Helping Hands: Helping the Homeless During COVID

Deniella Esplain

Navajo Nation

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Terror, Tim. A Brief History of Globalization. Pinterest. https://pin.it/7dOpNTS. Accessed September 14, 2021.

Native American Identity

The reading ¨Native American Identities¨ by Perry G. Horse talks about how we are losing our culture as time keeps passing. We are in a society were we are involved in white culture everywhere we go, we are in their world and have to adapt to it to survive. Native Americans are now growing up in a generation that’s not the same as it was 100 years ago. White people are at the top of everything, they have the privilege of not having to worry. They are racist toward those other than white, so we tend to feel to try to fit in. To be Native American you have to know your culture and respect it. Having native blood is what identifies you and proves what tribe you are from. The US government has a line that they cant cross with Native American nations, they have to talk government to government. Our tribal government has the power to remove individuals from the tribal rolls if necessary. We are who we want to be and need to represent it before it’s lost.

Horse, Perry G. “Native American Identity”. New Directions for Student Services. no . 109. Wiley Periodicals. Inc. Spring, 2005. Print. Pp 61-68.

El Rubio. Long Hair in Native American Culture. The Long Hairs. October 16, 2016. https://blog.thelonghairs.us/long-hair-native-american-culture/. Accessed September 16, 2021.

Community "Sharing one Skin"

After reading Community "Sharing One Skin" I notice it focuses all on culture and why it’s important to keep it alive. There mentioning how they stay connected with their community all the time and they each have their own responsibilities. Not having a community makes you fall apart, you have to have that bond with one another. They know their background and why she does what she does, taking part in what her family does. How they identify themselves and function with the 4 capacities the physical self, the emotional self, the thinking-intellectual self, and the spiritual self. Having beliefs that we are who we are because of our land, our bodies and spirits are taught from our surroundings the land. Keep carrying and learning about your culture because you represent it. Armstrong, Jeanette. “Community: ‘Sharing One Skin’”. Paradigm Wars: Indigenous Peoples’ Resistance to Globalization. Sierra Books Publication. 2006. Print. Pp 35-39.

Santa Fe Nonprofits Making Sure Homeless Can Get Vaccinated

The article, Santa Fe Nonprofits Making Sure Homeless Can Get Vaccinated by Scott Wyland, talks about how there going to try to get the homeless vaccinated. The program La Familia medical center is a federally qualified health center for offering medical care to in-need populations and is working with the homeless around Santa Fe. La Familia works with homeless people who lack addresses, internet, and even phones. How La Familia reaches the ears of the homeless is going to places where homeless people hang out or contact shelters when and where they can get vaccinated. The homeless are provided transportation to midtown and Pete's Place where the vaccination takes place. La Familia states, "We do not want anyone excluded from the opportunity to vaccinate and protect their health¨ (Wyland), showing that they really care for their people in the community. So far, La Familia has given about 370 people the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for the Homeless program. They are only using Johnson & Johnson in the homeless program because they might not return three or four weeks later for the second shot that Pfizer and Moderna require. Homeless people would rather have the vaccine side effects than COVID-19 symptoms, but not all homeless people want to get the vaccine. Some have medical conditions that make them hesitant or fearful about getting an injection. Those that decide to not get the vaccine must take a test to stay at the shelter. The homeless are just getting the vaccine so they are able to stay at the shelter without having to always get tested and not have the risk of spreading the virus. Wyland, Scott. "Santa Fe nonprofits making sure homeless can get vaccinated." Santa Fe New Mexican, The (NM), sec. Coronavirus, 2 May 2021. NewsBank: America's News Magazines, Infoweb.newsbank.com

ORESKES, BENJAMIN. L.A.’s homeless residents are 50% more likely to die if they get COVID. Now they’re a vaccine priority. Los Angeles Times. MARCH 12, 2021. https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2021-03-12/la-homeless-50-percent-more-likely-die-covid. Accessed November 20, 2021

MOON, EMILY. AN INCREASING NUMBER OF UNSHELTERED PEOPLE MUST WEATHER THE POLAR VORTEX. Pacific Standard. JAN 30, 2019. https://psmag.com/news/an-increasing-number-of-unsheltered-people-must-weather-the-polar-vortex. Accessed November 18, 2021.

Santa Fe Shelters Brace For Cold, Spike in Cases

In the article, Santa Fe Shelters Brace For Cold, Spike in Cases by Robert Nott, talks about an outbreak of covid cases in Albuquerque's on the west-side homeless shelter, causing concern for surrounding shelters and for those large homeless facilities in Santa Fe. Right now the shelter isn’t accepting anyone who was staying at the Albuquerque shelter where the outbreak happened. It was reported that there were nearly 90 positive tests, Berenis stated ¨once it gets in the building it will go through the population like wildfire” (Nott). As it continues to get colder and there are fewer beds, everyone is rushing to be in one. The director of Youth Shelters and Family Services said he has the ¨urgency to work with young people¨ as there aren’t many beds. They continue to go out and find youth people that are in need. People between 18-to-24 are the most endangered being homeless, so it’s important for them to be in a place where they’re not in danger. As the weather is changing there is now a seasonal night shelter that is able to handle 100 people but as of now, only 36 people can be inside. They keep their eyes on the evening temperatures because once the temperatures drop 100 people are wanting in. Clients help the homeless get back on their feet and find housing but are worried they will end up back on the street because the pandemic has led many to lose their jobs. As a way to solve this problem, they were able to move some to a motel in town and a city-run shelter on the campus of the old Santa Fe.

Nott, Robert. "Santa Fe shelters brace for cold, spike in cases." Santa Fe New Mexican, The (NM), sec. Local News, 12 Oct. 2020. NewsBank: America's News Magazines, infoweb.newsbank.com. Accessed 8 Oct. 2021.

Anthony-Paul Diaz. Homelessness and the Global Pandemic. National recreation and park association. May 21, 2020. https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2020/june/homelessness-and-the-global-pandemic/. Accessed November 21, 2021.

Permanent Supportive Housing: Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes Among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness

The article, The History of Homelessness in the United States by National Academies Press, talks about how in the 1870s the word homeless was to describe ¨tramps¨ looking for work. They were described as people that lost character but still wants to have a home. The solution in the early 20th century was getting a job, as of now in the past the solution was to get a house. In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution took a shift from the ¨individual living¨ causing those that need special needs to survive on farms or work in skilled trades. By the 1850s, rooms for ¨tramps¨ were located in police stations as the major shelter system. After the Civil War, homelessness first became a national issue in the 1870s, tramps were “riding the rails” in search of jobs. The word “hobo” first appeared in the 1880s in western America and softened the public's perceptions of tramps because they notice they weren’t causing the public any trouble. In the 1960s the mentally ill had roots in the civil rights and civil liberties movements, causing them to move slowly onto the streets and into temporary shelters. In the 1930s, there was a significant increase in the number of persons experiencing homelessness in America to address poverty and improve the quality and affordability of housing. The 1980 Social Security Act, gave individuals experiencing illness and homelessness to pursue benefits. Another main reason for the number increased of individuals experiencing homelessness during the 1980s was the HIV/AIDS epidemic because those in the shelter who were substance abusers and diagnosed with serious mental illnesses often shared needles for drug use. A homeless person in the 1980s was younger due to mental health and substance use disorders. This was the first time, women and families started to appear. They identified three periods of homelessness. First is transient of 80 percent of those using the shelter who had a single brief stay, then episodic which is 10 percent of shelter users who had repeated but brief shelter stays, and lastly chronic that 10 percent of users who essentially spent each night in the shelter. National Academies of Sciences.”Permanent Supportive Housing: Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes Among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness¨. NCBI. 2018 Jul 11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519584/#sec_000124. Accessed on September 1.

The evolution of homelessness throughout history

The evolution of homelessness throughout history by KVII, talks about homelessness as a problem early as the 1600s. People who were living in poverty or who didn't have a home, have been known as beggars, vagrants, hobos, and bums. The homeless were considered outcasts from society. There's a difference between people living in poverty and people who are homeless. Homelessness numbers rise after natural disasters, wars, or other events like economic recessions and pandemics. They weren’t prepared for the aftermath causing it to be hard to control having to then become homeless. Next certain laws and policies were being passed trying to slowly change homeless people's lives. Certain behaviors that homeless people do to survive haven’t helped keep the community clean and safe. This includes public urination, trespassing on property that could be a temporary place to sleep, or shoplifting. Some homeless are trying to turn their life around but people struggle to get help. If someone does find a place or treatment it often is expensive. Individuals can be affected at a personal level when they have no way of income, addiction, or an illness. KVII. ¨The evolution of homelessness throughout history¨. ABC news. November 9th, 2020. https://abc7amarillo.com/features/invisible/the-evolution-of-homelessness-throughout-history. Accessed on September 1.

Petts, Frankie. A Multi-Genre Research Paper. THE LIFE OF A HOMELESS CHILD IN THE VICTORIAN ERA. https://victorianhomeless.weebly.com/. Accessed November 20, 2021.

Bell, Ralph. HOMELESS MAN WITH A DOG GETS CHANCE TO TURN LIFE AROUND. Sheltering Grace. January 24, 2020. https://shelteringgrace.org/2020/01/24/homeless-man-with-a-dog-gets-chance-to-turn-life-around/. Accessed November 20, 2021.

A History of American Homelessness

The video, A History of American Homelessness by Intelexual Media, mentioned a lot of events, first starting off In 1729 Philadelphia passed a law allowing locals to deport homeless people. As for the south, slaves were considered to have homes, no matter how run-down they were. Roberta Ann Johnson wrote in her paper, African Americans and homelessness, ¨Although textbooks that describe the history of American homeless do not include them, a large number of runaway slaves should be considered as an early example of American homelessness. They lived in forests, mountains, and swamps of the south.´´ During the civil war, runaway slave numbers increased. In the 1870s the term homelessness described the people who traveled the country, riding the train and looking for work. Meanwhile, the term tramp was described as ¨all idle persons not having any visible means of support´´. From 1873 to 1874, the American population was about 40 million people, and nearly 3 million were considered to be tramps. The tramps were mainly young white men able to do physical labor, and social reformers believed the solution was jobs, not housing. In New York from 1874 to 1875 about 450,000 homeless people lived in police stations in the winter months. In 1892 congress began investigating homelessness but not until after the great depression that building housing for low-income Americans became a priority, local governments were able to get benefits but usually provided more aid to white families, while black migrant workers and their families lived under tin or metal sheets or large trees. In 1949 congress passed the Housing Act for every American family to be able to have a decent home. In 1967 urban renewal had destroyed 400,00 homes and only 41,580 new housing units were built, causing people to go homeless. In 1977 the federal government directly addressed homelessness, having federal money be used on shelters and creating an agency for the homeless, the government then finally defined homelessness. Modern homelessness began in the 1980s because of employment rates and the public housing budget. In 1960 there were 535,000 mental health patients living full time in state hospitals but by 1980 there were only 137,000 because the government didn't provide enough funding for the patients to live normal lives causing them the end up on the streets. Cocaine worsened the rates of black homelessness. ¨A History of American Homelessness¨. Youtube. Uploaded by Intelexual Media. Oct 23, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcNykT6M93o. Accessed on September 1.

The Homeless People in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Victims of the Strict Pandemic Control Measures of the Government

In the article, The Homeless People in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Victims of the Strict Pandemic Control Measures of the Government by Buttigieg C Sandra, is able to see how homelessness gets treated in China during the pandemic. After reading the article, I realized that the homeless in China didn't have a lot of help or support. The government didn't show much effort into helping support the homeless as they decided to have a decrease in humanitarian aid and leaving them with no resources to collect in order to survive. As the shelters were under stress and lacking to help the homeless there wasn't in fact anywhere they can go. While the homeless might have family, most tend to lack connection with them or had no way to go to their hometown leaving them stuck on the streets. Comparing homeless people to the homeless in the United States I can see that we are given more resources and support. One city can have more than one homeless shelter and since COVID has come there was an increase of 0.9%. More communities seem to come and work together by donating or volunteering to help those who have more of a struggle. In all, homelessness in China doesn't get treated as it should and are in need of more support of getting help. The Homeless People in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Victims of the Strict Pandemic Control Measures of the Government, Buttigieg C Sandra, Frontiers in Public Health, 12 August 2021, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.679429/full, accessed on February 21, 2022.

Bradley, Chuck. Homeless man in China. shutterstock. https://www.offset.com/photos/homeless-man-in-china-314000. Accessed January 13, 2022.

Thaisen, Joshua. Four Million Young People Were Homeless Last Year. Four Million. Mother Jones. NOVEMBER 17, 2017. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/11/four-million-young-poeople-were-homeless-last-year-four-million/. Accessed January 14, 2022.

Youth Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Unique Needs and Practical Strategies From International Perspectives

The article, Youth Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Unique Needs and Practical Strategies From International Perspectives by Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, shows how different youth experience homeless. Coming to a conclusion throughout the pandemic I see that youth homeless have a lot of support from others but not enough finical support to go to a greater extent. It mentions that youth homeless tend to be overlooked as the older and poor health homeless get more attention especially as COVID is happening. The youth tend to become homeless because of domestic violence and mostly live in shelters or couch surfing as they have more connections but with the pandemic, they have limited options to not rick the exposure. The health care system is making sure the youth homeless have a way to be in contact with them by doing telemedicine. There are programs that can be made to support the youth homeless but right now with COID it can be challenging to find the finical support for these programs. As in my topic, I mentioned that there were programs walking the street to find the homeless to bring them together to help get the vaccine and use hotel rooms to lower the capacity of shelters. This can show depending on the location and communities you can go farther to help the homeless without having to do a lot.

Youth Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Unique Needs and Practical Strategies From International Perspectives, 2020 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, Journal of Adolescent Health, FEBRUARY 01, 2021, https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(20)30658-3/fulltext#articleInformation, Accessed on February 23, 2022.

Mexican social workers help homeless amid the COVID-19 pandemic

In the youtube video, Mexican social workers help homeless amid the COVID-19 pandemic by CGTN America, which helped give a lot of insight into how the homeless in Mexico City are being treated during the pandemic. They had it hard before the pandemic causing it to be even more challenging when COVID hit. The homeless in Mexico would make their change either by selling second-hand merchandise or collecting bottles and cardboard but all of that had to come to a stop as there was a loss of income or people being in isolation. This left them helpless on the streets but the social service in that community wanted to make sure their people were being helped by passing out masks and food every day while wearing protective gear. They walk different locations all around every day, which shows that the community really wants to protect their people even with the little sources they have.

Mexican social workers help homeless amid the COVID-19 pandemic, CGTN America, youtube, Feb 14, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqxMRLSbXh0, Accessed on February 24, 2022.