Reducing Homelessness in America
In the United States, more than three million people experience homelessness each year. Homelessness, simply defined, is the absence of no place to live. Unemployment, a health crisis, or the breakup of a family are the most common causes for someone to fall into homelessness. According to National Alliance to End Homelessness, while most of the homeless population resided in some sort of shelter or in transitional housing units in 2013, approximately thirty-five percent of the population lived on the streets or other places not meant for human habitation. Reducing homelessness in America could be done by any common citizen by volunteering, advocating, and contributing.
Volunteering to work directly with people …show more content…
The National Coalition for the Homeless defines advocacy as the act of working with people experiencing homelessness to bring about positive changes in policies and programs on the local, state, and federal levels. A common citizen could be an advocate by involving the media in the fight to end homelessness. “A successful media campaign can influence whether an issue is viewed with sympathy or dissent by local people. Therefore, making contact with journalists and involving them in your campaign is a worthwhile exercise”(Homeless Link). Another way to act as an advocate is to register people experiencing homelessness to vote. The nonpartisan voter campaign, “You Don’t Need A Home to Vote,” occurs nationwide each election cycle. This campaign seeks to promote voting access for low income and homeless persons to ensure that people who are economically disadvantaged maintain an active role and voice in shaping their future. Surely, advocacy is an important and critical act in the fight to reduce …show more content…
Contributing items such as clothing, food, books, and computers, could help many non-profit organizations. In the article, “Why I Give Money to Homeless People,” a man named, W. James Antle III, explains his encounters with several homeless individuals. In one particular encounter, Antle felt compelled to withdraw sixty dollars for a homeless man who had just gotten out of prison for stabbing someone. Antle stated in his article, “That confession was actually what convinced me to give him money. He had laid out a specific set of needs the funds would meet. His honesty about his rap sheet made me decide to trust he’d use the money wisely”(Antle). An act as simple as donating clean clothing to a local homeless shelter could change a homeless person 's life. During a job interview, a poorly dressed person has little chance for success. If a homeless man was to go to a job interview dressed in appropriate clothing, he would have a higher chance of getting the job and his life being changed
In the United States, more than three million people experience homelessness each year. Homelessness, simply defined, is the absence of no place to live. Unemployment, a health crisis, or the breakup of a family are the most common causes for someone to fall into homelessness. According to National Alliance to End Homelessness, while most of the homeless population resided in some sort of shelter or in transitional housing units in 2013, approximately thirty-five percent of the population lived on the streets or other places not meant for human habitation. Reducing homelessness in America could be done by any common citizen by volunteering, advocating, and contributing.
Volunteering to work directly with people …show more content…
The National Coalition for the Homeless defines advocacy as the act of working with people experiencing homelessness to bring about positive changes in policies and programs on the local, state, and federal levels. A common citizen could be an advocate by involving the media in the fight to end homelessness. “A successful media campaign can influence whether an issue is viewed with sympathy or dissent by local people. Therefore, making contact with journalists and involving them in your campaign is a worthwhile exercise”(Homeless Link). Another way to act as an advocate is to register people experiencing homelessness to vote. The nonpartisan voter campaign, “You Don’t Need A Home to Vote,” occurs nationwide each election cycle. This campaign seeks to promote voting access for low income and homeless persons to ensure that people who are economically disadvantaged maintain an active role and voice in shaping their future. Surely, advocacy is an important and critical act in the fight to reduce …show more content…
Contributing items such as clothing, food, books, and computers, could help many non-profit organizations. In the article, “Why I Give Money to Homeless People,” a man named, W. James Antle III, explains his encounters with several homeless individuals. In one particular encounter, Antle felt compelled to withdraw sixty dollars for a homeless man who had just gotten out of prison for stabbing someone. Antle stated in his article, “That confession was actually what convinced me to give him money. He had laid out a specific set of needs the funds would meet. His honesty about his rap sheet made me decide to trust he’d use the money wisely”(Antle). An act as simple as donating clean clothing to a local homeless shelter could change a homeless person 's life. During a job interview, a poorly dressed person has little chance for success. If a homeless man was to go to a job interview dressed in appropriate clothing, he would have a higher chance of getting the job and his life being changed