JOURNEYS FROM PADS TO HOPE ACTION PROJECT

Group 2

Group members: Zlatan, Michael, Ernesto, Timothy

My group choose to work at Journey from PADS to Hope because it deals with everything that homelessness is. It deals with the front desk which you just register the clients and front desk coordinators which you bring in clients, retriever files, answer phones. Another is kitchen coordinators which you heat and serve/plan meals. Third, clothing closet coordinators which consists of sorting/organizing and you shelve clothing. Fourth, food pantry coordinators. Here you stock and organize shelves and assure levels. Fifth, volunteer coordinators and here you coordinate schedules/tasks and train volunteers. Lastly, community ambassadors and here you present Journeys at fairs, community events, etc. In this program we will be taking care of families that are homeless and in poverty.

The shelters are open from October 1^st until April 30^th. There are five shifts that we could go and do volunteer work at so it shouldn’t be a problem with date or time management. The first shift is the setup shift which starts at 6am. This shift you ready sleeping area (set up pads, linens, receive food donations), se up facility, prepare serving area and registration desk, monitor parking lot(s), and set up dining area. The shift after that is the first shift which starts from 6:30 till 11pm. Here you would provide food as assigned and prepared by volunteers, register guests, assist with serving dinner, make guests feel welcome, monitor all areas and secure doors at 9:00pm (trips to car and smoking breaks must be accompanied by male volunteer). The second shift starts from 11pm till 3am. Here you maintain intake desk, admit approved late arrivals, prepare lunches (site specific), and monitor all site areas hourly. The third shift starts from 3 till 7am. Here you would do the same things as in second shift but you would awaken guests and prepare breakfast. The fourth shift is the clean-up which starts 6 till 7am.Journey from Pads to Hope assists women, men, and families in northwest suburban Cook County. They assist people who have become or are at risk of becoming homeless. They also provide homeless people with clothing and food closets. Some sites also provide case management and mental health treatment.Each of us will go to different locations so we all can get different experience and picture of volunteering.

Kimberley States

On Thursday February, 25th we had a speaker that went thru a lot in her life. Forty years old Kimberley States and mother of two kids stayed on streets for twenty six years . Her presentation was very entertaining and educative. She had a really harsh life, which in a way she choose to go down that path. She came from a good family, but in early age choose to take her own way down the path. She went from being a good person to abusing different kind of drugs, lived on the streets, became a prostitute, and spent some time in jail. Kimberley has been 5 times in prison,she served for 10 years in jail. Thru many years she had serious drug problem. It took Kimberley twenty six year to realize that she is better then being a drug abuser and spending her life in jail and streets. Last time she did in jail she realize that she needs to change her life to better. She had stooped using drugs and other things that she did in past. She is a changed women that is taking care of her self and her family.

Kimberley had talked about how bad it gets when you are living on the streets. Back at the time when she started living on the streets the times was better then now. Random people would give them money and there was not as many homeless people as of now. Now do to recession that is going on in this country a lot of people are loosing their jobs and saving every penny they have. More people are becoming homeless, and less people are giving their change to homeless. She also talked about life in prison. Guards and officers in prisons did not treat them in any respectful way. She made a picture of how jail system really works, and how some of them are not really following the rules. Although her presentation was very good and it showed us that people can change if they want to .

So You Think I Drive a Cadillac? Chapter 2

In Chapter two Seccombe's "So You Think I Drive a Cadillac?" deals with individualism. It focuses on finding explanation as to why poverty and welfare use exists. The argument against Individual perspective in this chapter is what I found very interesting. The fact that it deals with those who feel that the individual should be responsible for their financial situations and achievements through out life. Opportunities are presented for everyone in their life; they just have to find a right path in life and work hard on it. Seccombes argues that people who receive welfare should be able to improve their economic situation easily. For some people it is not that easy to overcome the poverty especially with the lack of jobs we have. Seccombe also argues that is not that easy to leave welfare system if you are a single mother and have to take care of the kids. Its hard for them to find a job because of the time issue, who would then take care of their kids while they are working. So, for them its understandable why they are on welfare. Younger people with more opportunities should not take advantage of welfare. People that are able of making their own money should look for their opportunities in life.

ILLINOIS POVERTY

The effects of the economic crisis on working people in Illinois have been devastating. Those who are particularly vulnerable-the unemployed, the under-employed, the elderly and the disabled-are in desperate need. As unemployment rises and the state of Illinois experiences yet another budget crisis, a growing number of working people are falling into poverty.

Estimated 405,000 Illinois residents have become poor, and two million more risk falling into poverty. Additionally, 160,000 have become extremely poor. In 2009, the federal government's definition of poor for a family of four is an income of less than $22,050. A family of four that is extremely poor has an income less than $11,025.The problem that Illinois has is a income. Low incomes in families can’t provide them with necessary stuff in life. People are ending up on streets do to the low income.

• February 2009 , unemployment rate in Illinois is the highest level since December 1991
• 8.6 % unemployment rate
  
• 1,496,248 (11.9 %) of the state population living in poverty
• 2,029,262 (16.2 %) of Illinoisans at risk of falling into poverty
• One job opening for every 5 Midwesterners seeking a job in February 2009

Source :

• 2009 Report on Illinois Poverty
• Illinois quick facts from the US Census
• www.statemaster.com
  

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

As a member of Group 2 we are suppose to present Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's first Congressional District is the second hungriest in the nation. One in four people are at risk of hunger in Philadelphia. Reason for homelessness in Philadelphia is same as in any other place, and that is substance abuse, mental illness, lack of education, lack of afordable housing, and etc. Unemployment rate in Philadelphia is 7.2 % , which is 1.5% higher than national average. My part of this presentation was to show distibution on racial and age homeless people in shelters. HOmelessness disproportionately affects people of color, with over 80 % African American, and about 15 % white. Children in families constitute approximately a third of the shelter population. Homeless people under age of 18 are the most common shelter users. Large percent of families entering shelteer were also single parent househols, 86% of these were female headed and 14 % were male headed.

AGE DISTRIBUTION:

18 - 25 9%

26 - 45 49%

46 - 65 40%

65 + 3%

RACIAL DISTRIBUTION :

African-American 80%

Latino/a 6 %

White 13%

Asian 1%

Other 3%

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

One of the issues raised by the speakers that we had in class was cutting education for homeless people. It is already hard for them to live their life on the street, and now they want to cut their education, their knowledge. By having education it would help them get a job, and maybe even get out of status of being homeless.With education it would be easier for them to communicate and fight for their rights. I understand its not easy living on the streets and going to school, but at least they got things to do and stay in the warm place half of the day. I think that education should not be cute for these people. What are they good for without knowledge.

Definition of poverty

Many people hear the words poverty and have many different meanings, so how do we know which definition is the correct one? To me it means poor, unable to buy the necessities to survive in today's world, lost job, a sudden illness, a death in the family or the endless cycle of being born into poverty and not being able to overcome it.


Legal definition should be : A person who does not have any money to do the things they want to do, however most people can afford to live only on the things they truly need.

Poverty on the rise in Chicago

Growing number of working people are falling into poverty.In 2009, Chicago's unemployment rate reached 9.7 percent, with unemployment claims in Chicago increasing nearly 30 percent from 2008. It is estimated that 253,000 more Chicago residents have become poor since 2007. Heartland Alliance report estimates that 87,000 children in Chicago have become poor since 2007.

AAANACA NEIU

On Thursday, January 28th the fourteenth Annual African, African American, Native American, Caribbean and the Americas Heritage Conference Series also known as AAANACA was held at NEIU. The speaker Stan West presented the book "Suburban Promised Land" that he co-authored, and talked about black community in Oak Park.He talked about how there had been a lot of studies and research done. In this care they needed people to tell their stories in order to get a complete account done.The speaker was not only talking and addressing to African Americans, but people from different race as well . West discussed mostly on his book. He talked about certain black members of the community, and also talked about some well-educated people who had visited Oak Park.

Drug Addicts "Poverty in Chicago" PBS Documentary WTTW

Cause of Homelessness

What causes homelessness?

• Poverty from a lack of good jobs and minimal government assistance
  
• Lack of affordable housing and inadequate housing assistance
  
• Lack of affordable health care
  
• Domestic violence
  
• Mental Illness
  
• Substance Abuse
  

Poor in suburbs up 47% :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Business

Poor in suburbs up 47% :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Business
January 21, 2010
BY FRANCINE KNOWLES

Reading this article made me realize how this is becoming a really big issue in this country. Poverty rates are increasing every day. A lot of people are loosing their jobs, homes, families. From my point I think suburbs are getting more poverty people and homeless people because of toreing down projects. Also higher taxes and housing in the city then in suburbs. This Government needs to find a way of giving states the money , and to stop feeding all the money to war overseas. I think this should worry about major problems in this country like for example Economy.