Quizzing what we know about homeless issues...

Take some time over the weekend and complete the quizzes that relate to the issues of homelessness and poverty that can be found on the blogroll. Print off your results and take them to class on Monday. It will be interesting to see the results from a class perspective. Have a great weekend. I'll see you Monday morning!

Homeless & Hopeful?

We talked about what or who can give a homeless person hope. Is it having somewhere to sleep at night out of the cold? Is it the caring volunteers at the soup kitchen? Is it government agencies who have homelessness & poverty initiatives? Is it the person who greets and smiles at a homeless person, says hello, and asks, "What is your name"?

We read some excerpts from Frank O'Dea's book, When All You Have is Hope (Viking Canada, 2007). What motivated Frank to walk away from skid row and change his life?

O'Dea (2007) wrote, "That was me, the guy begging money for a bottle of wine and a fifty-cent bed in a flophouse. I was thirty years away from being named an Officer of the Order of Canada, twenty years away from marriage and fatherhood, ten years away from earning my first million dollars, and a week away from deciding that I must change or die."

Supports for the homeless continued...

In class today, we have spent time talking about what supports are available if you are homeless. We know that support can come from the public or private sector. I have added some government links for you to review. There are also links that are from non-profit organizations who have programs to support the homeless.

Take a minute and visit the blogroll poll - What do you think should be done at a local level about homelessness? We will review the class profile of possible solutions in the next week.

In your Home Sweet Home blog, record your observations and what you find interesting about the sites and the supports that are offered.

What are some causes for homelessness?

On our interactive blog, Home Page, brainstorm some of the causes for homelessness in Winnipeg and Canada. Where do the homeless go for help? What are some of their most basic needs?

Tonight it is a cold, winter night and the temperature is about -25 degrees Celsius. Where will the homeless sleep? Where can they go to be safe and warm? Are there enough beds in homeless shelters?

What are some government agencies and non-profit organizations that help the homeless? What are some barriers that the homeless face to access support and help?

Post your thoughts, comments and information. I look forward to our learning together. We'll connect our posts to our in-class discussion the next time our class meets.

New shelter opens doors!

Hannah’s Place Emergency Shelter – an arm of Siloam Mission named after 11-year-old homeless advocate Hannah Taylor – officially opened its 65-bed facility yesterday morning after a month-long test drive saw 1,500 beds filled.

The shelter, which provides hot showers and meals, clean clothes and clean living space is just another step in assisting the city’s downtrodden, said Taylor.
“More importantly than a place for them to sleep is that it’s a place where (homeless people) can come and be cared for, like I am at home by my mom and dad,” said Taylor, whose Ladybug Foundation contributed $20,000 towards the project.

Do you know of other youth who have made a difference in their community?
Do you know why Hannah Taylor started to "Make Change" for the homeless in Winnipeg?

Where will your children go to be safe?

With their Youth Resource Centre and Emergency Shelter facing closure, Macdonald Youth Services have released the video, Where will your children go to be safe? To view the video, check out the blogroll.

Reflect & Consider
Where else can the youth of Winnipeg go for support and help?
What should be done to save Macdonald Youth Services from closure?
Have you known of someone who could use the resources and help that are provided from Macdonald Youth Services?
What can WE do?
What can YOU do?

Listen to the homeless...

View some of the videos in the blogroll and listen to youth, men and women tell their story about homelessness.

Your assignment is to view the three of the videos in the Activating your thinking section of this blog.

Write a post on your Home Sweet Home blog and reflect on what was said and the images that you saw. As we deepen our understanding about the causes of homelessness, what are some factors that you think contribute to people "choosing" to live without a home?