Hot Topic Open Door Policy

Concerns of Homelessness

Homeless people here in the valley has been questioned and thought of us as citizens of Fresno, CA. Homeless persons alone and standing of a street corner panhandling for money and or food have been seen by everyone. Could we as citizens do anything to help and get the homeless man or woman off of our streets? Maybe to think of the answer would be to lock them up. Thoughts of how these people lost to homelessness often called bums or homeless dude, and bag lady, and cart pushers became on the streets, the thought that they are alcoholics and drug addicts is more likely to be the question. Many of the persons lost to the street have had jobs and homes but have been fired and became incapable of holding down the everyday struggles of being self sufficient, the homeless may have became ill either mentally or physically and lost their jobs and families due to failure without an answer. The homeless found that the streets have become their home and job, the place now that they go to work, and panhandle the public corners. Many are veterans that have returned home and found that they are incapable mentally and physically to manage their affairs of an adequate job and housing. Homeless men and women may have had a really bad relationship breakdown and found that the streets have the answer of escape the problem to be homeless. Criminals often have a an escape plan to become a transient or an unknown by persons that may be able to identify them and call police, or their housing is known by law enforcement and they cannot return; and to keep their freedom to still have their addictions, or to be able to see their wife and husband and have had a domestic violence restraining order that keeps them without answer of a safe place to go and remain out of custody. The criminal area of homelessness can often be dangerous to the public and police often do identification checks to find these homeless criminal elements and thought by others to be harassment. Homeless with torn clothes though some with clean clothes with a shopping cart and a back pack and blanket are not the only homeless, these are the ones that are seen on corners or medians of a street, other are vagrant inside of a abandoned building and only go out to panhandle in areas of local city and commerce areas. Homeless also go to local organizations to eat or for handouts. There are homeless that move to various temporary shelters, relatives, friends, drug houses, and emergency shelter or boarding for those that meet certain standards. Standards of some live in single rooms or private boarding housing that have little income enough to pay or a provided by Social Services. Thought to what can be done to help to these homeless or homelessness have been thought about as citizens of a city or county, and by governing authorities to clean up the streets of these people on our streets. Answers are not very easy to solve for these people that are homeless and invading the streets everywhere. We as citizens are told on commercials on the television not to give homeless persons cash, the homeless person could use the money, but some use it to buy alcohol as well as drugs.
It could also help them avoid facing the real causes of their problem for one more day. Citizens wanting to help the homelessness should research what we as concerned residents of cities and county could do to really help if we choose to do so. Better to be informed and concerned about the root of the problems facing homelessness. Learn as much as you can. Finding problems that lead to this growing area of concern are available with research; remember indifference will help no one. The homeless person you meet might be a person that is mentally ill, or unemployable due to being without means to go to a job, some do not have a car or a place to live, ex-military, runaways, as well as con-artist, and the person might meet could be a criminal evading police or a parolee running from being violated. Caring and teaching others to care can help us as citizens, as well as help the community. Don’t feel that you are being uncaring if your personal safety is in question. Speak out and after you as a concerned person has researched what can be done to help, let others know. Help others to care especially young people to understand and care about those that are homeless. Get involved and bring family and friends. Always remember that some homeless are fearful of help, respond with your and others safety in mind. Last week here in Fresno, CA one hundred and fifty volunteers assisted the Fresno City Homeless Prevention in taking a survey of homelessness, volunteers fanned out to count those who displayed characteristics of homelessness. The survey was to go around and ask questions to those that portrayed homelessness and determining if they had any source of income. The volunteers also counted people staying in shelters including those that have received vouchers from Social Services to stay in motels. The survey was taken by volunteers and approved by Gregory Barfield; The Fresno City Homeless Prevention and Policy Manager. “Mr. Barfield said hospitals and school districts were asked to supply a count of patients, and students who are known to be homeless. The report will not be ready until maybe April of 2011. Fresno homeless count for January, 2009 was 3,951 Mr. Barfield said in ‘The Fresno Bee’.” When we as concerned residents just drive by and don’t do anything to make our town a good place to live it gets worse, we probably say that we need to move. Move is what concerned residents need to do to help a town get better. Today there are volunteer programs to help the homeless, volunteering time is not always an option. We can donate to local organizations in our town to improve the community, by volunteering time, money, and good to these organizations for those that is in need we can help to live in a better community and self. Barfield, Gregory. “Homelessness Survey”
The Fresno Bee (2011)
A1. Print.

Arce, Reverend Larry. “Homeless Volunteering” Fresnorescuemission.org
Fresno Rescue Mission. Web. February 7, 2011. < http://www.fresnorescuemission.org/index.php