Homelessness and Poverty

 

This week I got to study the critical issue of homelessness and poverty. This is a very serious issue and I realized through readings and the viewing of the documentary how serious the issue has become and that more and more people are finding themselves in this situation. The image perfectly depicts this critical issue. It displays a man and a boy on the street with their belongings (Danny, 2022). Many times, youth do not know where they will be sleeping at night. Oftentimes, homelessness and poverty come with a lot of uncertainty. In relation to our last topic of mental health, homelessness and poverty definitely contribute to that issue. It can cause an increase in anxiety, depression, fearfulness, insomnia, and substance and alcohol abuse. Many people who are homeless, specifically the youth, are not receiving proper resources to manage their mental health.

While watching the documentary, “Homestretch,” the story of Roque really stood out to me. He is a young boy who is in a divorced family with nowhere to live. He is a student in a local Chicago public school trying to manage the stresses of life while managing school. Unlike most who struggle with the same situation as him, his teacher took him in and helps provide for him. She gave him a place to stay and opened her home up to him. She is also helping along in the college process by helping him look for and visit colleges. Many people do not have the luxury Roque had of having someone so willing to assist him. People like Kasey and Anthony are less fortunate and are more reliant on the local Teen Living Program to provide them with temporary housing. These kids had no choice but to grow up quickly to try and provide the best they could for themselves (De Mare, 2014).

I recently read a children's book called “Fly Away Home” by Eve Bunting and it really stood out to me. A common theme I have noticed through reading the articles, viewing the documentary, and reading the book has been that homelessness and poverty come with a lot of loneliness and resilience. It is a very lonely lifestyle being on your own. In the book, a boy and his dad are homeless with nowhere to go. They spend their nights at different airports. To avoid getting noticed they switch terminals throughout the day and night to keep people from recognizing them. They carry suitcases to make it appear as if they are travelers (Bunting, 1993). Their entire life is packed away in that suitcase. I also found a song that Ed Sheeran wrote related to this theme.  He wrote “The A-Team” after performing at a homeless shelter and learning the stories of many of the members there. The lyrics of the song focus on the struggles many suffer from. In this case, the issue was a sex worker turning to Class A drugs to cope with the pressures of struggling to be homeless while facing the challenges of weather, clothing, and food. These are common struggles many homeless people find themselves struggling with.

In the article “Homeless Students in Public Schools Across America: Down but Not Out” I was taken aback by the fact that homelessness amongst youth has increased following the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, this fact makes sense, I just had not computed this. This issue is one that is getting worse and not better. There have to be better initiatives put into place to house these people struggling. One way we are seeing a positive change being made is through the McKinney-Vento Act. This act is providing homeless youth with access to free public education through grants (NYSED, 2022). They are able to help many children and provide for them in a sense which is only setting them up for a successful future by giving them an opportunity to expand their education into a degree one day.

As a future educator, my students are not going to be from the same background. Some might be rich and some might be poor. For youth, housing and wondering about where their next meal will be coming from should not be their priority. The priority should be to focus on getting good grades at school and striving for a degree. I have an elderly family member who has told me stories about back when she was a teacher. She taught in a low-income district and would have several students that would not come with lunches. She told me stories about it and how she would prepare extra lunches and put them in those students’ lunch boxes so that they could eat and not be ashamed that they did not have food. I always admired this and thought it was an innocent gesture that was so appreciated by the students who needed it. I connected it back to the documentary when Roque’s teacher took him into her home with open arms. If I have the opportunity to help somebody who is struggling, I would love to do that in order to help them. I think volunteering at local soup kitchens is also a great way to see firsthand the effects of poverty. It would make me more understanding and appreciative of all that I am lucky to have. Simple acts of charity such as donating cans of food to a soup kitchen can go a long way to providing meals for those who are less fortunate.  Many changes need to be made to help lessen the curve, however, it starts with the school systems continuing to provide these students with an education.  


References

De Mare, A., Kelly, K., & Taber, K. (Producers), & De Mare, A., & Kelly, K. (Directors). (2014). The homestretch [Streaming video]. United States: Bullfrog Films.

Mc-Kinney Vento Homeless Education. (2021). New York State Education Department. http://www.nysed.gov/essa/mckinney-vento-homeless-education

Cai, J. (2020, July 27). Homeless Students in Public Schools Across America: Down but Not Out National School Boards Association. https://www.nsba.org/Perspectives/2021/homeless-students

Bunting, E. (1993). Fly away home. Clairon.

EdSheeran. (2010, April 22). Ed Sheeran - the A team [official music video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAWcs5H-qgQ

Danny. (2022). Homeless People in the City. Dreamstime. Retrieved from https://www.dreamstime.com/homeless-people-city-illustration-homeless-people-city-image245849741.