3/2/2017 11 Comments Homelessness in raleigh,ncImagine that you are in downtown Raleigh walking on the sidewalk. You see a woman covered in filth and torn up clothes, begging for money. You probably didn’t have to work too hard to imagine this scenario. This is because this isn’t imaginary, it’s homelessness and it’s all over our city. Homelessness doesn’t fall under one scenario, it can range from sleeping in motels or hotels, crashing on friends couches, staying in a homeless shelter, or even sleeping on a sidewalk. Whatever the scenario, there are 4,000 faces that represent homelessness in our city. Out of these 4,000 people, there might be someone with the potential to be the next leader of our country, there might be genius who could invent a life-changing machine, there could be an amazing singer or dancer, but we would never know because they don’t have the resources that we do. Why should we care? We should care because the future of Raleigh could lie in these people’s hands, but they can’t do anything about it if we don’t help. I have volunteered all over downtown Raleigh in non-profits like Wake Relief, Raleigh Rescue Mission, Oak City Outreach Center, and Shepherd's Table and I have seen first hand the effects of homelessness. Most people struggling with homelessness also struggle with other issues like poverty, mental illness as well as other illnesses, domestic violence, disasters, and hunger. Since I have seen all of these things in person, it has helped me realize that helping these people is very, very important. Now that you know what is happening and how it is effecting our home, Raleigh, I hope that you consider acting upon these issues. By volunteering at one of the organizations listed earlier (Wake Relief, Raleigh Rescue Mission, Oak City Outreach Center, and Shepherd's Table) you can make a huge difference in our community. Homelessness is a problem, but if we ban together we can solve it. To learn more about volunteering, you can visit one of these sites: https://www.raleighrescue.org/homelessness/ https://wakerelief.org/ http://www.endhomelessnesswake.org/what-we-do/oak-city-outreach-center/ http://www.shepherds-table.org/
11 Comments
Kate Breen
3/6/2017 04:50:24 am
Your blog really makes you think about what you have and how you should always try to help the people of your community and state
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3/6/2017 05:01:16 am
I agree Kate. I think that sometimes we don't realize how lucky we are to have a home.
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jasmine
3/6/2017 04:54:52 am
What did you see when you were volunteering?
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3/6/2017 05:05:57 am
Great question! When I was volunteering,I saw one big theme: Homelessness does not have one specific look. When I imagine a homeless person, I usually only come up with one image, however homelessness can look very different than what we imagine. A lot of homeless people look like us, but the difference is they might sleep in a car or a shelter at night.
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Mrs. Shelow
3/8/2017 05:58:50 am
Lilly, I'm so glad you said this. It's important to look beyond stereotypes so that we can truly see the issue. You've recognized something that it takes others years to understand.
zoe
3/6/2017 04:55:18 am
pretty cool i feel bad for the little puppers
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3/6/2017 05:07:32 am
I feel bad for homeless pets too, however I think that it's important to inform people about them in order to help them.
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Alana Moore
3/6/2017 05:08:37 am
I hate the fact that homeless people tend to abandon their pets. They both deserve to have a good home. Good job with the picture btw. Even though it's sad, it grabs your attention and made the post more interesting.
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3/6/2017 05:13:37 am
Thank you, I think that it's very important to recognize homeless pets because if more people are informed, more people will help.
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3/6/2017 05:16:04 am
That is a likely possibility, however as I mentioned earlier, there isn't one typical situation for a person that is homeless.
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