West Side Homeless Outreach, Inc.

BLOG UPDATE

THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST

Los Angeles County High-School and Middle-School Students Offer Their Solutions to Local Homelessness

It’s hard to think about homelessness, but it’s more difficult to generate effective solutions. For best results, do we “fix” homeless people? Or do we mend the society that made them that way? Perhaps the best answer is a bit of both. Whatever the final solution, it will take lots of clear thinking.

So, during the 2011 Christmas holidays, as part of our educational role in West Side communities, we posed the question to west L.A. County high-school and middle-school students: How Can We End Homelessness in Los Angeles?

The response was overwhelming—not in the number of essays submitted, but in the quality of writing and depth of thought. Solutions to local homelessness are definitely on the minds of L.A. County high-schoolers and middle-schoolers. And that’s a good thing. Within the coming two decades, they’ll have to solve L.A.’s homelessness pandemic.

We give our kudos to the following students for their wonderful essays. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did.

Loren Franck

MIDDLE-SCHOOL ESSAYS

How to End Homelessness in L.A.

By Ava B., 7th Grade

We’ve all seen the homeless. Sometimes we see them in the newspaper, on the Internet, or by the sidewalk; but almost no one in Los Angeles can say they’ve never seen a homeless person. And helping them? Nearly no one can say he or she did. Sure, we all say that it’s a horrible thing that needs to be fixed, but do we mean it?

We often don’t choose to recognize homeless people in Los Angeles. If we do, we sometimes say that they deserve it and that it was their fault for not getting a job. When we don’t give them money, we console ourselves by thinking that they would use it for drugs, cigarettes and liquor. We call these people “hobos,” a name which trivializes what these people have gone through. They are stereotyped as being druggies, addicts and criminals, and for some that is true. But for some, it isn’t.

I’ve gone around Los Angeles, asking people how to end homelessness. The normal answer? “They need to get a job.” Yet, in sort of a paradox, most people don’t give jobs to homeless people. How then can the homeless get jobs? What’s not realized by most people is that it isn’t the homeless who have to change; to a certain extent, we have to. Society.

Yes, the homeless need to go to school to learn the tools they need in life if they haven’t done so. Yes, the homeless need to rehabilitate. Yes, the homeless need help getting back on their feet. However, who’s going to help them? Most of society looks away when a person is begging for change, so how can we help? We’re more likely to donate money for animals than for humans.

Society needs to wake up and smell the roses. There needs to be less focus on the “poor taxpayers spending their hard-earned money” and more on the homeless people who need help. This is about saving lives and helping people, and it’s going to take everyone to help.

This won’t be done in a day, nor a year. It’ll take the collective assistance of our whole city to wipe out homelessness. This is a serious project, and it needs commitment. It’s not the type of thing you give up after a week.

So next time, when you see a homeless person begging for change or loitering on the sidewalk, don’t cringe. Look him or her straight in the eye and drop a dollar or two. Or better yet, see if there’s a homeless shelter you can help by donating used clothes or unwanted food. See if there’s any way to help. Once you look intp the possibilities, a chain reaction starts.

You might think, “One person won’t make a difference. I’m too busy anyway.” But from the homeless to the people who help them get their lives on track, it matters. Your help matters. Try; just try to see what you can do. You’d be amazed at how many lives you saved.

The End of L.A. Homelessness

By Jenelle D., 7th Grade

Homelessness in Los Angeles is horrible and getting worse by the minute. Most people laugh when they see homeless people walking in worn-down clothes, talking to themselves on the streets, but you shouldn’t do that. Instead of laughing, you should help and try to make a difference.

There are many ways you can help end homelessness. You can contribute some money to a local homelessness charity. Even the little change you have in your pocket can help. Make care packages or donate used blankets and clothes to a shelter. If you see a homeless person on the streets, give him or her a dollar or two. That little dollar is not worth much to you, but it means a bunch to that person. Donate your time at a soup kitchen.

A big way to end homelessness is to start a program. Yes, you can donate money, clothes, your time, but that’s temporary. What homeless people need is a permanent home, clothes, a job, food and money. Create a program to help homeless people find a job to earn money and buy things on their own. Help them get started on their new life to success.

A ton of reasons exist why people are homeless in L.A. Many homeless people are immigrants that came to the United States for a better life. They cannot work in the United States because you have to be a citizen. Also, people who are schizophrenic and have other illnesses end up on the streets because their family members don’t want to deal with them, or they decide they want to leave the house.

If you have a person with schizophrenia in your family, you need to show love and concern for the person. Have the heart to help and support him or her to get better. Many military veterans are homeless too. When they come back from war, they may have psychological problems, and family members don’t want to deal with them. They encourage them to leave the house and send them to the streets. What people don’t understand is that they are family. You have to love and care for the person. Family means “no one gets left behind or forgotten.”

You may be one person, but you can make a big difference in the world. You can change a person’s life forever.

L.A.’s Cure for Homelessness

By Shana H., 7th Grade

We all should know what homelessness is, but what truly causes it? And how do we end it? But unlike how many of us think, the term “homelessness” doesn’t mean they’re unintelligent or brought their troubles on by themselves. All it means is they’re going through tough times. As we’re all fellow humans, we ought to support them and help them off their feet rather than being happy it’s not our life. We shouldn’t taunt homeless people to make ourselves feel better.

Something commonplace may make a huge change. Changing the way you think about the homeless could help them. Instead of thinking and talking about the homeless as if you are better than they are, think of them as people who are suffering through some problems. This way, you stop degrading these people as if they don’t matter at all, while unconsciously influencing others you converse with to do the same.

Treat others as you want to be treated. Isn’t that the most widely known saying? Imagine yourself in the shoes of the unhoused. Wouldn’t you want someone to help you through your trying time? Even if you can’t do much, donating a small amount or helping at a local shelter or group could help many homeless people. You could donate food to a food bank or donate money to local charities that need funds. Very few citizens are willing to help strangers, which is why anyone who is able should do their best to ease the unhoused’s problems. Just listening to them talk about their problems could lighten a little of the burden the homeless have.

Like many other problems in society, the smallest kindness, a small donation, or even a helping hand is one of the first cures to solve them. That is exactly what we need to do. Many students at school do not know the full extent of the troubles of the homeless. To solve this difficulty while raising awareness of the plight of the unhoused, every school, whether private or public, should begin a group of volunteers or a service club that is willing to help at local shelters and deliver goods to those in need. Why shouldn’t we compel every student to volunteer? For the reason that not everyone has it in him- or herself to assist those who need help. Bringing along students that may insult the homeless or don’t really care at all could jeopardize the work of students who do, and we would all be back to square one. There may not be many people who truly care, but even a few volunteers could impact the situation of the homeless.

It will take a lot of work to truly and finally stop homelessness. While it may not happen as fast as some of us would hope, even a small change may end the dilemmas of the homeless for good.

An Awful Aspect of Life

By Kaitlyn G., 8th Grade

Homelessness is an awful aspect of Los Angeles. The main problem is it is hard to end with the economy being terrible.

Homelessness can drastically decrease in Los Angeles with a multistep process. First, we have to take a survey of why some people are homeless, and if possible fix the problem. Second, we have to divide homeless people into groups of who are capable of working and those who are crippled or have mental-health issues. Third, we have to ask charities for grants to build living compounds for homeless people. Fourth, we have to create a mandatory service project for Los Angeles residents where they would help build the living compounds, or they would donate money. Lastly, we have to ask for volunteers to build living structures, donate money or clothes, and care for the homeless people living in the compounds. We could organize fundraisers at schools in Los Angeles. The students could bring clothes, kitchenware or any types of house-care materials. The schools could also offer extra credit to kids who help build more living compounds.

There are different types of homeless people. Those who are capable of working can deliver newspapers or clean local parks for a little income that could help them rebuild their lives. They can also wear the clothes that were donated. Homeless people who are crippled can move into the living structures, where they could qualify for welfare and volunteers could care for them. Those who have mental-health issues can live in mental institutions. We can give some of the donated money to the different mental institutions that are holding the homeless people who have mental-health issues.

Ending homelessness will definitely be a challenge, but I believe it is possible with the help of Los Angeles residents.

It Will Take a Miracle

By Jennifer A., 8th Grade

I see the homeless wherever I go. It’s sad. The look on their faces and their obvious lack of hope make me want to cry. When I get home afterward, sometimes I do cry. Then I get mad because our society does not take care of all its people.

Homelessness is a big problem in Los Angeles. Everybody needs a home. We can do a lot to end homelessness in Los Angeles. We can donate food, clothes and blankets to keep homeless people warm at night. We can talk to homeless people instead of ignoring them or treating them as if they did something wrong. We can offer food and clothes to the homeless. We can give them drinks. We can give them information about organizations that help the homeless so they don’t have to be homeless alone. It must be hard living without a home and without a family.

People who have houses will have to change before homelessness will end in L.A. People will have to be more generous. Too many are selfish. They onIy care about themselves and what they can buy. That’s one reason there are so many homeless people in L.A. When people are more generous and less selfish, we won’t have as many homeless as we do now.

I sometimes think how me and my friends could help the homeless. At first, it seems easy. Just help people get homes. Make sure there are jobs for everyone and enough houses. But I know ending homelessness in L.A. isn’t that easy. It can’t be. There are too many homeless people in L.A. We can feed them, clothe them and take them to shelters. We can pay attention to them when we pass by them on the street or in front of the store. We can treat them like people. When we do that, the people in Los Angeles will have taken a big step toward ending homelessness here.

No Bad Days for L.A.’s Homeless

By Mike Z., 8th Grade

I want homelessness to end soon in L.A. If it does, maybe there will be no more bad days for the homeless people in our neighborhoods. It must be awful being homeless—no bed, no bathroom, no showers, no kitchen and no TV. I take these simple things for granted, but I bet if I was homeless I wouldn’t.

People can do many things to end homelessness in L.A. There are the usual ways to help. Some of these are shelters, churches and organizations that try to end homelessness. As individuals, we can try to end homeless too. We can give money, clothes and other things to charities that need them so they can help the homeless. Or individual people can help the homeless directly. My older sister has always wanted to meet a homeless man or woman and take that person to a motel and pay for the room for a few nights. I think that’s a great idea. I would do that. Maybe if more people did, there would be fewer homeless people in L.A.

Homeless people need jobs too. If you can’t pay your rent or buy a house, you’ll be homeless. It’s pretty simple. If homeless people don’t have enough education to get a job, we should help them get that education. If they can’t look for work, we should help them go to job interviews. Maybe you could give a homeless person a ride to a job interview or a job-training center. Some homeless people are sick or have mental illness. If you help them get to the doctor, maybe they wouldn’t be homeless anymore. It doesn’t do much good to talk about helping the homeless if you’re not willing to do something about it. Homelessness is one of those things that won’t end until we all get involved.

HIGH-SCHOOL ESSAYS

How to End Homelessness in Los Angeles

By Diana V., 8th Grade

A method of ending homelessness in L.A. is to find a way for the rich to change their mentality and remind the whole U.S. that we are all human and should be compassionate and help each other. Also, there should be a change in the law that states that every American whose income is above average must donate 12 percent of his or her income to the homelessness community.

There should also be more awareness about homelessness in Los Angeles. It should be portrayed more in the media instead of having all gossip and unnecessary attention on the television. They should show the harsh reality of what is happening to many unfortunate people in America. That way, more people would be informed, and everyone would be able to help decrease the percentage of the homelessness community, especially in California.

For many years, people in our society have been all about themselves and their necessities. Now it is time to change that and put aside our greed and ambition so we help others that truly need shelter and homes of their own, and we are capable of making that happen. The media needs to change their priorities to show more propaganda on helping the many abandoned homeless Americans. Then it will reach people that are qualified to help those less fortunate. That will help people not be selfish with money, because it will always come and go, but it’s our choice to spend it wisely and donate it to the homelessness and change many lives in America.

Helping L.A.’s Homeless

By Mia S., 8th Grade

In my perspective, ending homelessness is difficult because people aren’t willing to give up their money, especially because our economy is terrible. People in general tend to be very greedy, and stopping homelessness requires changing the mentality of people. Our society’s mentality revolves around money. Most people in the world care severely about money, and it is a problem.

Helping others in need is what our community as a whole should start doing. It’s the only way to revive and support the homeless community. A strategy to help end homelessness in L.A. is to encourage people to be more generous to the people in need and to feel for others. People always look down on homeless people and have sorrow for them but never know what they experience each day of their lives. If people could experience what being homeless feels like and struggle like homeless people, I think people’s mentality would change completely, and they would appreciate all the things they have.

Our society is so caught up in worthless materialistic things that don’t matter and things that aren’t beneficial for anyone. I don’t understand why people waste their time other than doing something positive for themselves and others, affecting people’s lives and sharing kindness. Most people don’t realize the homeless are real people that sleep on the concrete and are the people that yell and look destroyed from the inside, possibly from a tragedy in their life. No matter what, they’re human beings.

The End of Homelessness in Los Angeles

By Sidney W., 8th Grade

Homelessness is an occurring issue all over the world. The homeless all have different reasons they are homeless. Some choose to be homeless, and others are just not mentally stable enough to hold a steady job. The majority of the time, passersby assume that anyone who is homeless is crazy or dangerous, when in reality, they unfortunately have to live in a society divided by social and economic class. I think people who are fortunate enough to provide more than comfortable lives for themselves should give back to those in need of shoes and a roof over their head. I think instead of putting money into war all the way in Iraq, we should think of those who are suffering on our own street corners.

The first thing is to provide the homeless with some sort of basic education, taught by volunteers or other homeless people trained to be teachers. I think that more multimillion-dollar companies such as McDonalds, Walmart, Target, etc. should invest in helping provide homeless shelters instead of building endless shopping warehouses all over the world. I also think that free sewing classes could benefit the homeless because not every person on the street will find shelter or a home, and to have the skills to sew would allow them to find discarded materials and make them into clothing or even bags.

Homelessness is something that will always exist throughout time, but we can all help now and reduce the amount of suffering around the world.

My Homelessness Essay

By Gabriela S., Grade Undisclosed

Everyone has his or her own ideas on how to end homelessness in Los Angeles. It is the biggest problem out there to try to change. Some ideas work, some ideas don’t, but anything could change it. My idea to end L.A. homeless is that a person could apply to the place and get assigned to one homeless person and help him or her get better. Take this person in, not to sleep or anything, but to clean up, teach him or her new things, and help that homeless person get off the streets. I would love to get assigned a homeless person for a month to try to help him or her get clean and everything. One thing that wouldn’t work is that someone with a mentally challenged problem shouldn’t be assigned to someone who can’t handle the time to care for that person.

Everywhere they are already trying to help end homelessness. Some make everything worse, and some help a lot. Many homeless people try to help themselves get off the street, but most of the time, they go back to their normal routine. When taking drugs and while drinking, they sometimes fight. Some of the homeless people don’t want to get better and choose to stay on the streets. Some people say to themselves because they have money and have enough to live they won’t become homeless. Most of the time, that’s not the case. Most of the time, one becomes homeless from being abused by their parents and starting to do drugs if you don’t have the support you need.

I hope that my idea works and that anything will end homelessness.

What We Can Do Stop Homelessness in L.A.

By Christian R., 9th Grade

Homelessness is a problem everywhere, especially here in Los Angeles. Several ideas come to mind when I think of homelessness: starving, no money, sometimes ill, and need help. Now those ideas usually are true for most homeless people. Hopefully, in the near future, there won’t be any of those ideas. If we are to stop homelessness, we need to generate ideas and plans to stop it. Mine is a little on the creative side; check it out.

Now, to start, most ideas on helping homelessness typically involve lots of money. With mine, it’s all about getting rid of stuff. People who have a lot of old stuff like clothes, shoes and blankets could donate to my organization, “PFHP” (Packages for Homeless People). This organization provides three packages: the Regular (weekly), Deluxe (monthly) and Premium (yearly). The Regular package provides hygiene products, $5 and a toothbrush. The Deluxe package would come with money, more hygiene products, a fresh outfit, a blanket and a reusable water bottle. The Premium package would come with, $200, five shirts, five pants, ten pairs of underwear, ten pairs of socks, a blanket, food and a gift the homeless person requests.

I hope with this system that we cannot only open our eyes to a simple solution but open homeless individuals’ eyes to see there is hope.

Ending Homelessness in L.A.

By Ariana M., 9th Grade

Obviously, homelessness is a huge issue in the Los Angeles area. There is a good amount of organizations trying to fix this problem, but just not enough. My idea includes people getting more personally involved. For example, foster homes and foster parents are two different things. A foster home is more of an organization-type thing, which in this case would be homeless shelters. Now, foster parents are more of a personal choice. They get a kid or two, a license, and the government gives them money to help with the kids.

My idea is, what if the government did the same thing, but for the homeless? People could volunteer and get a license to take in the needy and help them build their way to a better lifestyle while getting paid by the government. The needy would follow certain house rules, not break the law, but would find stable jobs and eventually start paying a small fee for staying in the home, which would then be returned to the government when they're ready to continue on their own. If they don't follow through on these things, they could get released back to the streets.

I think this has more of a possibility of working than not because people will be more interested, knowing they'll get paid by the government. People say money isn't important, but obviously, the homeless are where they are because of their lack of it. This is also why more people would jump at this opportunity, because they will be happy that they are getting paid for doing good deeds.

A Terrible Situation

By Rex, Grade Undisclosed

Homelessness is very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very bad. In fact, it is awful, deadly. If people are on the streets their whole lives and cannot find help, they might perish. We need to end this "epidemic" of sorts. But how? How can we end this tragic thing? How? Can someone please help us, anyone, just anyone? Any idea? Anything? Please. Please help the millions of homeless people living in the United States of America. People, this is America, the country of freedom, not the country of homelessness. However, that’s what our nation has come to, homelessness.

Perhaps the question is not how to end homelessness. The real and true question is how to raise awareness. Thousands of people do not know how bad and fierce homelessness can be. Once we raise awareness, people will start wanting to help. Then we can work toward ending homelessness. So, if you are reading this, please help raise awareness or make a donation to a homeless shelter. And if you are already helping, then thank you, and God bless America.

My Essay on Ending Homelessness in Los Angeles

By Parsa, Grade Undisclosed

There is no way to get rid of homelessness in this capitalist society. But there are many ways to decrease the number of people living on the streets and in motels and cars. To have more space in shelters, because to my knowledge they always seem to be packed, this is a big issue that would resolve a lot of problems. Another thing would be to have more facilities where homeless people are helped to find jobs and even continue their education. Having the opportunity to continue your education is a great way to start finding a job or profession.

One issue with homelessness is the use of drugs and alcohol. There is no easy solution to stop the homeless from using illegal substances, but for venders of alcoholic products not to sell their alcoholic products to the homeless would mean fewer homeless getting into trouble with the law.

Lastly, if people started to realize how serious homelessness is they would start donating all their things in their household that they don’t use. People around our community are not aware of how bad this dilemma is. It is our job to inform them about it. To raise awareness could be one of the utmost benefits to the homeless.

Shoes and Shelters Can Help End L.A. Homelessness

By Christian V., Grade Undisclosed

Generally, I believe there are many ways to stop homelessness in Los Angeles, but my idea is to build more shelters, especially near the city of L.A. and to donate shoes because shoes are very important for the homeless because walking is their main transportation. Many people that are homeless live on the streets of downtown L.A., where it’s very tight, very crowded and there’s really nothing there. It’s pretty interesting how many people actually go down to the city, but I say, “Why go there if you know that the streets are mistreated and untaken care of?” But I do strongly believe that if we can build homes for homeless people, they can survive a lot longer if it’s possible.

Some homeless have no shoes whatsoever, and that’s how they get infections and become very ill, which is why we can donate new shoes, old pairs of used shoes, whatever, and that’ll be it. The good thing about it is that you will feel proud of yourself and happy for them for whoever is wearing your shoes.

When the topic of homelessness arises, truth and error abound. What are the facts? And the fallacies? Our frequently updated blog shares little-known truths about homelessness everyone should know. Don’t miss it!

Click here for a quick visit.

The downturned economy has hit the homeless—and America’s charities —hard. So your financial support is West Side Homeless Outreach’s greatest need.

We use your donated dollars to buy food, clothing and other vital pro-visions, which we deliver to people living on the streets. Your financial support of West Side Homeless Outreach is completely tax deductible.

Please click on donate; or mail checks and money orders to West Side Home-less Outreach, Inc., PO Box 5761, Playa del Rey, CA 90296-5761.

Thank you for your support.

WSHO RADIO INTERVIEW

On December 16, West Side Homeless Outreach exec Loren Franck was a guest on L.A. Talk Radio’s “Rare Women” program, where he discussed crucial aspects of homelessness. To hear the show, click here.

THREE THOUGHTS

If you want to help the homeless, we urge you to:

1. Make www.wshola.org your home page.

2. Tell at least three friends or coworkers about WSHO.

3. Set aside a mere $5 a week and donate it to WSHO.

YOUR COMMENTS?

If something’s on your mind regarding homelessness, contact us today.

DID YOU KNOW?

Little things can make big differences to homeless people. For example, a smile and greeting can make a homeless person’s day. Likewise, a simple, bal-anced meal can seem like a feast to someone living on the streets.

HOW TO HELP

These middle-school students know the value of helping the homeless. They donate their time and effort to West Side Homeless Outreach. It’s one of the most rewarding things they do.