The Reason

   The reason we chose to write about the homeless is to inform you and everyone else about how voiceless the homeless are. How we as a part of society push them away. We treat them like they are lower than us, when they are human beings too and have feelings just like the people that aren't homeless. We will be informing you about their most common problems they are conflicted with.

Problems with Shelters

Weird Hours- Too often people have to get there a certain time, waiting for hours to get a bed, maybe getting there at 10 pm and not going to sleep till midnight. Often shelters ask you to check out early in the morning. A person can get better sleep in the bushes.

Theft- From other homeless folks but even more often, from shelter workers. A typical set up is for the homeless is for the homeless people to have to put their belongings into a common storage room where shelter workers then plunger what they like, while homeless people sleep. Too often staying in a shelter means loosing money, personal papers, shoes, mementos.

Parasites- Scabies, fleas ( there are human fleas but we are not to that point yet, but dog and cat fleas will stay on a person for a few days and bite ) crabs, head lice.

Disease- From Hepatitis A and B to the current flu, drug resistant TB, to various pneumonia
including the very contagious my coplasm pneumonia, if they are around at all, a shelter is almost designed to make sure every one gets them.

Life Span, Death Rates, and Local Shelter

Life Span

  Homeless adults average life span is shorter than 45 years. Homeless women 18 to 44 years of age are between 5 and 31 times more likely to die than women in the general population. Homeless women older than age 44 are only 1 to 2 times as likely to die, and are healthier than their male counterparts. 

  Homeless women are more likely than homeless men to have experienced childhood sexual abuse and/or foster care and adult partner abuse. More than 50% of all homeless women and children become homeless as a direct result of fleeing domestic violence. 

   The availability of domestic violence shelter beds in the United States is poor; up to 70% to 80% of women, and 80% of children, are turned away on any given night in major cities. Shelters are woefully underfunded; some do not allow children. Average length of stay at a US shelter is 14 days; most allow a 30-day maximum stay. 

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/481800


Death Rates

   The number of homeless deaths in Santa Barbara has reached a crisis point, according to advocates. The deaths mark five homeless deaths in 2010, and six in the last six weeks. The number of homeless deaths last year jumped to 28, up from 18 in 2008.

http://www.independent.com/news/2010/jan/28/homeless-deaths-reach-crisis-point/


Local Shelter

    A local shelter is Casa Esperanza Homeless Center. Casa Esperanza is open 365 days a year. Offering many services for the homeless. Mainly helping the homeless with emotional and physical health. They offer 12 different program partners to help bring recovery to the homeless. All under one roof. They are located at 816 Cacique St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103. Their phone number is 805-844-9364. For more information click the link below and it will direct you to their website.

http://www.casa-esperanza.org/cm/Home.html

Money Issues, Family Problems, Job Difficulties, and Homelessness: John Lawrence

John Lawrence

               

I came across John Lawrence: an ex-veteran, hog farmer and a recovering alcoholic. He is a 62-year-old homeless. He has recently been discharged from the hospital due to a battle of pneumonia. Pneumonia is a common illness that affects millions of people each year in the United States. Germs called bacteria, viruses, and fungi may cause pneumonia.

He is a perfect example of someone with family problems, difficulties with finding a job and money issues. We don’t know much about John’s past but we do know he is an ex-marine from Kentucky. Many homeless are ex veterans from the army, marines, and air force.

 John used to be a hog farmer for a couple of years but now he roams the streets of Santa Barbara enduring its beautiful skies and unpredictable weather. It is said that John’s family, a wife and children, were killed in a car crash accident, on Valentines Day.

John cannot get a job due to the reason he is considered unstable to work for the moment. There has been a delay in the benefits he receives from the government due to tickets he has received for illegal lodging. He receives social security and veteran’s benefits. The money he receives from these two sources is the only way he has money. He now hopes for a better tomorrow and plans to get himself "cleaned up."           

The sad thing is many people tend to "shy" away from the homeless. They'd just rather wish they weren't there amongst us, on the streets, sidewalks, and in the eye of the public. Some individuals think of them as a disturbance. But we need to realize, they are humans too, they are just unfortunate. Most of the homeless have mental illnesses or are considered unable to work. With no job there is no income. We must remind ourselves that life is unexpected and we ourselves may be homeless one day.

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
-Kahlil Gibran