The Forgotten: Help End Homelessness in America
By Rashida
Hiba
rashidagovan@gmail.com
The “spirit of giving” is upon us as we head into
the holiday season. Many of us are feeling especially generous at this
time and are looking for ways to help those less fortunate. Well, if
you’re looking for an opportunity to help the homeless beyond
volunteering in soup kitchens and making donations to food and clothing
drives, here are some other effective
ways that you can help:
Educate yourself and others on the root causes
and solutions to homelessness. While many people believe
homelessness occurs as a result of poor decisions, laziness, and
substance abuse, they are grossly misinformed. According to the
National Alliance to End Homelessness (www.endhomelessness.org/section/aboutus/faq)
some of the root causes of homelessness are lack of support networks,
mental health issues, disability and other chronic health problems and
substance abuse. Other major causes of homelessness are low wage jobs
and the increasing scarcity of affordable housing. One final factor that
causes homelessness is natural disasters (i.e., consider the sharp
increase in homelessness due to Hurricane Katrina and other natural
disasters). By educating yourself about these root causes, you can
choose to support initiatives that address these root causes and can
eliminate homelessness rather than simply supporting efforts that manage
the problem of homelessness.
Engage in advocacy work. If you’re the kind
of person who has the gift of gab, is gifted with a pen and pad, or have
excellent organizational skills, this may be right up your ally. One
idea for advocacy includes pushing your city council to adopt a ten-year
plan to end homelessness, a comprehensive plan designed to end
homelessness rather than manage it (visit
www.endhomelessness.org for more information). Another way to engage
in advocacy work is to write a letter to your local congressperson,
state representatives, delegates, and other local officials asking them
to increase funding to homeless assistance programs. You can also
contact direct- services organizations that serve the homeless to ask
them what they need. For instance, I recently planned a service-learning
project in which I was going to hold a professional clothing drive to
collect business attire for women in a domestic violence shelter
reentering the workforce. Upon further investigation I learned that the
shelter had more than its share of clothing and really needed diapers
and other related supplies for the infants and toddlers in the shelter.
Many direct- services organizations publish “wish lists” on their
websites identifying the type of assistance they need most.
Identify creative ways to support organizations
that serve the homeless. Have you ever served as a volunteer at a
service project and thought, “I want to do more?” You have skills that
can be put to good use in the struggle to end homelessness. Volunteer
your time at a shelter training the homeless for job opportunities
(e.g., resume writing workshops, interview skills training, workshops on
filling out applications). You can also try registering homeless people
to vote. Or maybe you can organize a fundraising campaign or volunteer
to work at a housing organization. The sky’s the limit with what you can
do. Be creative and get involved. If you’re looking for ways to get
involved try visiting
www.211.org, a website that connects people to volunteer
opportunities and provides information and referral to human services.
This website is sponsored in part by the United Way of America and the
Alliance for Information and Referral Systems and is part of a national
campaign and bill to institute a nationwide 2-1-1 telephone service in
which the same sort of information and referral is available to callers.
For those who are very ambitious, form a
group that is a non- profit housing provider. Rally your
neighborhood association to purchase a multiunit property that provides
housing to the homeless. With all of the “urban renewal” efforts in most
inner cities across the country, there may actually be funding for these
sorts of purchases. Contact the Department for Housing and Urban
Development for more information on grants and other special programs
that can support this sort of initiative or visit there website at
www.hud.gov.
Finally, inform as many people as you can about the fight to end homelessness and get others involved in these efforts. Homelessness is an issue that persists year- round. The holiday season is a great time to get started in this struggle, but help is needed year- round to combat this problem. So, get started, stay involved and help us to end homelessness.