Homelessness In The United States

Homeless is defined as “an individual who lacks housing, including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing.” (National Health Care for the Homeless Council). Many Americans are under the impression that homelessness is not a significant issue in the United States, due to the lack of visible homelessness in this country. In contrast to other countries, the United States has made several advances in ending homelessness. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, more than half a million people are homeless in the United States as of 2016. Although the number of people …show more content…
These include, local shelters, short-term housing programs and meal centers. Two established nonprofits in Wake County fighting against homelessness include, the Raleigh Rescue Mission and The Carying Place. The Raleigh Rescue Mission is a 501c3 nonprofit, and focuses their work on providing assistance to the homeless based off of Christian religious values. The Mission serves the homeless community by offering emergency overnight services, recovery and rehabilitation services, an adult education center, a medical clinic, housing locator assistance and a children’s development center (Raleigh Rescue Mission). The organization is always in need of donations from the community including clothing, food, and other hygiene essentials for the homeless who are seeking …show more content…
I had the privilege to work with a local nonprofit, The Carying Place, that focuses on providing the homeless with the opportunity to become financial stable and move toward independent living. I saw first hand how the passionate and dedicated the organization was towards helping the homeless. Every week, I would provide daycare services to the men and women who had children in the program, while they took class to learn the life skills to move forward in their careers and eventually living independently. It was rewarding to see the families appreciate the donations from members of our community, especially the reactions from the children. It is amazing the things that most people take for granted, like cleaning supplies, school supplies, and basic household essentials, can be hard to come by for some. The people involved in the program not only gained the means to be self sufficient, but they gained the confidence and emotional support that they were

Show More