Why Are People Homeless?
Published by the National Coalition for the Homeless, July 2009
Two trends are largely responsible for the rise in homelessness over the past 20-25 years: a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty. Below is an overview of current poverty and housing statistics, as well as additional factors contributing to homelessness. A list of resources for further study is also provided.
FORECLOSURE
Recently, foreclosures have increased the number of people who experience homelessness. The National Coalition for the Homeless released an entire report discussing the relationship between foreclosure and homelessness. The report found that there was a 32% jump in the number of foreclosures between April 2008 and April 2009. Since the start of the recession, six million jobs have been lost. In May 2009, the official unemployment rate was 9.4%. The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that 40 percent of families facing eviction due to foreclosure are renters and 7 million households living on very low incomes (31 - 50 percent of Area Median Income) are at risk of foreclosure.
POVERTY
Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked. Poor people are frequently unable to pay for housing, food, childcare, health care, and education. Difficult choices must be made when limited resources cover only some of these necessities. Often it is housing, which absorbs a high proportion of income that must be dropped. If you are poor, you are essentially an illness, an accident, or a paycheck away from living on the streets.
In 2007, 12.5% of the U.S. population, or 37,300,00 million people, lived in poverty. The official poverty rate in 2007 was not statistically different than 2006 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2007). Children are overrepresented, composing 35.7% of people in poverty while only being 24.8% of the total population.
Two factors help account for increasing poverty: eroding employment opportunities for large segments of the workforce and the declining value and availability of public assistance.
ERODING WORK OPPORTUNITIES
Reasons why homelessness persists include stagnant or falling incomes and less secure jobs which offer fewer benefits.
Low-wage workers have been particularly have been left behind as the disparity between rich and poor has mushroomed. To compound the problem, the real value of the minimum wage in 2004 was 26% less than in 1979 (The Economic Policy Institute, 2005). Factors contributing to wage declines include a steep drop in the number and bargaining power of unionized workers; erosion in the value of the minimum wage; a decline in manufacturing jobs and the corresponding expansion of lower-paying service-sector employment; globalization; and increased nonstandard work, such as temporary and part-time employment (Mishel, Bernstein, and Schmitt, 1999). To combat this, Congress has planned a gradual minimum wage increase, resulting in minimum wage raised to $9.50 by 2011.
Declining wages, in turn, have put housing out of reach for many workers: in every state, more than the minimum wage is required to afford a one- or two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent. [1] A recent U.S. Conference of Mayors report stated that in every state more than the minimum-wage is required to afford a one or two-bedroom apartment at 30% of his or her income, which is the federal definition of affordable housing. Unfortunately, for 12 million Americans, more then 50% of their salaries go towards renting or housing costs, resulting in sacrifices in other essential areas like health care and savings.
The connection between impoverished workers and homelessness can be seen in homeless shelters, many of which house significant numbers of full-time wage earners. In 2007, a survey performed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that 17.4% of homeless adults in families were employed while 13% of homeless single adults or unaccompanied youth were employed. In the 2008 report, eleven out of nineteen cities reported an increased in employed homeless people.
With unemployment rates remaining high, jobs are hard to find in the current economy. Even if people can find work, this does not automatically provide an escape from poverty.
DECLINE IN PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
The declining value and availability of public assistance is another source of increasing poverty and homelessness. Until its repeal in August 1996, the largest cash assistance program for poor families with children was the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (the federal welfare reform law) repealed the AFDC program and replaced it with a block grant program called Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). In 2005, TANF helped a third of the children that AFDC helped reach above the 50% poverty line. Unfortunately, TANF has not been able to kept up with inflation. In 2006-2008, TANF case load has continued to decline while food stamp caseloads have increased
Moreover, extreme poverty is growing more common for children, especially those in female-headed and working families. This increase can be traced directly to the declining number of children lifted above one-half of the poverty line by government cash assistance for the poor (Children's Defense Fund and the National Coalition for the Homeless, 1998).
As a result of loss of benefits, low wages, and unstable employment, many families leaving welfare struggle to get medical care, food, and housing.
People with disabilities, too, must struggle to obtain and maintain stable housing. In 2006, on a national average, monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment rose to $715 per month which is a 113.1% of a person’s on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) monthly income (Priced Out in 2006). For the first time, the national average rent for a studio apartment rose above the income of a person who relies only on SSI income. Recently, only nine percent of non-institutionalized people receiving SSI receive housing assistance (Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, 2005).
Most states have not replaced the old welfare system with an alternative that enables families and individuals to obtain above-poverty employment and to sustain themselves when work is not available or possible.
HOUSING
A lack of affordable housing and the limited scale of housing assistance programs have contributed to the current housing crisis and to homelessness.
According to HUD, in recent years the shortages of affordable housing are most severe for units affordable to renters with extremely low incomes. Federal support for low-income housing has fallen 49% from 1980 to 2003 (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2005). About 200,000 rental housing units are destroyed annually. Renting is one of the most viable options for low income people (Joint Center for Housing Studies).
Since 2000, the incomes of low-income households has declined as rents continue to rise (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2005). In 2009, a worker would need to earn $14.97 to afford a one-bedroom apartment and $17.84 to afford a two-bedroom apartment. There has been an increase of 41% from 2000 to 2009 in fair market rent for a two-bedroom unit, according to HUD (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2009).
The lack of affordable housing has lead to high rent burdens (rents which absorb a high proportion of income), overcrowding, and substandard housing. These phenomena, in turn, have not only forced many people to become homeless; they have put a large and growing number of people at risk of becoming homeless.
Housing assistance can make the difference between stable housing, precarious housing, or no housing at all. However, the demand for assisted housing clearly exceeds the supply: only about one-third of poor renter households receive a housing subsidy from the federal, state, or a local government (Daskal, 1998). The limited level of housing assistance means that most poor families and individuals seeking housing assistance are placed on long waiting lists. Today the average wait for Section 8 Vouchers is 35 months (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2004).
Excessive waiting lists for public housing mean that people must remain in shelters or inadequate housing arrangements longer. In a survey of 24 cities, people remain homeless an average of seven months, and 87% of cities reported that the length of time people are homeless has increased in recent years (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005). Longer stays in homeless shelters result in less shelter space available for other homeless people, who must find shelter elsewhere or live on the streets. In 2007, it was found that average stay in homeless shelters for households with children was 5.7 months, while this number is only slightly smaller for singles and unaccompanied children at 4.7 months. (The U.S. Conference for Mayors, 2007).
In 2003, the federal government spent almost twice as much in housing-related tax expenditures and direct housing assistance for households in the top income quintile than on housing subsidies for the lowest-income households (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2005). Thus, federal housing policy has not responded to the needs of low-income households, while disproportionately benefiting the wealthiest Americans.
OTHER FACTORS
Particularly within the context of poverty and the lack of affordable housing, certain additional factors may push people into homelessness. Other major factors, which can contribute to homelessness, include the following:
Lack of Affordable Health Care: For families and individuals struggling to pay the rent, a serious illness or disability can start a downward spiral into homelessness, beginning with a lost job, depletion of savings to pay for care, and eventual eviction. One in three Americans, or 86.7 million people, is uninsured. Of those uninsured, 30.7% are under eighteen. In 2007-2008, four out of five people that were uninsured were working families. Work-based health insurance has become rarer in recent years, especially for workers in the agricultural or service sectors (Families USA, 2009).
Domestic Violence: Battered women who live in poverty are often forced to choose between abusive relationships and homelessness. In addition, 50% of the cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005).Approximately 63% of homeless women have experienced domestic violence in their adult lives (Network to End Domestic Violence).
Mental Illness: Approximately 16% of the single adult homeless population suffers from some form of severe and persistent mental illness (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2005). Despite the disproportionate number of severely mentally ill people among the homeless population, increases in homelessness are not attributable to the release of severely mentally ill people from institutions. Most patients were released from mental hospitals in the 1950s and 1960s, yet vast increases in homelessness did not occur until the 1980s, when incomes and housing options for those living on the margins began to diminish rapidly. According to the 2003 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Report, most homeless persons with mental illness do not need to be institutionalized, but can live in the community with the appropriate supportive housing options (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). However, many mentally ill homeless people are unable to obtain access to supportive housing and/or other treatment services. The mental health support services most needed include case management, housing, and treatment.
Addiction Disorders: The relationship between addiction and homelessness is complex and controversial. While rates of alcohol and drug abuse are disproportionately high among the homeless population, the increase in homelessness over the past two decades cannot be explained by addiction alone. Many people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs never become homeless, but people who are poor and addicted are clearly at increased risk of homelessness. Addiction does increase the risk of displacement for the precariously housed; in the absence of appropriate treatment, it may doom one's chances of getting housing once on the streets. Homeless people often face insurmountable barriers to obtaining health care, including addictive disorder treatment services and recovery supports.
NATIONAL ESTIMATES OF HOMELESSNESS
There are several national estimates of homelessness. Many are dated, or based on dated information. For all of the reasons discussed above, none of these estimates is the definitive representation of "how many people are homeless.” In a recent approximation USA Today estimated 1.6 million people unduplicated persons used transitional housing or emergency shelters. Of these people, approximately 1/3 are members of households with children, a nine percent increase since 2007. Another approximation is from a study done by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty which states that approximately 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2007). From Monica..to help you put these numbers in perspective, Duluth has a population of 84,284 on February 9th 2010.)
CONCLUSION
Homelessness results from a complex set of circumstances that require people to choose between food, shelter, and other basic needs. Only a concerted effort to ensure jobs that pay a living wage, adequate support for those who cannot work, affordable housing, and access to health care will bring an end to homelessness.
Questions to ponder ??????
What will you do? How will you help? Will you help? The holidays are approaching, and Americans will spend tremendous amounts of money on gifts they do not need. Will you ask your families to do something? Would you ask your family not to give you anything but to give the money to a person that truly needs it?
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I will answer the last paragraph of questions at the end, but first I want to talk about my angle on homelessness.
ReplyDeleteWhether it be inability to find a job, poverty, or disability, if someone is going to ask for money, they should treat it like a business. I personally get turned off if people are extremely rude and bitter. In all reality, I'm aware that a person in that situation doesn't have a whole lot of reasons to smile. But I feel MUCH more comfortable giving to someone who can at least give me a smile or a thank you in return. It shows me they a glimpse of who they are. Whether it be any dire situation- a terminal disease, homelessness, a drastic accident- keeping a somewhat positive attitude is all some people have going for them. I know when I walk by a homeless person and don't get an intimidating glare or a sneering comment, I WANT to and feel good about giving them money or whatever else they may be asking for.
Coming from a very small town, I haven't been exposed to homelessness like people would growing up in a larger city. I don't really have a whole lot of money to give, I'm chompin' at the bit with my schooling. But, I do know someone from my hometown who is homeless. As I mentioned in class, I talked to him for the first time this summer. So for this holiday season, I want to do something nice for him. He doesn't ask anyone for money, he just wanders around town, so I don't necessarily know what he's asking for. Monica, I know that person you gave the jacket to didn't appreciate it like you thought he would, but I think I'm going to give that approach a try anyway. And for myself this year, I'm not asking for anything anyway. My parents may still buy for me, but I told them already that helping with my college is more than enough. Also, every year my family talks to the police station and finds out what families are in need, chooses one, and buys 100+ dollars worth of groceries and clothing for them. Regardless if these families weren't asking for anything specifically, it really IS the thought that counts.
Maria Valesano
After reading through this intensive statistic and information, it is really emotional and shows me many other perspective that may have led to homelessness. However my family itself is living in poverty, and although we may not have much, when I do see homeless people, I would have a quilt feeling within if I look at them and do not reach my hand to help. Although I may want to help people who are homeless, I myself, can’t even help myself nor my family as of now. However I had donated money for charity, I had given money to homeless people, and I had help many who came to beg for a couple bucks just for a bus ride home. Although I may think that they’re lying, if I do have the money, it wouldn’t hurt me, but only make me proud that I had made a small help to them.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be very interesting. I will admit I have always held a certain prejudice in regards to those who are homeless. Now, after our class discussion and this reading, I see that in some cases becoming homeless is unavoidable. I just happen to be lucky enough to have a family that will support me if I am ever in a situation of hopelessness. What if I didn't have them and had nowhere to turn? I could be homeless as well.
ReplyDeleteDuring the holiday season, it must be awful to be homeless. People are wasting tons of money on things that they do not need while the homeless are left empty handed, not to mention it is freezing outside. Imagine what would happen if each person took the money that was spent on one of their gifts and gave it to the homeless. I truly think this would make a big difference. So what's the problem? The ugly truth is that American's worship money and are selfish. I am not leaving myself out of this fact. I am just as guilty.
This year, I am really going to try to be an exception to this stereotype. I am going to ask each one of my sisters and my parents, as a gift to me, to give five dollars to a homeless person the next time they see them. I am also going to do this at least the next three times I encounter a person who is homeless. Sure, there is a chance that the money will be spent carelessly. There is also a chance that the money will be spent to buy food, or medicine, or maybe even a little toy for a child. After our class discussion and this article, I am willing to take that chance.
Michelle Fischer
After having our conversation in class about homeless people it has made me so much more aware of how many people out there are in need. It has opened my eyes to make me realize that I should help other people in need.The next time I see a homeless person I will give them a few dollars or my spare change or I will ask what it is that they need and do my best to help them. It is important to help these people becuase one day it could us. Wouldn't you want someone to hel you if you were in need? I think that people should forget about the stereotypes that they have in their head because if everyone thinks that the homeless person is going to buy alcohol then nothin will ever change with homeless people. They need help one way or another and we can be the start of that help. I'm not sure if I will ask my family to help out. I will probably tell them what the situations are of homeless people and tell them a little bit about what we talked about in class and I will leave it up to them to decide if they want to help or not. I wouldn't necessarily ask my family to not give me anything for Christmas but I know that I will definitley help out during the Christmas time byt going to homeless shelters and bringing things to people or help serve food. Monica, your story really inspired me! I am planning on studying abroad in Africa and I cannot wait to go. Your story makes me even that much more excited to go and help out and learn new things. I have always wanted to help a family in Africa and your story inspired me. I thought it was a great example to give us. Instead of having bad stereotypes in our minds we can all think of the situation that you gave us and know that whenever you give to someone that it won't always turn out bad. Overalll I enjoyed talking about this topic because it made me more aware of what is going on in the society with leff unfortunate people.
ReplyDeleteKrista York
In response to Sher:
ReplyDeleteI think that is great of you to donate your money to others when some of us such as college students may not have as much as we would like. That shows that you are a great person to others and truly care about our society and how it affects people. Your response has made me realize that giving is better than getting no matter how much you may or may not have.
Krista York
After having our discussion in class about homeless people, it has changed my perspective on them. Not everyone just didn't go to college when they could have or didn't get a job because they're too lazy. They didn't ask to live on the streets. There are many different situations that could lead to homelessness. One thing that I've been doing for many years now is something called the giving tree. There are two different giving trees that I give to. There is one at my high school that you pick a childs name off of, and the toy that they want for christmas is on the other side. Me and my twin always go get a couple of those and get the children the toys that they otherwise wouldn't be able to get for christmas. Another giving tree that my family and I give to is at our church. There is an empty tree and we cover it with hats, mittens, jackets, scarfs, ect. It always fills up so fast! It makes me feel good to know that I am making a difference in someone else's life and helping them; even if it's just something small like this. I am going to encourage my family this year to give more to people that need it rather than giving to each other who already have the things we need. A need for the newest cutest jacket is different than the need for a jacket.
ReplyDeleteKristin Sorensen
I guess I have never really encountered a homeless person before so I honestly don't know what I would do personally. I would probably give them whatever spare change I had. If everyone did that then it would add up, and in return you would know that you helped someone out. If that person was going to go buy alcohol or drugs with that change then so be it. It is not hurting you any because it's not like you gave them your whole life savings or anything, it was just some extra change that you could easily live without. The holidays in my family are more about spending time than giving presents, but this year I am definetly going to bring up the issues of poverty and homelessness and ask them to help in any way that they can.
ReplyDeleteTia Lindberg
Before having our recent discussion on homelessness and reading this blog, I really had no idea that homelessness is such a big problem. I still find it hard to believe that there are kids going home hungry in my hometown because their parts have decided to put their money towards a roof instead of food. So my eyes have been truly opened and I think it is time for me to step up and help out. Now when I see a homeless person on the side of the road, I don’t think that I would stop and help that person out individually. I wouldn’t do that just because I don’t know what their next move is going to be and I don’t know what they need. So I plan to help out by giving to creditable organizations that help the homeless, so then I know where my money is going and that I know that the homeless are getting what they need. For the past couple years my family has participated in Santa Anonymous, and I enjoy every minute of it because I now know that some little boy or girl is going to wake up to find presents under their tree for possibly the first time in their lives. As for asking my parents to give to someone else besides me I would have no problem doing because I now know, now that I am older, that there is no greater gift than the gift of giving.
ReplyDeleteMaggie Carlson
After reading this and having our discussion in class it has made me open my eyes and realize that I do use sterotypes when I see a homeless person. I know its wrong but the only things I have heard were bad stories and nothing good out of them so I would just assume the worst. I now have a different look on their life and everything. Not everyone makes that decision to be homeless, for some people its just their lifestyle. I am very thankful to have a family that would support me through anything, and some people do not have that. I can not imagen what it would be like to not have half of the things I have today, or having a home. I know homeless people ask for money a lot and we assume its for alcohol, but next time I see someone on the street asking for someone I am gonig to make a difference for them and try to give them what they want. During the christmas season there is a thing at my school where we could donate toys for children or hats and mittens for shelters and I have always been apart of that because I know winters and christmas would be hard not having a toy for a little kid or something to keep warm with. I am going to try and make my friends and family donate as well to try and help people as much as possible, because what if you were in their position.
ReplyDeleteNikki Darker
I will do what I continue to do for the homeless community. I donate money to organizations, give money out of my pocket to homeless on the streets, and I do volunteer to feed/cook/work at homeless shelters with my church. My family every year donates a bunch of money and food items to the food shelf each christmas (we also do throughout the year). I would love to say to my parents, "give the money to someone who truly needs it" but knowing my parents, they wouldn't do that. They would donate it to the homeless, but they will buy me something or do something for me every christmas because it's their way of showing they love me. We do not buy each other lots of gifts though. I usually buy my mom, dad, and one brother (after drawing a name out of the hat) one present each. They do not have to be expensive, just something from the heart.
ReplyDeleteAfter having an intense conversation in class and knowing the feeling I felt after I walked out. I believe that I would lend a hand and give homeless person money. It’s not my business what they will do with it, at least at the end of the day I’ll feel happy for what I did. Since the holidays are approaching I usually help out home town donate gifts for homeless shelters in the cities area. My whole team is a big part of this organization and it’s a great feeling. If I told my family not to give me anything for Christmas and donate it to this organization, Yes I would in heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteKayla Heisler
To me the part of receiving Christmas presents that makes it so exciting is the sentimental value behind them. How I know that my parents have really paid attention to my interests and are finally treating me to something special that I wouldn't necessarily expect but during Christmas know that what makes it so special is the thought behind them. That is the part that I think makes it so hard to give up the presents. The void of not having the gifts to convey my parents love for me. Besides that it's nice to receive something special. I believe that though it would be pretty hard for me to suggest this idea, I could definitely gived up the presents to know I was helping a less forturnate family. The joy I would receive from knowing I helped some little girl's parents give her the little toy horse she has been fantasizing about would be ten times better. Every year my family members and I pick the paper letter ornaments off the Christmas tree at church. In each letter ornament is a gift that we buy for a child in the community. Every year I feel like such a good person in knowing that child received some gifts under their tree. More is needed though. Yes, it is great that people help out during Christmas, but that isn't the only time people need stuff. Everyday people are starving and in need of certain supplies and people need to remember this. This Christmas I plan on buying the gifts again and volunteering to serve dinner at the church for the homeless. I realize though, just as I said, it is necessary to remember the less fortunate even when the holidays are over. Loaves and fishes, here at Scholastica, seems like a wonderful volunteer opportunity and one I think would be great to participate with.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I’ve dealt with quite a bit of poverty in my life. The statistics & the facts in this article underlined everything I’ve come to know very well while growing up. Actually, this summer I faced the possibility of becoming homeless myself…It was either go to college or be homeless with no job. I chose the former for the very reason of being able to find a job & have enough money for a home (I do love learning very much, but that is secondary). If I drop out of college, I potentially have nothing. But anyway, this doesn’t mean I don’t give. Although I don’t have a lot monetarily, there are others who have way less than me. I have enough to give even a little bit. I don’t celebrate Christmas personally, but I intend to give charity if & when I can, any time of the year. I feel like I’ve given more this year (though I don’t want to disclose any details about that because I don’t need praise or recognition) than any other time in my life & I look forward to increasing in that. I think money is a great form of worldly charity if you’re giving to the homeless on the streets (I say this because there are other forms of charity that I believe can be just as good such as kindness). We truly cannot decide for those people just what they need. I used to walk past those I’ve seen holding signs, but I plan to change that indefinitely. How could I be so selfish when I myself have been through difficulties (they may have not been as harsh, but I know the frustration)? Those who are affluent really should consider giving as much as they can (Okay, I should admit to a stereotype I am actively working to get passed: In the past I have disliked those who have money. I have associated such people with conceit & greed oftentimes, but I refuse to think like that anymore. I’m sorry if I’ve mistreated anyone with that judgment.). I feel the need to help those in need so yes, I will help however I can. I already do ask my parents to not give me anything because I feel their money could be used for more productive things. I am fortunate enough to have a roof over my head & an abundance of food as well as the opportunity to make a future for myself; I have enough & I hope that maybe my family & I can provide that sufficiency for others in some way. I am extremely sorry for the lateness of this blog comment, yet again. I don’t intend to let it happen again.
ReplyDeleteMary~
Krista York said, "I think that people should forget about the stereotypes that they have in their head because if everyone thinks that the homeless person is going to buy alcohol then nothing will ever change with homeless people. They need help one way or another and we can be the start of that help."
ReplyDeleteMy reply:
You make very good points. If we don't do our best to overcome our judgments of one another, we'll never be able to relate to or help one another. Change seldom happens unless we change ourselves. If we won't help, who will? That's how I see the world. If no one is willing to make a change, how can we expect peace? We must be the advent of the change we wish to see.
Mary~
After reading the statistics it really hit me that there are people out there that are homeless and having a hard time. In my communications class we did a project on subcultures in the United States and we picked the homeless. It was interesting to read and do research on them. We found out that on any given night there is anywhere from 75-125 kids sleeping on the streets in Duluth (I believe that was the correct number). A few years ago my family sponsored a Hispanic family in our town who didn't have money to buy any gifts. We all bought them some gifts, it wasn't anything super expensive just things that they needed and some fun toys for the kids. On Christmas day we brought it over to them and watched them open up the gifts, they were overcome with emotion. They thanked us and wanted to do something for us but didn't know what. We just told them not to worry about it and wished them a Merry Christmas. It was a great experience for me because I got to experience how thankful they actually were. This Christmas I hope we can do something like that again because it was such a cool experience.
ReplyDeleteKatelyn Geib
In response to Maria:
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that I feel more comfortable with giving to people who will give me a smile in return. Even though I know that I should give to everyone and who knows even if they don't smile back, maybe it meant more that I could understand. I plan on working more on that and I will be the one smiling when I hand them money or whatever they need.
Katelyn Geib
My family like alot of other families are in a rush or will be coming up soon. Getting presents,cleaning, and trying to have that perfect christmas. But the truth is that many people don't have that. They need our help now like every other day of the year. My family around the holidays does donate. My father is in the army and the salvation army comes to his work and accepts donations. We then buy a hundred and fifty dollars worth of presents every year and give it to them. The homless do need our help this time of year but they also do every other day of the year. Me and my family do not do much out side of the holidays for them and we should. After this class my eyes are being openeI will donate more or do it when I am able. Im sure my parents will all I have to do is ask and they will say yes.And asking them to give my birthday money to someone else would be a hard thing to do. I honestly would not know what to do if they asked me that or if I could ask them to do that. Its just how we are today as a socity today. Our money is our money and we want to pick where it goes but one year down the road if I asked my parents to do that. They first would ask if I was ok then give it away.
ReplyDelete"What if I didn't have them and had nowhere to turn? I could be homeless as well".
ReplyDeleteIn response to Michelle-
This could very well happen to any one of use and it's good to look at it that way. And if it does not happen to use it could be a old friend who is or a family member. Homless people to me are not all at fault for being the way they are. Some of them could have just had bad luck or something else. We don't know who they are or what they have been through. So in turn it's best just to give.
In response to Maggie-
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you when you say..
"Now when I see a homeless person on the side of the road, I don’t think that I would stop and help that person out individually. I wouldn’t do that just because I don’t know what their next move is going to be and I don’t know what they need. So I plan to help out by giving to creditable organizations that help the homeless, so then I know where my money is going and that I know that the homeless are getting what they need. "
It's hard to give money to homeless people just on the streets because a lot of the time as we saw in class, the money doesn't go towards what they say it's going to, or anything to help them survive at all. By giving to organizations that help homeless people instead, you know that you actually are making a difference in someones life and not just wasting your money and things by trying to help out. Also that way, you will always donate when your able because you're not going to get ripped off one time and not want to give to them anymore.
Kristin Sorensen
Nikki
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you said about the things that we remember about the homeless are the bad things. Before our discussion in class and reading this blog, I was one of those people that thought the homeless were just lazy people that didn’t want to do anything with there lives, but now I know that a lot of people don’t choose to live that way. Much like you, I am too very thankful to have a family that supports me and it makes me realize how fortunate I am. So the next time that a homeless person asks me for money, I will not hesitate in handing over a couple dollars.
Maggie Carlson
Response to kthomps3:
ReplyDelete"To me the part of receiving Christmas presents that makes it so exciting is the sentimental value behind them. How I know that my parents have really paid attention to my interests and are finally treating me to something special that I wouldn't necessarily expect but during Christmas know that what makes it so special is the thought behind them. That is the part that I think makes it so hard to give up the presents."
I do feel the same way as you. That is one reason why my parents would always give me a gift even if I asked for them not to. It's their way of showing they love me and listen to my interests. It's not that they have to buy me something because it's a tradition, it's because it allows them to show me they love me and I am their child. They can give to others, but in their eyes, I will always come first.
Meghan Mittelstadt
Kristin-
ReplyDelete"It makes me feel good to know that I am making a difference in someone else's life and helping them; even if it's just something small like this."
I think that helping someone in the smallest way could all add up if everyone did it. And i completely agree that it makes you feel good to know that it's helping someone else.
Tia Lindberg
Reply to lnoyes
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say that a lot of people dont have things. I also agree with you when you say that its our money and we want to see it go somewhere. I really like when you say you give around the holiday season, a lot of people really need things at that time of the year but we need to open our eyes and give all year around.
Nikki Darker
After traveling to other countries and seeing poverty it opened my eyes, but sadly I never took the initiative to do anything because I figured I would never see those people again. But to hear the statistics of the US humbled me. I never really thought my neighbors or friends from school may be that poor and not have food on their table. I had a couple of friends in high school that were not as privileged as me and I always made an attempt to help them out when I could. I still do until this day. I recently saw one of them last weekend. I knew they were poor but now that I think of it they may be more poor than I really know about.
ReplyDeleteThis holiday season I want to buy random presents for some people downtown St. Paul and just drive down and drop them off. I would also ask my family to come with and use some off the money they were going to spend on me and help me carry out this task.
Katelyn-
ReplyDeleteWhat your family did was awesome. So selfless and humbling. I want to do something similar back home with my family. There is no better feeling than seeing emotion from someone you helped. I wish this was a law and everyone had to help out families in need... If only this was a perfect world huh?
Josh Kellner
In response to Krista...
ReplyDeleteKrista you made several great points to how we should help others. I agree that if we are gifted, we should help those who are less fortunate, for if we were in their spot we would want someone to help us as well. I agree with your comment, how Monica's story about the African childrens open our eyes to other perspective of helplessness in the world.
In response to Tia's quote:
ReplyDelete"If that person was going to go buy alcohol or drugs with that change then so be it."
At the beginning of our class discussion I would not have agreed with this statement. I thought that my money was mine and I should choose what it should be used for. After hearing many different points of view, my feelings have altered. I realize now that just because some people may use the money negatively does not mean that all will. I have to remember that by giving a homeless person specifically what they ask for I could really be helping them out. It really isn't my place to decide what they need. They are asking for money because that is what they feel they need most at that time. I will respect this in the future and not immediately judge those who are homeless because of an experience with just a few.
Michelle Fischer
In response to Katelyn's comment, " We found out that on any given night there is anywhere from 75-125 kids sleeping on the streets in Duluth (I believe that was the correct number)."
ReplyDeleteThis statistic to me is very hard to accept. It's sad having to imagine that even in this city where I've already had so many great experiences, that many kids are having a horrible time each night. With our snow storm this weekend I still can't believe that many kids are stuck out on the street. Once again though, I think it's necessary that a greater amount of people need to keep the homeless in their thoughts before and after the holidays. The homeless are always in need, not just during the holidays.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think Homelessness is a serious issue in the United States and always will be. There are many questions that are asked that must be answered. First one is what will I do, I think the only thing I can do is give a dollar here and there, and help people become aware of the statistics of homelessness. I will mention it to my family, is they see something to try and help out. But what decisions my family members make is out of my hands. I’m not going to lie on here, but honestly I wouldn’t tell my family to not get me anything, but in factor tell them to try and help our a food shelter and some people that need it. This article was very interesting and shared lots of stats, and made me think a lot about homelessness and how serious it is. Homelessness is one of things that I feel personally will never improve and always just stay consist, even people around the world are giving money all the time.
ReplyDeleteJake Turkowski
I agree with lnoyes when he said it’d be hard to thing to ask there parents to give their birthday money to someone else. When he said our money is our money and it is our choice to do whatever we want with it. And we’ve worked out to earn it, and we need to survive
ReplyDeleteJake Turkowski
When we started to talk about homelessness it really made me think. I truly feel bad that everyone thinks all homeless people will just scam us and I am not exempting my self at all, because I have diffinetly been a victim of being scamed. However there are a lot of people that do need our help and should be discriminated towards. We need to open our hearts to the people in need!
ReplyDeleteI really want to change as many peoples minds about homeless people, and of course I want to give them money when I see them and not try to look away because I feel to bad that I don't stop and help.
It really is crazy to think how much money we throw into buying useless stuff. However that what america does best, which is sad. I think I am going to ask my family if they can donate some money, and I will also chip in as much as a college kid possible can. :)
In response to Maggie C's comment: I really like how your family and you participates Santa Anonymous! I think that is a brilliant idea and I really hope I can participate in something like that!!! I really wish more people knew about a program like this because if people are scared of getting screwed over they know their money is going to a good organization!
ReplyDeleteMaggie Dolan
In response to Kristin’s post. I also did the giving tree in high school. I helped set up the tree and wrote out most of the tickets. It was really sad the first year I got to witness what all the kids were asking for. Most of them were asking for socks and simple necessities like this. When I picked out the child I wanted to buy for, I would pick out one that was asking for these necessities. I would also buy them a toy that was suitable for their age. I would have loved to see the face of the child when they received the gift from me. It was always an amazing feeling knowing I made a child’s Christmas just a little bit better.
ReplyDeleteLauren Scharp
I don’t know if this makes me a bad person, but I really have a hard time giving money to the homeless on streets. Like we said, we never know where this money goes. I have a really hard time looking past this aspect. I personally like doing giving trees or cooking food for shelters for the holidays. I am still giving to the ones who need it, and I feel good about doing it. I don’t think that I should have to tell my family not to get me anything for Christmas. That’s their choice to make. This may seem selfish, but this is how I really feel. My family works hard for the money we have, and I believe that this money is for the family. Every year my family cooks pies and turkeys for our church. The church then has a free meal for all who want to come. We also participate in local giving trees. My family does their part in supporting others.
ReplyDeleteLauren Scharp