A question to homeless.
In the past ten years of the first decade of this new age of aquarius and what not. Millenium, Y2k-isms. Do you feel that society, has gotten softer or harder on sympathizing with the plight of the homeless?
Are there more fustrations, more cold shoulders, or have services expanded as more facilities, and more initiatives have been established. 10 years is a long time...Has groups like Habitat for Humanity, Inn From the Cold, or for instance launch programs in the States, etc of the 10 year project to begin the downward spiral for the homeless condition (ie. instead of the trends going up).
http://www.endinghomelessness.ca/default.asp?FolderID=2178
I have noticed the trend has gone, down, and from what a number of homeless tell me at the shelter, they plan to spend a few weeks to moving out....
As a Volunteer, I wonder are we the volunteers the shelters doing enough? how can we do more? Do we continue to Expand? How can we go about attracting more resources to expand? any thoughts?
The situations are different from country to country, even from person to person in Colombia, for example, the feelings aroused by the homeless to society are of fear, rejection, contempt and intolerance. The society believes that everyone gets what he deserves but does not recognize that society itself is the root of the existence of the homeless or maybe the homeless chose this lifestyle.
In general, people are becoming more and more distant from one another.
There are those who will say that, because of 'technology', communication has improved - but that's BS.
Certainly, with cell phones, text messages, E mails, Twitter, etc., there are more things communicated - but the content of the communications is superficial, at best. It merely skims the surface.
I find that there is far less profound and meaningful communication today than there was before all of these 'communications technologies' invaded our lives.
Today, instead of people communicating with people, it's my machine communicating with your machine.
So, as people, we are becoming more distant. Inherent in this is that we are becoming more distant from those living life outside of what is commonly accepted as the 'normal' boundaries.
We, as a society, always kept such people at a 'safe' distance - but now, the distance is increasing, because we're pushing everyone away.
Fear of the homeless, etc. was also mentioned.
I think that those who have a fear of the homeless actually have a fear of themselves. They don't trust their own judgment, and they don't feel that they are capable of interacting with a homeless person (or anyone else who doesn't fit into the nice 'cookie cutter' 'normal' mold). They have no confidence in their own capacities to interact humanely with such people - and, rather than admit this, they put the negative onus on the person who is 'different' by stating that they avoid such people because they are frightening.
But I am convinced that the root of the problem lies within the person who claims to be 'frightened'. They are afraid of screwing up; of doing something wrong; and, worst of all, they are afraid of looking foolish.
Whenever they see a homeless person, it thus reminds them of their own deficiencies.
So they conveniently claim that they fear the homeless and the 'different'.
But what they really fear are themselves.
As a Volunteer, take the risk and allow the unhoused to show what they can do for themselves. Allow peers to do their work by working with other un housed people. It is those who have experienced being homeless who are the best people to help get homelessness under control. Right now there are alot of agencies who have a good heart and really want to help; but do not want to allow the homeless to become too empowered and become functioning contributing community members. You can help by continue volunteering and remembering that the people you are working with are not much different from you. They are just Homeless not Helpless. We need people like you to advocate for us and to work on preventing homelessness.
carlm09@hotmail.com
REGNAT POPULAS (Latin "The people rule")
Volunteering? It tells my inner self I am capable of doing something useful and of my being. 25 + @ Carnegie
learnng Centre. Computer tutor.
I'm not sure what your post is Mr McBinner. It doesn't seem to answer my question. It looks like a spam. Please take your spam somewhere else.
mrmcbinner as been a member here for long. This is not a spam and it's mrmcbinner ways of writing things... I understood what he meant and he was responding to Rose if I am correct.
ROACH: UNDERGROUND PUNKROCK FILMMAKING
okey dokey then. I just though he was advertising for some Carnegie learning center stuff.
Rose, what kind of initatives have you found that works? The Seed in Calgary, has many self help projects, and now that the 10 year plan by the City of Calgary, has been implented, (a hand up not a hand out, where shelters have to be accountable for services). Example, the Seed has a "Step Up" program. Where participants are given mentoring and assistance to step up and help rehabilitate their skills, get a GED trades etc.
But I can't help but wonder, if society or the bosses are at fault as well. (Do you find that the employers harbor prejudices behind their smiles)? This came across, while I ate dinner with my uncle, when I went to the dress rehearsal of the games. He believes that the Bosses are prejudiced and doesn't want to hire the quote unquote "crack problem"(addict, but his vocabulary is very Asiatic). He sympathises with the plight of the exploited.
So would attitudes and bigotry need to be addressed BEFORE massive equal hiring can occur? If you were say Gordon cambell's job, how would you go about promoting ways to smash this barrier to pieces? Like what can us Social workers Do?
Essensially we're asking for advice to figure out how to not "clean up" granville street, but how to elimate East Hasting's reputation North America's poorerst zipcode. I'm serious. I've been there for the game openings. I believe the problem is worse off in Vancouver than Calgary. Why is this? More population? No resources? (ie. Shelters) yuppies with thier eyes up instead of at you as a fellow person?? know what I mean.