Food For Thought - Youth Homelessness 

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Looking around society you may see what you want to see, refusing to remove the blinders and seeing what the big picture contains in your community.  You may see issues you thought unimaginable and never thought would occur.  Homelessness is an issue many do not take into consideration and when people are shown results and statistics they are shocked, speechless at what seemed like an issue of insignificance.

Many people see homeless and judge them based on the stereotypical homeless person in which they are only looking for money to use for substances and not to restart their life.  Typically this is not the case at all, as most individuals have their own legitimate story as to why they do not have a home. Most citizens are forced to leave due to mental or substance use problems.  This is not the only reason, as many are forced to flee from their homes due to domestic violence or a loss of a job, having income too low to afford a suitable lifestyle.  With these situations, people have no other choice but to live on the streets and try to manage everyday life with little necessities.

The “Greater Moncton Homelessness Steering Committee” was established in 2000 and was developed to work towards creating public awareness about issues surrounding homelessness.  The committee associates with the homeless population and provides a voice for the less fortunate.  The committee is associated with two institutions that provide assistance and shelter for the homeless.  The “House of Nazareth” held 682 clients in which each client stayed an average of 6 nights where 11 beds were filled and a total of 24 452 meals were served.  The “Harvest House” is a new building being constructed with 24 beds but there have currently been no statistics posted. 

Homeless have depended on food banks and soup kitchens increasingly and the facilities have contributed drastically.  In Canada, food bank use has increased by 28% and 18% in New Brunswick between the years of 2008 and 2010.  Current statistics show that out of 6 994 individuals using food banks in 2010, 37% were children, 17% struggled with employment income, and 52% received social assistance.  Unfortunately, youth are among the many who struggle with the issue of homelessness.  These are significant statistics and it is troubling to see that children are among the highest level that are affected by this issue. 

Within Jack Layton's book "Homelessness - How to End a National Crisis", he talks about different areas and how homelessness has developed and effected these places significantly enough to stand out and make people aware of the current situation which is occurring.  He states that homelessness is not just a Toronto problem and has hit hard among many places in Canada.  Layton discusses the multiple areas where homelessness is an issue and it is stated that within Halifax, according to Marilyn Berry, head of a homeless shelter for women and children, "every day a woman becomes homeless in the Halifax Regional Municipality". (p.123)  Within Moncton, he states that the "House of Nazareth" has reported a growing number of clients in current years and demand for shelters.  Layton states that "other studies have shown that abuse, incest, and neglect are often at the root of the family situations that drive young people onto the streets" (p.120).

"Food-bank volume has doubled over the past 10 years with a 6% increase in 1999 alone" (p.175)

People in the community are strongly encouraged to help and contribute to the homelessness issue.  Ways you can help include: educating yourself and others on the issues as well as volunteering you time at facilities such as food banks and soup kitchens, donating food and other necessities.   Also help change attitudes towards homeless, illuminating derogatory language; negative comments and ways people may view these specific people.  If everyone contributes even in a small way, it can still develop a huge difference in the way that homeless live and get through each day.  It takes many people to make such a significant issue disappear, as it requires the cooperation of the entire community as well as the government’s assistance to eliminate this major concern.  Be a helping hand and reach out to those willing to take it!

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Unfortunately, alcohol and/or drug addiction is the leading cause to why so many people are homeless.  This is not the only cause, as we can see, but considering it is so high, people relate back to the stereotypical homeless person, continuing to be reluctant in helping and supporting them.

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 The Canadian views on Homelessness and people's opinion on the situation within their neighbourhood.  Their statement on whether they feel comfortable living with the circumstances of the current event.

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This video informs us of a young woman's life story.  It involves an interview with a 25 year old woman named Terra and her experience living on the streets of Toronto, Ontario.  She talks about life on the streets, shelters, criminalization as well as the general view from her perspective for the last 5 months of her life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1sT44x4BXw&feature=relmfu








References


- 2011. Greater Moncton Homelessness Steering Committee ( Power Point Slides ). Retrieved from       http://monctonhomelessness.org/

- Layton, J. (2008). Homelessness: How to End the National Crisis. Toronto, ON: Penguin Canada.