What are you doing for World Homeless Action Day?

Monday, October 10th will be the second annual World Homeless Action Day. In Chicago alone there are over 21,000 homeless individuals on a given night. Anyone can become homeless and stereotypes need to be replaced with accurate information. Most guests at the shelter never expected to be homeless. They previously had jobs and housing and just need assistance accessing resources so they can get back on their feet.

With millions of people around the world dealing with homelessness, it is clear that this is an issue that needs attention and that is exactly what the day was created to do. One of the co-founders, Brianna Karp, was in her early twenties when she lost her job and became homeless. While still homeless she became an advocate for other homeless people and started World Homeless Action Day as an opportunity for members of all communities to get involved. Hers is truly an inspirational story.

How can you observe World Homeless Action Day? You can respond to homelessness locally, by getting involved at a community shelter or outreach center and by using the day as a platform to speak out about the needs of the homeless. Since it is only the second year of this day of observance, its existence is not yet widely known. For this reason, it is more important than ever for us to share this information with others to allow for continued expansion of participation from organizations and community members. It also means we need to be creative in developing collaborative methods for observing this day. Homelessness can end, but only with community-wide involvement.

World Homeless Day 2010

The first ever World Homeless Day was held on October 10, 2010.  World Homeless Day was organized to draw attention to homelessness locally and provide opportunities for the community to get involved in responding to homelessness, while taking advantage of the stage an ‘international day’ provides.  Events were held around the world from Toledo and Calgary to London and Bangladesh, and everywhere in between.  Hopefully this day will continue to grow and bring even more attention to the issue of homelessness. 

If you did anything to "celebrate" World Homeless Day we would love to know about it! 

For more information on next year's event, join their Facebook group and keep checking the official website: http://www.worldhomelessday.org/

10-10-10 World Homeless Day - COUNTDOWN – WEEK 9

We’re counting down, along with Portland Rescue Mission, 10 weeks to the launch of the first annual World Homeless Day on 10-10-10 (October 10, 2010).  Thanks for sharing these great resources PRM!  http://www.1010pdx.org/p/about.html

This week’s big idea: Learn About Homelessness

Statistics and stories shed light on the plight of homeless men, women and children.  Use these online resources to expand awareness and inspire action. 

ONLINE RESOURCES ABOUT HOMELESSNESS

1. Change.org – End Homelessness
   http://homelessness.change.org/
   
   Helpful blog covering issues of homelessness and related stories.
   
   
   
2. Alltop.com – Homelessness
   http://homeless.alltop.com/
   
   Compilation of 40 top blogs related to homelessness.  Includes links to the five most recent posts on each blog.
   
   
   
3. InvisiblePeople.tv
   http://invisiblepeople.tv/blog/
   
   Short candid video interviews with homeless people from all across America.
   
   
   
4. U.S. Conference of Mayors - Hunger and Homelessness Report
   http://www.usmayors.org/pressreleases/uploads/USCMHungercompleteWEB2009.pdf
   
   (PDF download) Annual report on hunger and homelessness in 27 U.S. cities including Portland, Oregon.
   
   
   
5. National Coalition for the Homeless
   http://nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/index.html  
   
   Facts and statistics about homelessness in America.
   
   
   
6. National Alliance to End Homelessness
   http://www.endhomelessness.org/
   
   News, facts, statistics, interactive maps and more about homelessness.
   
   
   
7. Homelessness Resource Center
   http://www.nrchmi.samhsa.gov
   
   Compiled articles for researching homelessness.

10-10-10 World Homeless Day - COUNTDOWN – WEEK 10

This blog is a repost of a blog from the Portland Rescue Mission.  We thought the information was important enough to share.  Keep up the good work PRM! 

We’re counting down 10 weeks to the launch of the first annual World Homeless Day on 10-10-10 (October 10, 2010).

This week’s big idea: Challenge Your Thinking

What are your assumptions about homelessness?  Like most issues, there’s far more to homelessness than the stereotype.

10 MYTHS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS 

1. Most homeless people are middle-aged men.
   
   For many, the word “homeless” conjures up images of scraggly men standing on street corners holding cardboard signs. The face of homelessness is changing. In fact, the fastest growing segments of the homeless population are women and families with children.
2. Homeless people need to “just get a job”.
   
   Getting a job is a challenge for most people in these days, and incredibly difficult for a homeless person.  Most lack clean clothes, showers, transportation, a permanent address and phone number.  Others have a criminal past, learning disabilities and lack of education that holds them down.  Even if they find work, their low income often cannot sustain them.  
   
3. Homeless people are dangerous.
   
   Homelessness is often associated with drugs, alcohol, violence and crime.  So yes, life on the streets can be perilous for homeless men and women.  But very few crimes are committed by homeless people against those of us who try to help them.  At Portland Rescue Mission, the attitude we see most often from homeless men and women is gratitude.
4. Homeless people are lazy.Surviving on the street takes more work than we realize.  Homeless men and women are often sleep-deprived, cold, wet, and sick.  Their minds, hearts and bodies are exhausted.  Though help is available, they may have no idea where to begin navigating the maze of social service agencies and bureaucracy.  With no transportation and little money, they can spend all day getting to food and maybe an appointment before they need to search for a safe place to sleep.  And they do this while lugging their precious few possessions along with them in a bag or backpack.  It is not a life of ease.
5. People are homeless by choice.
   
   No one starts life with a goal of becoming homeless.  People lose jobs and then housing.  Women run away to the street to escape domestic violence.  Many people have experienced significant trauma and simply cannot cope with life.  Others struggle with mental illness, depression or post-traumatic stress. Yes, poor choices can contribute to homelessness.  But outside circumstances strongly influence those choices.
    
6. If homeless people wanted to, they could pull themselves out of it.
   
   Once a man or woman loses a job or a home, getting those things back can feel nearly impossible.  Imagine trying to get a job when you have no address to put on a resume, no phone number, no shower and no clean-pressed clothes.  Often, things like legal issues, criminal history, mental illness, physical and emotional health hinder progress even more.
7. Providing food and shelter only enables people to remain homeless.
   
   Food and shelter are essentials for life.  By offering these and other outreach services, like restrooms and mail service, we build relationships with people in need.  Then we’re able to offer them something more through our recovery programs, like counseling, addiction recovery, emotional healing, spiritual guidance, education, life skills and job training.
8. If we provide sufficient affordable housing, homelessness will end.
   
   Putting a roof over the head of a deeply hurting person will not heal emotional wounds, break addiction, create relational stability or establish healthy life skills.  Housing can help people who are homeless due to poverty.  But it can be a shallow and temporary solution for the many people who are homeless because they are unable to function in a “normal” life. 
9. Homelessness will never happen to me.
   
   Talk to the hundreds of homeless men and women we serve each day and they’ll tell you that they never intended or expected to become homeless.  They’ve had solid jobs, houses and families.  But at some point, life fell apart.  They are desperate for a way back home.
10. Homelessness will never end.
    
    Many U.S. cities have established ambitious goals with 10-year plans to end homelessness.  While these plans to provide housing and better centralized services to homeless people are important in reducing the scope and duration of homelessness, they will not completely eliminate it everywhere for all time.  But homelessness does end—one life at a time.  With your help, we continue to restore the lives of hurting men, women and children every day.

To continue the countdown, check out the blog here: http://www.1010pdx.org/2010/08/countdown-week-10.html