ART 3170 Civic Engagement: Social Issues "Action" Project: Homelessness Awareness

Introduction

Most of us have the fortune of having a place to call home, whether it is living with our parents, living on our own, or living with people who take care of us. We can go home after a long day of work or school to food on our plate and a place to sleep in. More often, we are thinking about ourselves and subconsciously thinking about material things, like wanting the most recent iPhone, wanting that new car of the year, or buying clothing when you know that you have more than enough already. For those that are well off (financially), deal with first-world-problems. By first-world-problems I mean, not knowing what to eat today because you had Chinese food yesterday, not being able to use your phone in bed while charging it because the cord is too short, or not knowing what kind of shoes you want to buy next. These are things most people think about, not realizing that there are many people out there who are less fortunate than us and can not attain any, if not all, of the things that we have, especially food or a roof over their head.
Homelessness is a serious issue and we should all be well aware of it. At some point in our daily lives, we may come across a homeless man or woman and not do much about it but go on to continue with our day. A lot of the time, we ignore the fact that they have no where to sleep, nothing to eat, or have little to no clothing aside from what they may be wearing at the moment. We are blinded from seeing how others are tragically living because we are focused on our own fantasies. The reality is that homelessness is a widespread issue that affects way too many people.

Action

My action is to not only take a stand against homelessness, but to actually get involved in helping the less fortunate. Providing them with shelter, clothing, meals, in any way possible, and donating to programs that help those with substance abuse, can make a huge difference in their lives.

Research

As I mentioned before, homelessness is a widespread issue that is seen all over the world every day. Many single individuals, and families deal with and are forced to making difficult decisions that will often lead to homelessness. Some factors that may lead to this are, poverty, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, poor physical or mental health, drug or substance abuse, domestic violence, or family and relationship breakdowns (Salvation Army, 2016). Although homelessness may be found all over the country, the highest percentages come the Los Angeles areas. According to the Los Angeles Almanac (2016), "the Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty at the Weingart Center, an estimated 254,000 men, women and children experience homelessness in Los Angeles County during some part of the year and approximately 82,000 people are homeless on any given night". These numbers are not the current homeless population because many of the people that experience it, only do so temporary. One of the main reasons they experience for a short amount of time, is for the cause of family and relationship breakdowns. After some time, the families of an individual who had been homeless, will take them back into their homes.
In 2016, nearly 47,000 people were forced to live on the streets and the number of homeless individuals has been increasing heavily since 2013 (Holland, Jamison, 2016). Most of these homeless people live outdoors, in cars, or in tents on the streets. Skid Row, being one of the most popular areas in Los Angeles, inhabits many of the people who live in tents. Los Angeles Almanac (2016) also states that 29% are adults, and of those adults, about 14%-18% are not citizens of the United States. Los Angeles also became the top registered city in 2016 with the most homeless veterans according to LA Times. Approximately, 2,700 (that is 20% of the entire homeless population in all of Los Angeles) are veterans. Although, now reaching towards the end of the year, that number has dropped due to the fact that a few of those veterans have been sheltered. Unfortunately, the homeless youth also increased this year with more than 3,000.

Sources

Holland, G., Jamison, P. (2016). L.A sees another sharp rise in homelessness and outdoor tents. LA Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-count-20160504-story.html

Holland, G. (2016). Los Angeles tops the nation in chronically homeless people, federal report finds. LA Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-chronically-homeless-20161116-story.html

Los Angeles Almanac. (2016). Homelessness in Los Angeles county. Retrieved from http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/en/Who-We-Are/our-work/Homelessness/Why-are-people-homeless/

The Salvation Army. (2016). Why are people homeless?. Retrieved from http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/en/Who-We-Are/our-work/Homelessness/Why-are-people-homeless/

Personal

I have the fortune of having a place to sleep in and food to eat from. Although I can not deny that I do think materialistically at time, it is easy for me to realize that others do not have that privilege and are worse off than I am. Ever since I was young, my parents have always told me that I should be great-full for all that I have. They taught me to me to always give to others that don't have a lot to live from. In this case, to the homeless. Knowing that there are people out there with physical or mental disabilities who get abandoned by their families because they simply give up on caring for them breaks my heart. Any person would feel the same way I do knowing this but few do anything to help this issue. This is one of the main reasons that I still continue to donate my old clothes that does not fit me anymore to the Salvation Army near my house, as they help those who are in need of shelter. It is not always necessary to reach into your pocket every time you come across a homeless person. buying them a simple meal for that day is more than enough for them. Providing them with clothing or blankets to keep them warm on cold nights is greatly appreciated by them.
I believe that another significant reasons I am deeply affected by this issue, is the heartwarming thought of the holidays. Homeless people don't have the opportunity to spend it with their loved ones. Every year, as the holidays approach, I do as much as I can to make the less fortunate feel as if they still have someone that cares. In high school, I participated in a movement called A Walk for Hunger. The event would occur near the start of the holiday season. The entire community was invited to join the walk. The walk was about 5 miles and at the end of each mile, we would stop at a church and provide food for the homeless in that city. We would not only provide them with food, but everyone who participated was asked to bring any donations of clothes or blankets for the homeless. That experience was very beautiful to me and marked me in a positive way for the rest of my life.

People In My Community Supporting Or Affected By This Issue

Below are the photographs of people in my community who also stand against homelessness and are willing to take action in order to make a change in the lives of the less fortunate.