Graffiti in South LA in Skid Row
Photo by: Kirsten Hall
An American Tragedy
by Kirsten Hall
Every social worker in the United States is familiar with the phrase, "from a broken home." It refers to growing up in a household where the parents are divorced or may not be living together in a stable relationship. Children and teens who are defined as "at-risk" may come from homes such as these and others simply do not have a healthy home life. While these are all legitimate concerns, there is another group of people in this country, of all ages, who have no home. They are simply trying to live to see another day.
For the almost 2.5 million homeless persons living in the United States, everyday life is a tremendous struggle. Not knowing whether you will have food, shelter and basic sanitation are a continuous challenge. Not to mention the habitual fear of getting robbed, molested, or physically assaulted. And for the 100,000 homeless children living in the United States, these dangers are even more prominent. The Institute of Medicine estimates that almost half of these children are younger than six years of age.
Common misconceptions about the homeless are that they can rise above their circumstances simply by applying for a job and working hard. That is not the reality of the situation. While many homeless people have fallen into their current state because of addictions to alcohol and drugs or a debilitating mental illness, many are just normal, average, hard-working people that have fallen onto hard times. While videotaping in Skid Row, Los Angeles--a district that claims the highest concentration of homelessness in the country--we interviewed an elderly man named Peter. "I've lived in this area for six years," he told us, "but I've only been homeless for a year because of a robbery." He had worked several jobs before he lived on the streets as a computer specialist.
There are also many stories about people who have been laid off and ended up on the streets as well. With the housing market being what it is people are no longer able to afford to rent even a modest apartment in Los Angeles. Peter has not only been a victim of a crime which left him financially crippled, he suffers from severe arthritis which forced him to quit his job and left him in a wheelchair. He applied for government disability benefits but his claim was denied. "They could at least give me a supplementary account," he said, "I don't even receive social security, let alone a disability check." For him to receive a supplemental income he has to first apply for disability. Peter is in limbo. He cannot apply for a job, but he is not being granted social security or disability from the government. He is in a quagmire. Figuratively and literally. He can simply sit in his wheelchair on 4th St. in Skid Row and pray that one day someone will he able to help him once again become financially secure, an almost hopeless situation.
Even if Peter could receive medical benefits and get back on his feet so to speak, going from the streets to maintaining a job is not an easy process. Most employers will not hire someone who does not have a permanent address or phone number. Even if they can secure a job, the number of hours a week it would take to get enough money to pay rent would be impossible when these people are spending all of their time trying to simply find food and water. "I am crippled," Peter explained to us, "I am crippled because of my situation. I am depressed, any human being would be."
The real tragedy is the second generation of the homeless. Homeless children face challenges that other children will never encounter. Many cannot attend grade school because of the paperwork that is required. Parents who cannot provide an address and phone number are unable to register their children in the public school system. The California State legislature has referred to education as "a way out" for these children, but it can only be as effective as the system itself.
Angie Taylor, an elementary school teacher at Irwin Avenue Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina is part of a tutoring program designed especially for homeless children. "The fact of never knowing where they're gonna be next really affects these kids," she explained, "Some become withdrawn and others become aggressive." She told us that a huge problem in the shelters is the separation of families. There are several homeless shelters for women and children but when the boys turn thirteen the shelters will not let them live with their mothers anymore and they have to go to the men's shelter. Rather than being subjected to this, many families end up living on the streets so they will not be separated.
Many of the children who come to Angie are neglected and malnourished. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, by the time homeless children are eight years old, one in three has a major mental disorder.
There is hope though. Angie has seen many of the student's in her program graduate high school and some have even gone on to earn a college degree. "In my tutorial program I've seen some of them come through because they found that one teach that they trusted," she said, "All it takes is one person to make the difference that will change their lives." In Los Angeles, many schools have adopted programs similar to Angie's. In skid row, many of the temporary housing facilities have tutoring programs run by volunteers which help kids on an individual level. In East Los Angeles, the Hollenbeck school has programs for homeless children and also those who are at risk to become involved in gang violence and other issues. To find out more information and also how to help the homeless population of Los Angeles you can make donations or volunteer to tutor homeless children at these websites:
http://losangelesmission.org/Home.asphttp://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/promising_practices/Facts_on_Trauma_and_Homeless_Children.pdf
Below is a documentary we made of a trip to Skid Row.
by Kirsten Hall
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