After several weeks of learning about the state of the US in its struggle with hunger, poverty, and homelessness, I was pretty disappointed and disconcerted by the reality of the struggle and just how bad it is. I will fully admit I left class each day feeling really depressed, angry, and uncertain about how to fix the problem. It is such a complex, gargantuan issue with many branches, and it does seem difficult to tackle it. Nonetheless, it’s important to know these facts, the stereotypes, the stories about the impoverished and the homeless. It’s really opened my eyes and I have a much deeper respect for human endurance.

After Thursday’s class, I felt for the first time since January a little more optimistic about the problems. Working with my internship has been moving and hearing about my fellow students’ internships made me feel more relieved to know that there are people out there who are doing something to alleviate the problem. Obviously none of these organizations are perfect; obviously none of them are tackling the structural problems. My internship’s organization probably could weigh in its opinion on public policy and handling these issues, but their goal isn’t to fix structural problems and I imagine that my peers are noticing that as well with their internships. These organizations are trying to save people and to fill in the gaps that structure creates.  In spite of this, it made me feel much more optimistic to know that there is a portion of society who does have compassion, kindness, and generosity to do this kind of work. It’s not easy, and I admire them for doing it.

Today when reading through current articles relating to homelessness, I cam e across one that offered some interesting insight and points of view that I had no previously considered. The article was entitled “Criminalizing Homelessness” by Jerry Gordon and was published on the Daily Camera site.  The overarching theme of this editorial was the need to move away from the current tendency that our society has adopted of differentiating between “the good homeless versus the bad homeless”, using this as a basis to help some but not others.

I thought that this idea paralleled well with the background research that I had done on my internship site, which states that they offer services for all “worthy poor”. However, distinguishing between those who are worthy and not worthy poor seems to be difficult, if not entirely impossible. It seems as though each person could have their own definitions and standards of what qualifies as “worthy” of help and what does not.

The article by Gordon also spoke of the alienation of homeless individuals that takes place in our nation today. It is undeniable from the texts that we have read in class that there does exist a separation between mainstream society and the homeless. The creation of this “otherness” of those living on the streets has increased the fear that the general public has of the homeless, based on assumptions and negative generalizations. Because of this increased fear and anxiety when around those living on the streets, their presence is being made illegal in more and more public spaces all the time. They are pushed from one city to another to another, constantly being forced to pack up and leave, with the general message of the public being that homeless are not welcome or wanted. Gordon discusses the current national trend of criminalizing the lives of homeless people entirely by making any and all their activities illegal. In conclusion to this tendency, he states that this approach is “a social policy failure”.

http://www.dailycamera.com/guest-opinions/ci_25346344/criminalizing-homelessness?source=most_emailed

Why is homelessness considered a normal part of our society? Why have many people learned to comply with social inequality? Why is providing housing to poor people seen as increasing their dependence on the government and decreasing their drive to become self-reliant individuals able to compete in the global market?  Why in  America  today families make too much money to qualify for federal assistance but not enough to pay their bills? Its important to look at the systemic oppression that has perpetuated throughout American history. It is no mystery that the same stereotypes of the deviant homeless are repeated each decade.   The US can be currently characterized by issues of systemic inequalities such as increasing class exploitation economic restructuring and declining relatives wages. Racial injustice, unequal educational opportunities, and gendered inequality are components of homelessness.Racial injustice, unequal educational opportunities, and gendered inequality are components of homelessnses. Recent American history demonstrates that people who speak out and politically resist social inequalities risk being punished and putting their economic position in jeopardy. We live in a system where people are afraid to put themselves at risk of loosing any of their relative privilege.  Lyon -Callo hypothesizes that the hegemony of deviant homeless establishes “naturalness” of current economic and social relations to prevent homeless people and shelter staff from challenging structural inequality which creates homelessness.  He argues Neoliberal governance creates common sense through its hegemony  of compliance with the conditions creating homelessness. He argues, Neoliberal development of government institutions, trained experts, and professional reformers like social workers, urban planners, teachers, health services and police are created to “manage” and “regulate” the lives of the poor in the interest of normalizing them. Therefore he explains that practices intended to resolve homelessness contribute to its maintenance. As students what can we do to challenge the system, “common sense” and systemic social inequality? I want to become a social worker who does not participate and contribute to the maintanance of  this oppression.  Currently, while working  at a homeless youth shelter, I want to participate in Lyon-Callo’s discourse and observe any social inequality that may be unconsciously perpetuated. I want to be an activist in bringing this discourse to light, educate others and participate in a non-profit organization which counters this social inequality.

Callo, Vincent. Inequality, Poverty, and Neoliberal Governance: Activist Ethnography in the Homeless Sheltering Industry. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press, 2004. Print.

It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?

                                                                                                                Chris Gardner

I wanted to share this quote above from the movie “Pursuit of Happyness”.  It’s a really great movie to watch about a man struggling to fight homelessness and pursue a high paying job that will maintain stability in his life.  Personal experiences like Chris Garner are being experience with people around the world. Challenging issues like financial matters are hard to relieve when the minimum wages are petrified, and people are unlikely to be promoted to higher positions due to cuts of incomes, and lack of education.

Taking the course of “hunger and homelessness” has made me become more aware of the issues unseen from my part in humanity, financial concerns, and the economy.  Volunteering in my local shelter had worked as a wake-up call to be more concerned with my community and my personal finances.  I have realize that now businesses are hiring people with high levels of education, and opportunities are less likely to be given to a minimum wage workers.  I often hear conversations of homeless residents that expressed their distress for the circumstances they live, and the lack of educational skills that denies these job opportunities.

Sometimes we need to understand that many people fall into this cycle under the economy crisis that keeps these individuals from earning a decent wage to provide necessities for their families.  I personally know a few people that criticize the homeless people by the lack of knowledge in social issues affecting America.  I believe people stay ignorant because they do not want to face the fact that they may be dealing with similar situations, but distinguish theirs into a formal stable living life than the homeless. People can’t rely in things to be for granted neither happiness can be guaranteed.  For this reason, helping the homeless in public awareness can reduce the numbers and increase the number of people achieving a balance life for the intention to pursue happiness.

Ever since I began this course, I have become far more aware of homelessness around me. Prior to taking this class, I had grown accustomed to seeing people holding signs and asking for money at the end of freeway exits and because of this had become rather desensitized to the notion. I didn’t actually think about the sign bearer as an individual or take the time to wonder what life must be like for them. It is natural not to dwell upon things that we find troubling and much easier to ignore the problems around us. Now that I am learning so much about hunger and homelessness in America, it is impossible for me to just look past the people I encounter on the streets or hand them some change and forget about it. Every time I see someone asking for money or pushing a shopping cart, I cannot help but wonder what their life is like or what happened to them that they are now in that situation or if they chose to be homelessness?

Today, I was walking along State Street with my friend and cousin and we were approached by an older woman. She politely elucidated that she was new to Redlands and was unemployed and that in order to clothe and to feed herself she sells teddy bears.She asked us if we would be willing to/interested in purchasing one of the stuffed animals she had for sale. Without hesitation, we each gave her some money. She thanked us profusely and was incredibly grateful for even just the few dollars. She tried to give us a bear in exchange for the money, but we declined as we would prefer for her to keep her wares so that she has more products to sell.

After we walked away, two affluent looking women who had witnessed our interaction with the woman turned to us and said in a friendly way, “that probably does more good for you than her.” While I understand that they were trying to make conversation, I was offended by how quick they were to assume that the woman would misuse our money. I loathe the stereotype that every person who appears homeless is a drug addict and thus, you should refrain from giving them money because they will “just use it for drugs.” I found it incredibly respectable that instead of just asking for money, she was trying to sell bears. It really bothered me how those women judged her without even speaking to her.

Does America want to help those suffering hunger and homelessness or is it simply an issue that will remain ignored in the bigger picture? We have gone over various shelters in our hometown, what and who they focus on. Some of these shelters have interesting programs to get their clients back on their feet, which usually tends to be temporary fix. The question is, are these shelters enough to help the San Bernardino county decrease hunger and homelessness. I think about Redlands and try to figure out how the hunger and homelessness issue is being treated. I have not seen many homeless shelters and if there are they are hidden so most homeless cannot find the help and resources they need. I try to understand the way in which shelters work, because each shelter usually holds 6 to 10 men and women for an overnight bed stay and works their other facilities/departments during the day. Why only host beds for that little amount of people. I believe that hosting overnight stays for a larger amount of people will help decrease homelessness out in the streets and will create a better starting point for homeless to recover. Is the attitudes and or ways in which volunteers who help and participate in shelters causing for hunger and homelessness to remain: ‘fix people’, ‘repair’, ‘the other people’. This is a nationwide issue. I just recently have been able to see those suffering hunger and homelessness in New York City and it’s quite a scene. The city that never sleeps, most homeless are hidden in subways and occasional in parks. I have seen the signs and it seems to me that the homeless here are blunt, they will tell you what they will use the money for.

All the politicians who are running for position talk about helping clean parks, the water shortage, and things such as cutting budgets from different fields, but where is homelessness mentioned? Many argue that they do not want to see homeless in the streets, but no one in higher authority wants to bring this issue to the table. New resources are available but why isn’t this issue an important subject of matter in the United States.

The resources (i.e. shelters & programs) are their but are they being used properly or to their full potential?