Changing Perceptions of Homelessness -- How you can Help

As the recession continues to impact everyone nationwide, many have begun to view homelessness in a less negative light. With foreclosures running rampant and unemployment maintaining a steady pace, more and more Americans are finding themselves in unexpected situations. This could not be truer for Central Floridians, where there are nearly 4,000 people who are homeless on any given day and more than 10,000 people who experience homelessness every year. Right now in the county of Osceola alone, there are more than 900 school-aged children who are homeless. As bleak as these numbers may sound, they also denote positive change. Since it has become more evident that anyone, from any walk of life, runs the risk of becoming homeless, perceptions of who a homeless person typifies, has changed greatly. The mythical image of the grungy panhandler is becoming obsolete, as the new face hits closer to home.

Everyday more and more children are being affected, single mothers are finding it harder to make ends meet, and dual income households are barely holding on. These seemingly average people will soon be homeless, it is their faces and of those closest to you that you will begin to see as the need ceases to subside.

According to a study done by researchers from the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences on the local region’s population, about one in three (35%) people say that their opinion of homeless people has changed in the past year. Of those whose opinions have changed, 95% say they have become more sympathetic. The study also questioned whether Central Florida’s municipal and county governments should do more to fund programs that address homelessness. The resounding majority of respondents (83%) said yes.

For programs such as Helping Others Make the Effort (HOME), who provide housing and life skills to homeless women and their children, this public change of opinion has significant ramifications. The more the issue is being talked about, the more awareness there will be of the gravity of homelessness. Moreover, the huge need that organizations, such as HOME face, will become more self evident. We help clients get back on their feet by boosting financial literacy, employability, and housing stability. HOME offers on-site life skills training, counseling, and intensive case management. Now is the time to get involved and help others who were once in your shoes. Help us break the cycle of homelessness in Osceola County. Volunteering is the easiest way to make a difference, click here to sign up for our next training event.

*Post by Albery Melo, Program Assistant for HOME. Albery works to bring volunteers and HOME residents together in a partnership so that our families can become self-sufficient and manages our life-skills program. Sphere: Related Content