Depaul House

Student Interns:

Jack Grossweiler and Kelsey Raftis

Jack Grossweiler - "Experiencing Homelessness is a Journey"

There are many steps in one’s path towards experiencing homelessness and many steps in their journey towards reengaging in society. Which society has yet to fully understand the problems individuals face and the challenges with securing housing they must fight through. Depaul USA helps residents with these very obstacles, but few comprehend the vulnerable population that the site serves. People that are a part of this community come from different backgrounds and have varying experiences with homelessness. Some have led very successful careers and families prior to their experience with homelessness, for example, a resident has had three books published and is a very successful author. Also, for some of the individuals, this is their first time with this kind of experience and have never had to face challenges with homelessness before. What people should know before they visit Depaul USA, or any site that helps individuals experiencing homelessness, is that you will not meet one type of person, but rather you will not see the same type of person. Homelessness can affect anyone, it does not discriminate, and it is a difficult obstacle to overcome.

Community programs like Depaul USA are great for some individuals because they enjoy being a part of community with residents who struggle with the same obstacles that they face. Having neighbors who faced the comparable hardships, made similar decisions, and have similar goals offer them a support system. This aspect of the program can give them some more tools to be able to work through their journey of homelessness. Also, not enough praise can be given to the staff of Depaul USA from the residents and they appreciate how much commitment and effort each one has towards the residents. Overall, one of the many things that makes Depaul USA so great of an organization is that they provide a supportive community environment with people who have similar goals and contain staff so dedicated towards helping the residents progress through their journey. There are many ways an individual can experience homelessness and homelessness does not look the same to every individual.

Kelsey Raftis- "Questions for Civic Love"