Social Change Policy: Making A Difference 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

Always, I was told from parents and elders that anyone can achieve their dreams through arduous work and dedication. Surprisingly, I hadn’t pondered this until I observed a shivering homeless person standing at the corner asking for help on one snowy, frosty winter day. This affected my life greatly. On the way, I just started thinking about the life of homeless people and how they are not fortunate enough to get their own place to live, their choice of delicious food to eat and several other amenities that we all enjoy in our everyday lives. An incident, like this, sparked an enthusiastic sense of compassion and empathy in me. Along with my family, I started thinking deeply and my thoughts to help the homeless expanded to other areas and I wanted to start helping the community around me as much as possible.

The data was obtained through a questionnaire and answers from five theme questions. One of the limitations of this study was the small amount of nurse practitioners who participated in this study. However, what was determined from the participants in this study was that the role of nurse practitioners could play an important role in providing vulnerable population care because of the positive experiences they have had in doing so. Seiler & Moss (2012) stated that it is imperative that changes be done to provide the care that is needed for this population (p. 305). The objectives were supported in this study to show that nurse practitioners have positive attitudes and positive insights on caring for the homeless. This study could lead to more studies being done to support the nurse practitioners role as having a great impact in the community with vulnerable

The community as well as the city likes to blame the poverty on the immigrants and refugees, when they don’t even attempt to look at themselves. If people want change they must first change themselves. What I learned from my interview was that there is hope for the community and that we just need a leader to show us how to tackle poverty. After listening to the social administrator answer my questions, I believe that people want to fix the economic situation of the city, but most people don’t know where to start. I have always heard that everyone once to do something but nobody knows were to start most of my life. Since I know this I feel like it is up to me to finish my education and tackle the poverty situation. My interviewee response to my position was shocked and supportive. My interviewee did not know I was in school for social work and she didn’t know I had as much knowledge on poverty in New York as I displayed in the interview. After the interview we had a conversation about my career and how I could help with the poverty in Rochester, New York. She was very supportive of my position and she said that I motivated her to continue working hard at her job because she realized that she is making a difference the community. So until I finish my education I will continue to conduct research and look for way to better the community until I feel as though I am ready to stand up as a political leader to make changes in the

This week, the readings touched on issues relating to resistance and social change. Martinez explains how the U.S. has struggled to see issues of race beyond just Black and white. She also stresses the importance of including other races when speaking on these issues. Hernandez argues that the mainstream feminist movement fails to include minority and low-income women and the issues they face. She states that the movement only benefits white middle class women. Collins explains how people’s ideas and behaviors actualize other people’s inequalities. She says comparing levels of oppression is a competition for attention and instead we should use a new mentality that interlocks these inequalities. Harris

Homelessness is a serious issue that is looked down upon within my community. Many homeless die when it’s too hot, too cold, or too wet. The New Orleans Mission sees this a huge issue and argue that homeless people are real people who need real resources, like shelter, food, and clothes. In addition, they have found that, without supportive services, housing is often not enough to end homelessness. From helping homeless youth, to providing assistance in obtaining disability benefits, to providing transportation, to offering intensive job training assistance to homeless veterans. The New Orleans Mission operate a number of innovative

Going on the end of the year service trip to Denver really opened my eyes to how many people are affected by homelessness. Homelessness can have many causes and can happen to anyone. In our societal system today once someone has reached poverty and become homeless it is very hard to recover from this cycle of poverty.

Prior to being in graduate school I was not fully aware of all the opportunities and experiences in social work. I have since gained more knowledge of macro level opportunities in the field of social work, such as advocating for human rights, and social justice. I have also been presented with the chance to tackle tough policies that directly impacts clients that I have interacted with through my experience in social work. I plan to continue to identify weakness in various systems to promote social justice, and learn more ways to change social institutions to be more humane and

I never realized how lucky I am; sitting in a classroom, wearing proper clothing and having a safe and comfortable environment to go home to. However, peering into the communities in Seattle and even Kitsap County, I see many people who are not as privileged as I am. Homelessness, in Seattle, has shown to be an enormous issue when it comes to the conditions the homeless live in and how their human rights are not being fulfilled. Consequently, the city has shown much concern to address this issue in terms of raising the budget, assessing the root of the problem and showing motivation to lower the number of people living on the street.

After I graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara I was unsure what my next step would be. Of course I was anxious since I did not have experience working nor did I excel in my undergrad studies however, I knew I needed to use my newly earned degree in a positive way. Fast forward, after working for two years, I have gained the skills, knowledge and values from my work experiences that have confirmed my desire to advance my education in the social work field. I currently have my own case load of clients as a case manager at a level 12 group home but it’s time to take the next step forward. I want to ultimately advance social justice and provide services to assist individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

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.

For me, participating in Project Homeless Connect this year wasn’t anything entirely new since I had this experience last year. However, this time around I conducted short surveys and escorted people to the various services being provided. Before interviewing the people for the intake form, I had felt uneasy and nervous. The reason being, I was worried that some of these questions would seem too personal for the person to answer, in which it could cause them to be impatient, aggressive, or hostile. Although, everyone that I interviewed greatly expressed their gratitude for this event. From the first person to the last person I interviewed, I thought it was a rewarding experience in just knowing that hundreds of people were taking advantage

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

Water conservation has become a socially responsible effort which is gaining momentum in the community in which I live. Though slow to get rolling, as awareness rises in the community, so do the individual actions. Each small action that an individual takes to conserve water contributes to the overall community effort. The use of water within the community has been steadily decreasing as awareness increases. Through this concerted effort, the community as a whole has become more cohesive. This cohesiveness is the direct result of individuals working together vas a team and sharing a common goal. Further, individuals also achieve a sense of accomplishment and well being as water consumption decreases. These good feelings are a direct result of actively contributing to ecological conservation.

Over the past two years I’ve been able to oversee several individuals as a coordinator at the nonprofit organization, Santa Cruz Homeless Services Center. Through my work there I was able to recognize my strengths and weaknesses in health services management. Working for a nonprofit