As I am reflecting on the semester, I cannot help but realize what this class has forced me to do. Not only has this course pushed me to desire volunteering and learning more about the homelessness issue at hand, the course positively challenged me to face my inner struggles with public speaking. Throughout this course, I have become more aware of the homeless population. Homelessness has not dramatically increased within the past four months, the course realistically made me more aware of the issue and therefore my eyes were more vulnerable to visualizing the homeless population.
One key topic from this course was the idea of a solution to homelessness. I have realized there is no one solution that will stop and ultimately help society by obtaining equality, affordable housing, and equal wage opportunities. Every individual had there own personal opinion regarding the homeless population, thus proving one solution is not possible to helping the issue. Multiple things must be done in order for society to change their aspects, opinions, and attitudes towards the homeless community. For example, I have been telling people about my volunteer opportunities at a shelter that remains unknown. The majority of the people whom I inform about my volunteer experiences, reply with some type of amusement and thankful of my “great duties”, but in reality, what makes me giving back to my community such an amazing thing? Should helping other individuals and your community be so rare and unexpected of all living citizens? This concept truly set in when I was realizing how individual people do not have to crucify people of the homeless community in order to be clueless as to why/how we can help. There are citizens who see the homelessness issue and desire to make an actual change, people who see the issue but think they are not “big” enough to make actual changes, and those whom choose to be clueless about the issue. I plan to explore furthermore into the logistics of homeless shelter agencies and policies for the homeless community.