I was really struck this week with the multitude of interactions we were able to have with people so knowledgable in the field of homelessness. It was encouraging to come into contact with individuals who have devoted their time and effort to helping and encouraging this marginalized group we have been learning about. After hearing from the San Bernardino County HOPE team, I was left thinking about the potential for these types of programs in other places across the country. After class I talked briefly to my dad, who works for the City of Portland, about the programs in Oregon put in place to address issues of homelessness. They don’t seem to be anywhere as successful or dedicated as the work of HOPE. Now I am  curious about other city and county’s work that may be comparable! I also really enjoyed hearing more information about point-in-time counts, and how they are executed differently all over the place, and more particularly, how they are viewed by the public. One would think that everyone should be in favor of keeping count of their city’s homeless populations, at-least to keep officials accountable for addressing such issues, but as we heard our guest speakers talk about, this is not always the case. I learned  there is so much more to the process of these counts than meets the eye. We can’t forget  about the role economics, politics, and society all play. Later in the week I also had an incredibly informative meeting with two individuals who are very  active in the nonprofit scene here in Redlands. We talked about homelessness, social services, and the idea of community. During this meeting, I could really tell that this class has already taught me so much. I was able to have a thoughtful and informed conversation about these topics with true experts.