For our teaching project, we decided to spread awareness about homelessness by bringing a report of facts to our peers at school. The reason we chose to do so is because we believe that the first step to teaching others about a problem in society is to first demonstrate that there is in fact a problem. We had to recognize that many of our peers would probably have little knowledge on the topic of homelessness, just as we did in the beginning of the semester. So that being said, we decided that we needed to find a way to bring the epidemic to others’ attention. Not only did we have to bring it to their attention, but we also had the task of explaining why homelessness is an epidemic in our present day society.

As for the audience of our teaching project, we chose to teach our peers at the University of Redlands. There were a number of reasons why we decided on this audience. The first reason was that it was simpler to teach our peers, since they are typically at the same level of education as ourselves. This meant that we did not have to design an elaborate teaching plan for professors or staff, nor did we have to oversimplify the material in order to teach youth.  Choosing to educate our peers was also more convenient because they are right here on campus. Once we had our audience, we had to plan out how exactly we were going to present the information. We had to plan it so that the students would be interested in learning about homelessness. We researched homelessness in the San Bernardino County area. This way, the information would be more personal to the students since it is in the area of which they go to school. Not only did we research homelessness in the area, but we also collected data on college students and homelessness. The data that was collected was astounding, and we had hopes that our peer would be just as appalled as we were. So that led us to creating a fact filled sheet with quick facts about homelessness in San Bernardino county. A fact sheet seemed like a good idea so that students can quickly and effortlessly receive the information we provided. For the fact sheet, we chose alarming and eye catching statistics in order to thoroughly grab the reader’s attention. These statistics concerned homelessness among children and students, which we knew would interest the readers. We planned on passing out printed copies of the fact sheet in front of the commons area during peak busy hours. That way we would be able to attempt to get the word out to as many students and staff  as possible. We also planned to keep a printed copy of the full report in case any of the students had any questions or wanted to read over the report.

Rebecca Hulbert

Karina Fernandez

I may have no worked that long at Operation Grace but I truly appreciate the new perspective it gave me and all that I learned there. I’ve seen how Ms. Pride handles the calls that are not always so easy to listen to, I’ve learned how Jessica manages the organization with her family, and I’ve learned about more underlining issues about homelessness. This isn’t a pleasurable job to do, yet they do this work for the people they are able to help. Even months later after getting help, many women still call Operation Grace thanking them and updating them on how they are doing. I’ve also seen some cracks in the system and why it’s hard for some many homeless people to get services they need. Sometimes it’s about an organization not having enough money, funds, or resources. It’s frustrating and I believe is what needs to be changed. Non profits should definitely be getting more aid and resources than they are now because they are the ones who help the people that everyone ignores. All they want to do is improve the life of the client, and they should have the resources to achieve that.

Overall, I was most thankful to get experience working in a non profit and with social services because it is what I am interested in working in the future. I remember asking Ms. Pride if the work ever got too hard and if she ever felt burnt out from it. I’ll always remember her response because I feel like it’s how a lot of social workers must feel and what keeps them going.  Ms. Pride simply stated, “It’s hard work, but it’s work that must be done. There’s bad in this work, but there’s also good.” I truly believe this because I know it’s hard to keep a positive attitude in this kind of work, but the small rewards is what makes it worth it. I had doubts about pursuing a career as a social worker because I feared that it would be too much to handle sometimes, but after this experience I realized I truly have a passion for helping people and cannot see myself doing anything besides that. More importantly, I realized that I hope to work one day in a position where I can make real change happen for a lot of people. To me that means working possibly in the government where I can help create legislation that would aid people in need. After learning about the causes of homelessness, the services they offer to homeless, and the little legal protection they have, I realized that there needs to be more people higher up who are on their side. There needs to be more people in government who give the homeless, and any minority, a voice. This class and internship has motivated me to be a voice for the voiceless.

Growing up in the Bay I’ve seen my fair share of all kinds of homeless people, including homeless people with pets. I always wondered why they decide to keep their pets in the state their in or give them away instead? Pets can make it hard to find shelter and food to feed two mouths. This article explains why pets help homeless, specifically homeless youth.

A study was conducted by the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph to see the effects of having pets as a homeless youth. They had some interesting results. They found that, “homeless youth who have pets are less likely to abuse drugs or engage in risky behavior.” Another study found that pets help ease depression among those living on the street. Michelle Lem, who is a graduate of veterinary college, explained why the bong between a pet and homeless youth is so strong. She says that because the youth have lost a lot of their trust in people, they find unconditional love from their pets who stay loyal to them. They will do anything for their pets, so they are less likely to commit harmful acts.

Unfortunately, there is also a downside to having pets as a homeless youth. It is much harder to receive social services because most places do not allow pets or accept them. This includes shelters as well. On the bright side Bill O’Grady, a sociology and anthropology professor at Guelph is that, “There is an opportunity here here to use this information when we’re developing services and plans for young people.” If pets can help homeless youth stay out of harm’s way and feel less depressed than perhaps they can help their transition their lives into something better.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016/03/27/Pets-help-homeless-youth-study-finds/3051459096337/

In connection with my book presentation last week that talked about the “new homeless” being  more youthful and this weekend’s reading where it talked about how homeless youth work with shelters, I decided to dive more into the topic of homeless youth in the U.S..

This article goes over some topics that we have already discussed in class. For example, how the homeless population is starting to have a makeup of more younger people in their 20s rather than the “old homeless” who have usually been in their mid 50s. It also talks about how homeless youth usually crash on their friends’ couches or hang out on the streets. The article empathized that, “mostly, they just blend in.”

New York is holding their annual homeless count and following along the same criteria that we learned about in class when doing their count. However, many homeless people are “overlooked.” The article also talks about how failure to make an accurate homeless count results in, “fewer social services for people at particular risk of being drawn into prostitution and cycling into long-term homelessness, according to organizations that specialize in helping young homeless people.”

The city has made efforts to add more beds to shelters, yet youth shelters find themselves not having enough resources for homeless youth. The problem is how “homeless” is defined. We’ve learned in class the definition that counters use to count how many homeless people there are and it’s very specific. Because homeless youth often sleep at their friend’s place or extended family, they are “technically homeless” but can not be counted if they are not sleeping on the streets.

Like the article said it’s important to count homeless youth in order to get more help for them and get more services and resources to help them. Failure to count homeless youth leaves them in the shadows and allows society to turn a blind eye to them. We fail as a society if we don’t acknowledge their struggles as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/06/nyregion/young-and-homeless-in-new-york-overlooked-and-underserved.html?_r=0

In an effort to reduce homelessness, LA officials are looking to increase sales taxes or place new taxes on medical marijuana or the income of millionaires. Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority surveys stated that, “The city and county adopted parallel plans last month to address the growing homelessness problem. The number of people sleeping in shelters, on the streets, in cars and in makeshift encampments increased 12% countywide from 2013 to 2015, to more than 44,000.”

The city is making further attempts to reduce homelessness. For example, the county set aside about $150 million to pay for its plan over the next two years, and is devoting about $30 million this year to homelessness programs. After learning so much about homelessness, it’s great to see that the LA county is finally enforcing plans to do something about it. However, fixing this problem is not going to be cheap. City analysts projected that it would cost at least $1.85 billion over the next decade to create the needed housing, not including the the price of providing services. The city is asking voters to decide on two separate funding initiatives.

The county created 5 funding options that they reported last Wednesday. This includes, “a parcel tax; redirection of some money from Measure B, a countywide tax for trauma care; a new tax on medical — and perhaps in the future, recreational — marijuana; an increase in the countywide transaction and use tax; and a new “millionaire’s tax” on personal income over $1 million, like the one that currently funds mental health services around the state.”

The county has laid out it’s plan and now it is up to the voters to decide how to tackle this problem. There’s no doubt that the problem must be addressed and I believe is the responsibility of everyone to take action on this.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-county-homeless-funding-20160309-story.html

The organization I have the pleasure of working at is Operation Grace. Operation Grace began as a homeless shelter provider in 1993. They provide desperately needed aid for hundreds of homeless in the San Bernardino area. They aid people in “dusting themselves off and getting back on their feet.” The same family has owned this organization since it has opened up. Jessica, the leader of the organization, has worked there since she was a little girl when her parent’s were in charge. She has literally grown up in this organization and is now a pastor and head of Operation Grace. Operation Grace’s main cause is to alleviate the homeless population in the city. In addition to housing women and children in emergency shelters, they also provide low income and transitional housing. The organization also provides additional services and referrals to anyone who calls the office. Overall, their main focus is to help families get into homes that they can call their own.

Although Operation Grace aids families with shelter, they only house women and women with children. The thing that stood out to me the most about this organization is that 90% of the homeless people they shelter are able to move into permanent housing of their own, on their own.

Operation Grace believes that women sometimes find themselves in situations that are out of their hands. This is a cause of homelessness that they see often. They also believe that there isn’t enough housing for people with low income. This is why their foundation is based on giving women the tools and services for money management in order for them to be able to obtain a house of their own. Because these women have been through hardships, the organization supports them by supporting them with positivity and care. The organization is also heavily influenced by their faith. Jessica, the head of the organization, is also a pastor and hold Bible readings. She decided to do this work because she felt like it was her duty as a person of faith. That’s also how Ms. Pride got into this work. She said she had never went to school for this, but that she felt like God was calling her to do more. This work is not easy to do, yet they manage to bring smiles on their face everyday when they come to work. I strongly admire this about them. Their positivity and faith gives them the ability to help people in any way that they can. I think it’s great that they use their faith to help, yet never try to force their faith on anyone. As a not so religious person, I really like this about them. Because they work as a family, their shelter works as a family too.

I have only been working at Operation Grace for about two weeks now, but I already feel like I am learning so much. This isn’t a pleasurable job to do, yet they do this work for the people they are able to help. All in all, I look forward to going back to see what more I can learn and experience. I know that I have much more to take in from this internship.

With all the talk about homelessness, I feel like sometimes we forget the differences between homeless men and women and the different struggles they go through. Women’s bodies, for example are very different from men’s. Women need different hygiene products for their own health. It’s expensive enough for the average women to buy all the hygiene products she needs such as pads, tampons, etc. I wondered how homeless women kept up with self-care in the streets.

In the article I read about this subject, the city of New York stated that, “…staying clean is part of a daily struggle for thousands of women…where maintaining a sense of dignity is a time-consuming and potentially dangerous endeavor.” Receiving basic health care products for homeless women gives them a sense of dignity that is often stripped away because of their homelessness. Fletcher-Bake, a registered nurse says that, “Self-care and the ability to receive care in this setting helps to build a woman’s self-worth and value.” The article further explains that homeless women face deeper medical challenges than their male counterparts. Because there is minimal access to sanitary spaces, it puts women in greater risky situations.

Women also use the bathroom differently than men. The articles talk about that women can’t simply “pee behind a tree” like men can. Because of this, women often go through desperate measures to use the bathroom or avoid using the bathroom as much as they can. One homeless women stated that she would try to avoid drinking liquids at night so she wouldn’t have to use the bathroom. When a homeless women gets her period, circumstances become even harder. Some shelters have been known to give the women hygiene products, but social workers say it is harder to source those products from public donors.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/13/-scared-to-walk-thestreet.html

For my homeless count report I looked at the Los Angeles Homeless Count Report of 2015. The 2015 Los Angeles Homeless Count, led by the LA Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), is the largest in the country. 5,500 volunteers participated in the 2015 count. There are four components of the count.

First there is the street count, where they count the unsheltered population. Then there is the shelter count, where they count the homeless population in emergency shelters, transitional housing, safe havens, and vouchered hotels/motels. Thirdly, there is a demographic survey that gives a sample of unsheltered homeless individuals to better understand the characteristics and experiences of homeless persons. Lastly, there is a youth count to better understand and identify homeless youth. LAHSA’s roles and responsibilities to conduct the count included developing the demographic survey in collaboration with the community, managing and completing the sheltered and unsheltered counts, assessing inclusion of youth count data in overall estimates, and reviewing and completing the final analysis of the results and preparing reports. The Carolina Survey Research Lab also collaborated with the LAHSA. They provided guidance and direction in methodology and data collection processes, analyzing initial data from the four Count components, and produce estimates and preliminary results.

Click to access HC2015CommissionPresentation.pdf

As a native from San Francisco I was thrilled to hear that Super Bowl 50 would be held in the Bay Area. This meant that the city would be bustling with Super Bowl events, hundreds of people flooding into the city, and celebrities visiting. However, for the immense homeless population of the city, this would not be good news.

The homeless wander all over the city, including the popular Downtown area of the city, which does not look nice for the hundreds of celebrities and people visiting and staying in the city. The mayor of San Francisco, Ed Lee, has sent a message to the homeless people camping out in the Embarcadero (a popular area of the city) that, “They are going to have to leave.” According to Mayor Lee, “…[they] are going to have to leave. Not just because it’s illegal but because it’s dangerous.”

My question is who is it dangerous for? I love my city, but I am truly disappointed in the fact that they are kicking the homeless off the street when they have nowhere else to go. Mayor Lee has announced that he has started building housing that should be done by the end of this year, but that can be too late. It’s unfair to force these people to leave and not have a place to move them to. This reminds me of the documentary we watched in class about the homeless in Santa Monica. Once again, the police try to move the homeless away, but make no effort in  resolving the actual problem. I hope after the Super Bowl craze dies down, my city legislators begin enabling a plan to improve the homelessness in the city rather than hide it.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/S-F-mayor-Homeless-have-to-leave-the-6465209.php

This week in class we watched the documentary, Taylor’s Campaign. By far it was one of the best documentaries about homelessness that I’ve seen.

It showed real issues that homeless people in Santa Monica, and I’m sure in other places, face everyday. It showed homelessness from the perspective of homeless people. The homeless people that we meet in the film have personalities that are likable and make you question how someone like this can be homeless. The documentary truly shows the unjust side of dealing with homelessness. It enlightens the way police treat homeless people, and how people in City Hall treat them. To me, it looked like they had forgotten about these people’s humanity. One homeless man stated, “We got nothing to stand on…we can’t turn to nobody.” The same people who are supposed to fix these issues of poverty seem to have turned their back’s on a large population of people living in their city.

I felt angry about some people’s comment towards homeless people. Many people saw them as a burden to the city. It also upset me that Santa Monica wanted to pass policy that meant a person could not give food or money to a homeless person. I felt like they had no right to stop a person from helping another person on the street. I was a big fan of Ron Taylor because he really cared about these people, and like one of the men said in the film, “It’s hard to find a person that really cares.” He really wanted to make a difference in the city, which I found inspiring and motivating. His beliefs and actions allowed me to think of ways in which I can help the homeless community now and in the future.