Category Archives: How we should treat each other

San Diego Nonprofit to provide portable showers for homeless people

How we should treat each other, Local organizations

Think Dignity, a San Diego-area nonprofit, plans to bring portable showers to neighborhoods throughout the city.  The showers are about the size of a horse trailer, have stalls for men and women, and are pulled by a truck.  They plan to park on private property for a maximum of four hours at a time, so they will not require city permits.  Moving from place to place on a regular schedule means that they can serve more homeless people that they could with only one location.

Anne Rios, Think Dignity’s Executive Director, said that the showers will help homeless people feel better about themselves, and it will also make it easier for them to find jobs.  The program is patterned after the Lava Mae mobile shower program in San Francisco.  Lava Mae converted four old buses into mobile shower stalls.  That program has been very popular.

Think Dignity partnered with two other nonprofits, Burrito Boys and Las Patronas, to buy the equipment.  They are seeking barbers and hair stylists willing to donate services at the shower sites.

Los Angeles Times, February 1, 2016, page B6.

Homeless GoPro: Building Empathy Through Firsthand Perspective

About being poor, Books and Films, How we should treat each other

In recent browsing on the internet I came across a new sociological project starting up in San Francisco, “Homeless GoPro”. The purpose of the project is to help bring empathy and compassion back into human nature in society, including but not limited to situations dealing with the homeless. The Homeless GoPro project is led mainly by Kevin Fadler, an entrepreneur and sociologist, and Adam, a man who has been homeless on and off for the last 30 years. Through their documentary, the two hope to allow people to experience Homelessness and interactions on the street through the completely opposite perspective of what they’re used to. In the first video, “Birthday”, Adam is wearing the GoPro on his chest and attempting to sell “Street Sheet” newspapers. The videio opens with Adam explaining when he spent Christmas on the streets for the first time and how much it hurt. He doesn’t want to have to spend his birthday, which is the next day, on the streets. He tells people passing by that it is his birthday and he’s attempting to sell enough papers to buy himself a hotel room for tomorrow night. As people walk by, the majority either don’t look at Adam at all or, even worse, many people make a rather obvious attempt to look in the other direction and act as if they don’t hear him.

I had my birthday six days ago and cannot imagine having this experience. I was so happy to wake up and have breakfast in bed. Adam isn’t able to have either of these. I felt so much love and compassion from people who walked by and wished me a happy birthday. Adam was telling people about his birthday and they didn’t even respond. As I read the comments on the Yahoo article that feature this project, which I highly recommend you read for yourself, I constantly wanted to yell “F#@k Off” or “You don’t even F@$king know” to the people writing hateful and ill-informed comments. I even had to leave the room where my family was celebrating Easter just to get a breath of fresh air and calm down. How can people be so ignorant and give into so many stereotypes? This class has taught me so much, yet it has also led to so many moments of frustration with humanity.

This project offers a unique viewpoint on Homelessness and also opens the door to a whole new form of studying the world views and experiences of those on the street. While our class is ending, I definitely recommend keeping an eye on this project, as I believe it has great potential.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/homeless-gopro-offers-a-firsthand-perspective-of-those-living-on-the-streets-180947286.html;_ylt=AwrTWVU2U1RTc2gAOELQtDMD

 

http://www.homelessgopro.com/

Finding My Way

Books and Films, How we should treat each other, Local organizations

It was refreshing to read Toni Flynn’s “Finding My Way: A Journey Along the Rim of the Catholic Worker Movement.” It has been so long since I have read a book like this. At first my eyes had difficulty adjusting. I could not read a whole sentence in its entirety because I have become so used to skimming for key points, dates, and themes. Once my eyes began to slow down I began to savor each word and the truth in Flynn’s writing. Flynn invited me to take a look into myself.

I found the book to be beautifully crafted and organized. The different books provided a foundation as did the opening words at the start of each book. Flynn wrote with such intimacy and truth. The book served as a reflection of Flynn while provoking reflection in the reader. Flynn writes in a way that seeks to question our motives for our actions. While working with others Flynn finds a shared humanity and discovers the darkness within herself. Flynn constantly looks inward. At one moment when she is at the chapel hospital Flynn writes, “I look inward at my own stubborn refusal to let go of the memory of past wounds inflicted on me as a child” (47).

I feel in a way that this course, Hunger and Homelessness has been an exercise in finding my way personally and as a student. This course has caused me to look inward, as I take what we learn to heart. Balancing, accepting, and letting go are tasks I am learning.

Who Holds the Power?

Government programs, Homelessness, How we should treat each other, News link, Poverty

Mayor Bloomberg of New York City has been making some interesting comments about homelessness in the past year. This article does a very good job of deconstructing Bloomberg’s ridiculous statements and proving how foolish he is. Bloomberg made the claim last Fall that NYC’s lack of housing is “a good sign” because it means that “there are no vacancies.” My question is WHO is this a “good sign” for? The answer is MAYOR BLOOMBERG (the 11th richest person in the country and 16th richest in the world, according to Wikipedia) and the rest of the upper class population of NYC. Of course they think that the lack of vacancies and affordable housing is a good thing – it benefits their “thriving” economy. But what about the 270,000 people who are on the waiting list for affordable housing? What are they supposed to do while Mayor Bloomberg creates more luxury housing in the places that public housing needs to be built? To add salt to the wound, Bloomberg has also tried to get the city to “fingerprint public housing residents, and make them scan in using a fingerprint scanner.” Mayor Bloomberg is a great example of a person who is using their power to their own advantage, rather than to help the citizens of his city. He stigmatizes the people he oppresses and he profits off of the homeless problem in NYC. There are far too many people like Bloomberg in power in the U.S. who put themselves first, tossing aside the people who need help the most.

Final Internship Report

Homelessness, How we should treat each other, Local organizations, Organizations

After finishing my time volunteering at my internship I was able to grasp the full meaning of the organization.  They serve as an open door to their community serving anyway that they can. Through volunteering I was able to see the strengths and weaknesses of this organization. Strengths include helpful and thriving volunteers, non-discrimination towards clients, various service/resource centers, and correspondence with local organizations and churches.  All of these help the organization thrive into a better organization.

When I first volunteered I noticed how many other volunteers there were and how all were diligently working with smiles on their faces.  Volunteers are the biggest strengths and assets to the organization.  The number of volunteers the organization has is what keeps their doors open because they make all of the distribution centers and resource clinics possible the organization’s goal is to provide as many things as they could for each client so that they could use their earned money elsewhere, such as paying rents and other bills.  This is seen as a strength because clients can come here and not have to worry about being pushed away.  The organization is a sign of hope, an open door, and a place where people know they can come to receive help in many ways.  They provide service to all families that are registered with the organization.  In working with other organizations, this organization has created a multifaceted relationship with these prospering organizations and has truly embellished their mission statement

Weaknesses include, low volunteer restrictions, moldy food, and difficulties getting in contact with members of the organization. Volunteers do not need to have interviews or health screening which is something that should be done since volunteers deal with food.  Sometimes the food is not edible and a lot of it is thrown away.  Lastly, the members of the organization are extremely busy so it is quite difficult to get into contact with them and ask direct questions about the organization.  The weaknesses do not compare to the multitude of strengths that are seen through this organization.  The organization is doing great things for its community and is building stronger every day.

Overall, this organization has been a great place to volunteer.  I am seeing the benefits and hope that they bring to people who are struggling, but also the impact they have on volunteers.  The organization is a small community within the larger community that helps people needy people in ways I did not think were possible.  Seeing how volunteers who were once helped by this organization are giving back, shows the impact that this small community has had.  People who volunteer at are hopeful and dedicated to helping others in any way that they can.  It is an organization that has stood in Redlands for over 14 years and continues to follow its values every day of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and helping those who are hurt.  They thrive off of volunteers and donations, so giving back to this organization is something I see myself doing in the future.Open Hand[1]

 

Solving Homelessness or the Homeless Blemish?

Homelessness, How we should treat each other, News link, Reflections on our Reading, Solutions to Homelessness

There is a “dash movement taking place in Santa Cruz, California. According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel article, “’Dash’ deployed for solving Santa Cruz Country Homelessness”,  the multi-agency cooperative 180/180 Initiative has a goal of offering “180 people a 180 degree life change” by a deadline of July 1st. A secondary goal was also created to place 25 of the city’s most visible homeless people, along with a group of 12 from Watsonville, on a course towards permanent supportive housing within 100 days by May 7th.  The 100-day dash plan is a specialized tool that gives partnering agencies and officials who wouldn’t usually get involved a finite timeline and achievable goal.

 

Although this project sounds promising, with 8 people currently being helped and two already housed in Watsonville, there seems to be the same lingering goal to get the chronically homeless away from the downtown commercial areas where they reside. Homeless Services Center Executive Director Monica Martinez is even quoted in the article saying “Everybody has their reason why (they want to get the homeless off the streets), but we all agree we want it to happen.” This reminds me of Wasserman and Clair’s book  At Home on the Street: People, Poverty, and a Hidden Culture of Homelessness, and how their participants discussed how the programs shouldn’t be pushed upon them and that they should be choices. My interpretation of this article seems as if this plan isn’t entirely for the homeless’ best interest, but to remove them from living in commercial areas where their presence isn’t wanted, which was an issue also raised in the book. These chronically homeless people they are “helping” are not being seen as people, but as a blemish on the downtowns of Santa Cruz and Watsonville. As much as this would like help out the homeless community, I fear that it is not enough to solve the chronic problem.

Problematic Discourse

About being poor, How we should treat each other, Local organizations, Organizations, People, Poverty, Reflections on our Reading

On Saturday I worked at my internship organization’s weekly food bank and observed discourse about poverty.

At my organization, there are “food box runners” who carry out the boxes to the clients’ cars or wherever they wish. These runners are usually male volunteers who can lift a decent amount. I recognized the some of the same people doing it as last week, but there were new volunteers doing this job. One of the senior volunteers (or one of the pastors, I’m not exactly sure) within the organization was explaining what these runners needed to do. I overheard parts of the explanation, and there were one huge red flag. The volunteer, Bob*, said what I expected him to say, smile and be respectful,  but then I heard him say “These people come here with low self-esteem and depression. They don’t want to be taking these boxes but they have to.” Bob already had preconceived notions about these people, and it made me think about the discourses of Lyon-Callo’s book Inequality, Poverty, and Neoliberal Governance and other discourses that we’ve been discussing in class. My organization proclaims to be giving people a sense of dignity, but this struck me as problematic because you don’t give dignity to people by assuming that they have low self-esteem and depression; it’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy, and I think it skews the way you view the clients. Those runners likely behaved differently toward the clients than if they hadn’t been told that. If I had been in Bob’s position, I would have just told the runners to be respectful and kind like I would tell any other person working at my organization. I wouldn’t add the problematic discourse additionally.

Panhandlers in Redlands

About being poor, Homelessness, How we should treat each other, Local organizations, News link, People, Poverty

I picked up a copy of the Redlands Daily Facts (our local newspaper) today and saw that the front page headline was “POPULAR WITH PANHANDLERS: Redlands’ reputation for giving lures locals, out-of-towners seeking handouts.” Of course, the “handout” stereotype caught my eye, and I proceeded to read the article (which can be found online, here.) Just the way the entire article is set up and written bothers me. It is full of negative stereotypes and stigmas against panhandlers and focuses completely on the police’s and the businesses’ side rather than taking a deeper look into the lives of the panhandlers. The article points out the way people spend the money they receive while panhandling, pulling quotes from interviews with the panhandlers such as, “You’ve got to survive out here. You’ve got to do it to make money to buy your food, beer and tobacco.” The article emphasizes the fact that many panhandlers have drug/alcohol addictions, posing addiction as a cause of the homeless problem rather than an outcome and stereotyping these people as lazy drug-addicts who spend the “handouts” they receive on booze and dope. The article lacks empathy for the people who apparently are “coming from outside city limits to come to Redlands to panhandle because it’s more profitable” due to Redlands citizens’ “big hearts.” The article emphasizes the fact that “one out of three panhandlers are not homeless,” as if to persuade people that the housed people are even more unworthy of donated money. It goes on to explain different tactics panhandlers use to get money, characterizing these people as liars. The police and the newspaper article encourage people to donate to organizations that help the homeless in the area instead of giving directly to homeless people. This is a recurring theme we have seen throughout history. The authorities encourage people to funnel their money through the institutions that help homeless, but there are not enough truly helpful organizations to solve the problem.  Overall, this article was frustrating, but not surprising. It lacked an understanding of the homeless problem and brushed over the backgrounds of panhandlers, stigmatizing them as lazy and evil.

Promoting Dignity

About being poor, How we should treat each other, Local organizations, Organizations, Solutions to Homelessness

            I have been interning a Family Services center, an agency dedicated to offering support to low-income and homeless families with the end goal of leading them towards self-sufficiency. Family services depends on the support of organizations and leaders to improve the lives of those at or below the poverty line, which in turn strengthens the community as a whole.

             I began my work in the distribution center. The labor of this work can be grueling at times but it made me appreciate the care that’s put into this process. Staff members believe in giving clients items that they would be proud to own. Items are cleaned, disinfected, and made presentable. Goods that don’t meet these expectations are put into bags and placed where individuals can grab them. Absolutely nothing donated is wasted.

            I’ve spent time in the clothing center. Clients come in to this room and are given fifteen minutes to browse clothing options. It’s an opportunity for them to receive any special needs items such as blankets, pillows, towels, or cooking utensils. Clothes are folded, counted, recorded, and bagged in regular shopping bags. Clients are able to come in, gain access to clean clothes and choose what fits their needs, including work appropriate attire that will enable them to search for employment.

            The food pantry is set up very similarly to a grocery store, with aisles of foods. Families are given access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and good sources of protein and vitamins. They fill grocery bags with food items to meet the family’s needs. When they leave, the items are in grocery bags so there would be no way to detect that they had gotten these food items from anywhere but the grocery store. This is another way that they are treated with dignity.

            I have been volunteering in the child care center which is a very important feature of Family Services. It allows parents the time to go to classes and counseling while knowing that their children are safely being cared for. On a usual day, children are dropped off and signed in by parents and they begin their school homework projects that they have. The volunteers in this area spend a lot of time and efforts helping the children understand and complete their homework and any special projects that they have to prevent them from falling behind in school.

            Going forward, I hope to gain much more insight into some of the services that I am less familiar with. I am aware that this organization offers a wide variety of services such as resume building, job assistance, and computer skills training, I’m not fully knowledgeable of the specifics of these services. I hope to gain insight in these classes and the feedback of the clients.

          The overall message of this organization is to promote the dignity of all people, a concept that we have identified in class as imperative. While it’s overwhelming to consider the status of homelessness, this experience has made me see the great impact that a single person can make. Family Services was established over one hundred years ago and was built on the importance of community members volunteering by donating time, money, and resources. Each and every individual who has volunteered here has played a role in ensuring that it is able to keep going.

The Blessing Center

How we should treat each other, Local organizations, Organizations, People, Portraits of Homeless, Solutions to Hunger, Uncategorized

The Blessing Center has been a great place to volunteer.  I am seeing the hope and help that they bring to people who are struggling, but also the impact The Blessing Center has on volunteers.  The Blessing Center is a small community within a larger community of Redlands that helps people who are in need, in ways I did not think were possible.  Seeing how volunteers who were once helped by the Blessing Center are giving back, shows the impact that this small community has had.  People who volunteer at The Blessing Center are hopeful and dedicated to helping others in any way that they can.  It is an organization that has stood in Redlands for over 14 years and continues to follow its values every day of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and helping those who are hurt.

Within The Blessing Center there are food and clothing distribution centers and resource centers available for their clients.  Being able to volunteer at this site has shown me the value of volunteering.  While working in the food distribution center you are able to see the clients and sometimes interact with them.  I was fortunate enough to be able to see and interact with the clients while giving them food.  It was very eye opening to see how many people just in Redlands were in need of help.  They picked up their boxes of non-perishable food and then came to us so we could give them the fruit/vegetable bags.  Many of the people kept saying “God Bless You” as they walked by showing just how grateful they truly were.

The distribution centers of The Blessing Center are opened every Tuesday and Saturday for clients.  After getting their food, clients are able to come back in and take any clothing if needed.  I have only been able to volunteer on Saturdays so I am hoping I can go during the week to volunteer and observe some of the other resources and centers that the Blessing Center offers.  They have class to teach people how to operate computers, resource centers to help people find jobs, clinics for people in need of shots or other medical attention, dentistry,  H.O.P.E centers for people affected by HIV/aids, and various programs for children.

My favorite part about volunteering at the Blessing Center is the sense of community that surrounds you while you are there.  Every Saturday Pastor Craig starts off the day with a prayer circle.  He blesses the food and clothing that they have received throughout the week and blesses all the volunteers.  He thanks God for all the opportunities he has given The Blessing Center and how grateful he is for it being able to help so many people.  He then opens up the circle for anyone else who would like a say a few words.  This prayer circle always makes me feel like I chose the right place for my internship because of the sense of community and how grateful, passionate, and hopeful everyone is.