This week I learned a lot more about different types of services around the inland empire and LA county. Family services, women’s shelters, childcare, and what they offer in programs, their history, the language they use. I also learned more about how to explain my own experiences and to look out for the smaller things. I want to learn how individuals keep themselves motivated through the programs that are offered. I not only learned from the presentations, but from the readings about looking at homelessness from a different perspective. At a workshop I was in, we talked about a celebrity who spent a time on Skid Row filming a documentary showing the life there and how different that was compared to those in a different area, the woman who mentioned it also talked about making her own YouTube channel about being homeless and surviving. It was one of the moments where I realized the different situations people who were homeless were in, and how much they simply wanted to be heard. Then the readings made me question how much truth needed to be taught before the public really focused on the problems that contributed to becoming homeless. How much exposure on homelessness is necessary before the problem becomes dire, and is inescapably in need of a reaction from government. I think the woman was on track when she stress the need to inform the public that not all homeless are on drugs and lazy. It got me to thinking about a few questions, like: When does media really acknowledge homelessness? Without the help of the required readings of this course on different situations of homelessness, would I know or realize what is happening in the community? For instance, the employees at Disneyland. Why have activist movements to end homelessness not been a success? Why haven’t the means we are taking now not worked as efficiently?  

Listening to everybody’s reports on their internship sites was definitely eye-opening for me. There were a couple things that stood out to me. First, many of the organizations were started by people who have been affected by hunger and homelessness themselves. Second, most of them said something along the lines of “A hand out, not a hand up”, meaning they were there for resources but it is up to people to use them. I found both of these things to be hopeful, because it means that people in charge of running organizations have first hand experience and a more accurate understanding of people’s needs. Another interesting commonality is the use of language. Most organizations refer to people as clients or youth to avoid labeling people immediately as something negative. This seems like a very humanizing practice, and it makes sense that people who have been in the same situation would know how important labels and language around this kind of thing is.

In my internship at Family Services I am going to request to move to a different area so I can have a little more exposure to people. I am able to talk to people where I am in the donation center but it’s less frequent. And talking to people is definitely the most enriching part of everyone’s experience.

We started this weeks class by discussing the history and roots of homelessness. We discussed England prior to 1700 where little plots of land were obtained for living, crops, and farming. Once ideas of investing for private properly became a common principle, the poor did not have a safety net to fall back onto. This gave the idea of  giving work to the poor in which deserved work and rejecting the individuals who were unworthy of obtaining work. This created the ideas of “worthy” and “unworthy” poor. Even today the idea of some homeless individuals deserving to get off the streets versus individuals who have done wrong in their lives and deserve to be on the street is still a thought by the community. As each student presented their homeless shelter/agency, I realized even programs that are designed to help the homeless community are directed towards the “worthy” population. Each agency had some type of prerequisite to be considered a member of the shelter. Whether this principle was being a female, female mother, families, non-drug/alcohol addicts, homeless, victim of domestic violence or sex trafficking, or a youth, there were barely any agencies designed to help all categories of homelessness. Although this commonality within the agencies was common for the class, there are many outside shelters that are designed for all types of people and/or life situations. My question is, what factors of an individual allow one to be worthy or unworthy of obtaining natural life necessities? Can one person do so wrong in their lives where they actually do not deserve to have a safe and healthy lifestyle? And can individuals worthiness change over time? These are some concerning issues that arise when deciding which individuals, if not all, deserve help.

I’ve been thinking a lot about privilege in this course recently, specifically, the privilege of academia. I wonder if it’s okay for a cadre of college students to volunteer their time at homeless shelters, groups homes, and the like. What ethical concerns should we have when thinking about ourselves in these contexts? Is it cool to just fill your 20 hours and bounce? Do you need to pass a certain bar to be justified in volunteering? I find it difficult to find distinction between ethical work and the pitfalls of “voluntarism” and voyeurism. Upon completion, have you done any good or contributed anything significant? Perhaps just the power of contextualization is important in it of itself – both in academic and personal senses. As we know, theory is useless without application and tangible review, but to what extent are we reinforcing armchair academia, and how can we mitigate the dissonance of what we learn in class, what we read for class, and the reality we find ourselves in.
Lyon-Callo’s book, “Inequality, Poverty, and Neoliberal Governance,” makes what I find to be an adequate structural analysis of the conditions – material and discursive – that produce, maintain, and perpetuate the features of homelessness and poverty. Lyon-Callo exposes the depth and various roots inherent in neoliberal hegemony – that neoliberalism frames homelessness in terms of individual production rather than a structural feature. I appreciate his analysis, and the use of Foucault’s insight on apparatuses of power, acknowledging the ways in which neoliberal hegemon is self-enforced. Macro analysis is crucial, and invaluable in intellectual discourse about policy direction. But just how useful is Lyon-Callo’s point in real life? I can’t reconcile the imperative to advocate implicit in his writing and just how out of touch it seems.

This past class was an interesting one as we each shared our experiences with our specific organizations. There were a variety of presentations with different information and formatting that allowed for a broad picture of the many organizations we spend our time with.  Something that stuck with me throughout each presentation was the mention of how language is used throughout each different organization. Language meaning how  they address those who utilize the services and resources the organization provides, walk through their doors, have inquiries, etc. The language used by the organization’s staff and volunteers can translate into the mindset of the individual receiving service. The terms used to describe the individual may have a picture that more times than not already comes with an image. This individual may internalize the image and perceive themselves in that way, whether positive or negative.

In addition to this I began to see and understand how each and every one of the organizations is different yet unique in their own way, being their intended purpose. There are a variety of organizations all focusing on one area that might be entirely different from another. The burden of assisting those who need a variety of different services is a big one. A good number offer everything that an individual might need but if not they end up having to be a part of several different organizations to receive the services they seek. However in what was presented I saw a balance of what some do and what some have less of a focus on.

The Los Angeles Times recently released an article describing a new coalition that has formed to assist with the homelessness problem that the area is facing.  This new coalition is called “Everyone In”.  They plan to train and organize people to advocate for new housing and services for homeless people.  “Everyone In”  has the goal to track progress toward countywide goals, educate the public, and provide opportunities to get involved with their cause.  The article quotes that this coalition identifies themselves as the “Army for the good”.  This leads me to question whether or not this is good mentality for them to have.  They want to rally community support for homeless housing and services.  Recently, Los Angeles voted to pass a $1.2 billion bond for new housing and a county tax.  The bond is supposed to usher in 10,000 new units with supportive services for the homeless.  The tax will bankroll services, rental subsidies, outreach and strengthen/expand shelter systems.  Both of these provisions were ways that the community felt would assist the homeless community.  The “Everyone In” campaign hopes to mobilize the ‘silent majority’ who support homeless housing their neighborhoods.  They have realized that the funding aspect of it will probably be the easy part.  The implementation of their ideas and providing housing will take more time.  Providing housing, I feel, is the first step in assisting with the homeless.  Housing is a good step in taking people off of the streets. 

Citation:  Reyes, Emily Alpert. “New coalition urges ‘Everyone In’ to combat L.A.’s homelessness crisis.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2018, www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-everyone-in-20180309-story.html.

This week we presented our internships oral report. I really enjoyed doing this for a few reasons. I got to hear what the other people interning for my internship were experiencing that was different from what I was. I also liked presenting in front of the class because it brought me out of my comfort zone. Public speaking is one of my many fears but the format we did made the process go so smoothly.

It was amazing to hear the language used at every agency. None of them leaned towards the word homeless. The most common words used were youth and clients. This made the people being served feel equal which is extremely important when trying to collect yourself. Hearing what every agency does outreach the people who are going through a rough time was spectacular. The agencies put on different programs such as addiction help, counseling, and provide medical help. Some agencies also hand out food and have soup kitchens to help in any way they can. There are also racks of clothing to help them have new proper fitting clothes for themselves or for interviews. All these programs together really make an impact in the communities they serve because they are striving to help the Homelss get back on their feet and find housing, or just work on what they want to work on. Overall this week was by far my favorite week and I can’t wait to hear how everyone enjoyed their internships and what they did and did not like.

In light of how we have seen the way in which sheltering services for the homeless are oftentimes unresponsive to or ignorant of the structural violence causing homelessness and instead focus on ameliorating pathologies within individuals (i.e. in The Value of Homelessness and Inequality, Poverty, and Neoliberal Governance), I am curious about whether or not a shelter can have political agency in the fight to “end homelessness.” Can a shelter simultaneously save drowning people who were thrown in “the river” and beat up the person or phenomenon that threw such individuals in the river in the first place? Or, is addressing structural violence antithetical to the mere existence of shelters, meaning a shelter addressing structural violence can no longer be what is commonly known as a shelter because shelters are inherently geared toward ameliorating individuals?
I guess that this is essentially a question of whether or not there is a place for social work in the fight to “end homelessness.” One could argue that efforts to “empower” poor people are really fallacies that end up perpetuating a cycle of individual blame and failure and that the only place for psychology in battles against homelessness is in the process of medicalization, which, as we see in the chapter about Ariel in Inequality, Poverty, and Neoliberal Governance, does nothing for homeless people.
What do you all think about this? I briefly researched “homeless shelters and political activism” on the web and came across an organization called the National Coalition for the Homeless, which doesn’t seem like a homeless shelter at all. Check out their website at: http://nationalhomeless.org

During our oral internship progress reports, we presented how each agency serves the homeless in the community in different ways. It was interesting to hear about the language that the agencies use to refer to the people they assist. This encouraged me to research how others feel about the approach and language in regards to homelessness. An article titled, “Ever Wondered What To Say To A Homeless Person?” by Winston Ross, discussed way to acknowledge and speak to the homeless.

The article began by explaining how most people do try to avoid the homeless. Thankfully, there are those who decide to talk to the homeless and are interested in helping. I believe the right words can make a big difference. The article states that a simple “hi” or “hello” can make an impact. Regardless of what your greeting may be, it’s important to look the person in the eye when speaking. It was reassuring to hear during the presentation that one agency encourages everyone to speak at eye level. The article also exemplifies that a “how are you” can create an opportunity to provide help. “Many who live on the streets battle the feeling that they’re inadequate or nonexistent to the rest of the world.” Having a genuine conversation can reduce those emotions.

I believe all people should show respect and dignity to the homeless and to not dehumanize them. This is also something that each of the agencies value. Acknowledging these individuals and speaking with them may be a way to provide the help that he or she so desperately needs.

http://nationswell.com/homeless-america-5-things-to-say/

This past Wednesday in class we were fortunate enough to hear about everyones internships that they are partaking in for the semester. Everyone’s was different, which made it that much more interesting to listen to. Everyone’s varied from dealing with youth, to low income families, to single mothers, to actual shelters. A common theme I found in all the presentations is the language that each facility uses. They did not refer to them as “homeless” or “the needy” instead they refer to them as clients or participants or youth when they are dealing with minors. I thought this was important because being homeless is a situation not a permanent state, but if you are constantly being reminded that you are homeless it can cause you to think differently about your situation.

Another thing that stood out to me was how many services are provided to people, but more specifically the youth. I was pleased to hear that there were still rules about staying in school going to show that there are no free hand outs – if you do your part we will do our part. It is sad to hear about all the youth who do not have homes or a good home life, but it is inspiring to see all the help and programs that are offered to them. A lot of the facilities mentioned that a lot of the volunteers help the youth in more ways then they think. Just by talking to them and listening to them goes a long way with anyone that you talk to and I can only imagine when someone stops to take an interest in someone going through a hard time it makes a big impact on them. Several youth do not know what it is like to be given attention or really listened to, but by giving them this it may seem small to a volunteer who may not even know what they are doing but it means a lot to the youth.