Scott's Run Community Analysis

On May 20, 2017, volunteers from Blessed Community Mennonite Church, Interfaith Alliance, Denver Homeless Out Loud came together and built 11 “tiny houses” as shelter for the homeless. The tiny homes have electric and heat. They also built a portable shower and a commode yurt. Between 150 to 200 volunteers worked over 3,500 hours during a seven-week span (Schrags, 2017). By late July, residents could move in. “God is still at work in this

I come from a small rural town nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. My hometown is split down the middle by a set of railroad tracks. On the north side, one can find pristine neighborhoods, newer schools, most doctors’ offices, and the only hospital in town. The south side of the town stands as a stark contrast. On the south side, you no longer find the wealthy neighborhoods but rather dilapidated and condemned homes and housing projects. One seems to find abandoned buildings on every corner, many inhabited by those that have lost their homes. Limited help is coming for those who need it, mostly through churches and volunteer programs targeting the underserved. Many doctors, dentists, and nurses are giving their time and resources to help

When Jeanette suggests that their family should apply for Welfare because half the people on Hobart street were on welfare, her mom states, “‘...you can get cold for a while, but you always warm up. Once you go on welfare, it changes you. Even if you get off welfare, you never escape the stigma that you were a charity case. You're scarred for life.’” (188). Even if people on Little Hobart street had welfare, Rex and Rose Mary were opposed to the idea. The fact that someone else would be helping their family live was indigestible. Jeanette, on the other hand, craved for new clothes and a constant supply of food. However, with her stubborn parents, she eventually learned how to adapt and gain the most out of what she had. In fact, they were also very poor and couldn’t afford to pay the money for the trash-collection fee. They decided to dig up a hole, which at first was for the foundation of the Glass Castle, but used it to fill up trash. She explains, “But since we couldn't afford to pay the town's trash-­collection fee, our garbage was really piling up. One day Dad told us to dump it in the hole” (155). The Walls were low on money, so they used the hole Jeanette and Brian dug, for the trash. Using the most of what a person has is the key to achieving goals. Although that was not it’s original use, they found a way to fix the problem with what they had. Besides being resourceful with

Philip shares with me his personal experiences working with the individuals who found themselves living on the streets during the years of 1986-1996. He explains why eventually he dealt solely with those individuals who would not go in to the missions and shelters or even accept food from the mobile soup wagons. Philip relives the moment that he first realized that houseless people were not in their current situation because of a life misled or because they were lazy or criminal, as may be the common

Banner Elk has played a pivotal role in my development of faith. I have gone to Holston Presbytery Camp for summer camp, all church retreats, and youth trips countless times. This place not only serves as a sanctuary to my faith, but I also associate it with my discovery of christ and his creation. My days at Holston Presbytery Camp have consisted of

The field work site is located on Weston Rd., by Highway 401, in between Wilson Ave. and Sheppard Ave. W. This site contains many houses, local places of worship, and convenience stores. Most of the homes are owned by families rather than individuals because of the elementary school and the lack of condominiums. According to Hulchanski, common

A local civil engineer, Tom Tutwiler, stationed his headquarters a couple miles southwest of Sumner, MS. The town, Tutwiler, was founded and named after Mr. Tutwiler in 1899 (Gutenberg, 2015). As the railroads grew so did the town. After the railroads had become established in the small town, a two story building and roadways were then built. An older gentleman by the name Captain H.B. Fitch managed the first floor of the building as a store while his wife built a school house on the second floor (Gutenberg, 2015). The school only began with five scholars. By 1905, the town became combined and a man by the name of W.E. Fite was mayor (Gutenberg, 2015).

Some people are born in “Gold Cribs” that means, that they have everything and there’s no need to work for leaving. But some of us are not that lucky, we have to work really hard or even do some “diving” to be able to have food on our table every night. “In serving Florida” Barbara Ehrenreich talks about how people survive on a low wage income and “On dumpster diving” Lars Eighner explain how to survive homeless by doing some “scavenging”.

However, instead of picking through garbage, it is much more fulfilling to have a job, a home, and a savings in the bank. Having the means to buy a few of the accessory items a person desires is more satisfying than living poor and having to resist everything. It is against the morals of many people to live off the rejected fruits of another’s work, not to mention a total opposite of the typical “American dream.” To lead a successful, independent life built from your own work and money, not off of the discards of someone else. Eighner claims to feel sorry for those who indulge in their wants and buy on a whim, the pathos should really be for him and others in his situation. Claiming enlightenment by living off of a dumpster is lunacy. It is a facade behind which lies the depressed wishes for any material object that is not solely for survival. It is Eighner that should be the object of sorrow, for his delusional thoughts than any person can live free of the instinct to hoard more than is really needed, homeless or otherwise. There is probably more materialistic want hidden in the depths of a dumpster diver than any average person, simply because of all they are denied on a daily

Every Wednesday I attend Generation 180, which is my church youth group at Highland Christ Community.

Homelessness is all over the nation-- like an epidemic, it invades the lives of unsuspecting people, college students and veterans being a subsection of the homeless population affected. A staggering 5,600 college students nationwide are homeless or living in their cars, with the numbers increasing yearly (Gregory). Our brave veterans put their lives on the line to protect this country and go overseas with the government’s false promise that once they return from war, they’ll have an enormous pension, but once they return, the only things waiting for them are the cold streets. No sane human being would ask to be left without shelter and sustenance, but what if by a tragic incident, one day all your belongings are gone and the only items

They are often intentionally forgotten and overlooked, but we were there to show them love and kindness in the sometimes discouraging and demeaning environment they live in, to remind them that their lives held value and meaning. This was the goal on our minds as the Westridge mission team and I drove up to the village of Sicangu located on the Rosebud Reservation near the southern border of South Dakota. My group was hosting a Bible sports camp for the children of the Sicangu Village on the Rosebud Reservation. The purpose was to teach them respect, integrity, and teamwork commonly illustrated in Bible stories, and then apply those values to the sports basketball, soccer, and ultimate frisbee. We were there to reach out to the children of the village and give them

Unfortunately, the public has not been privy to enough knowledge regarding the severity of hoarding disorder until television and media stepped in. In fact, studies pertaining to people suffering with this disorder have only been done in recent years since the media has made such a large impact on how information gets released to the public. Fortunately for other disorders like alcoholism, depression, and drug addiction to name a few have been researched for decades, especially connecting said disorder to the children who could also be affected. However, according to an article writing in Psychiatric Times it is stated, that since the rise of awareness about hoarding, mental health professionals are starting to address the concerns to benefit the children who grew up in hoarding households with research, education, outreach and interventions. In consideration to that statement, I would like to think that Knapp wrote this memoir for her own personal intervention to move on from her disruptive upbringing that was brought upon her, not by personal choice but more so of others around her. Moreover, this literature can be a useful tool for others who may also be in the same boat as Knapp and utilize her writing to help with their own worries. Growing up in a family of clutter and disarray can provoke many challenges in life, but with the knowledge and

KRFDC is a community action agency that serves over 28 counties with over 250 employees. It was established in 1962 and embraces a philosophy of needs-based strategies and family-based services leading to self-sufficiency and self-reliance. Their believe is that communities must work together to enable all persons to live with dignity, responsibility, and opportunity (Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, Inc., 2014, p. 3).

In spring of 2016, my youth group and I began planning a trip to a neighboring city. This wasn’t just any trip however, we were going on a mission. Each of us there were bound and determined to