, a blood thirsty determination to achieve, and self awareness.

Everytime I step out of my apartment I have to be cautious of the trash. It's piled up over the years even in the cities. I walk the packed city streets littered with homeless people it's been this way for sometime now. They are starving on the streets the police have to monitor them to clean up any dead bodies on the sidewalks. It's almost never sunny here the city has been covered by a thick cloud of smog that seems as if it will never go away. The streets are also lined with huge skyscrapers built for the people the government forced to move here. I hate them they are all the same grey cookie cutter buildings no distinction between them. I’m coming home from the food warehouse people are given two meals a day for a month every month. We

An older woman down the road from us, paid a surprise visit, I never knew her name, although she is considered wealthy. I heard my parents talking about her and her driver, she sits in the back seat of this big black beautiful car as it drove up the driveway. The driver opened the back passenger car door, as she made her way to the porch, I stood along the walkway lifting her hand she caressed my hair. Standing on our porch my mother did not invite her inside, the woman requested permission to bring me to church with her. I was allowed to go and remember my mother brushing my hair for church. This woman was slender and not very tall, arranged in a black two piece suit, the skirt was below her knees. Complementing her white short curly hair,

While out on my walk yesterday, I came upon a woman probably in her mid-30’s. She was wearing a wool pea coat, jeans, a blouse and tennis shoes. She was completely passed out in the fetal position on the landing of some concrete stairs with the temperature in the 80’s and high humidity. Lying next to her, was a backpack, a plastic grocery sack with a bottled water in it. Down closer to her knees, laying on the pavement, were several folded up one dollar bills. I stopped, made sure she was breathing and called out to her, but she did not respond. As I stood there, I felt apprehensive of getting too close for fear of what she might be on and then startling her. I looked around noticing other people in the area who had passed by her, and was really unsure what to do. So, I decided to continue on my walk and thought to myself, this is Omaha, its broad

My friends often describe me as a cynic and a pessimist. For the most part, they're right. Sentiment loses value when it permeates one's attitudes and behavior just as the value of a commodity decreases as it becomes ubiquitous, so as a rule I reserve expressing sentiment for rare occasions that I deem worthy. Fortunately, even the harshest cynics are surprised sometimes.

Geehaan Maiga Defenseless. Intense. That’s how we felt. Adrenaline pumping through our veins as we run through the Valley of Sion, the lightest part of the universe. The only land that has sunlight and tranquility.