What can be done to aid and support the people who are homeless?

A simply defined problem demands a simply thought out answer: if the problem is a lack of housing, the obvious solution is housing. However, the complexity of the effects homelessness has on people requires more than just providing a home. In Denver, approximately 86% of homeless individuals attributed the following as the cause(s) to their situation: loss of employment, inability to afford the cost of housing, fragmented family life. Therefore, one must look into solutions to those causes. Perhaps acquiring and keeping housing is the end goal, but the means of getting there varies upon the cause. If loss of employment is an obstacle for an individual, the best means of assistance may be to provide them with tools and resources to obtain a job and stay hired. If the issue is a fragmented family life, the individual may need support and a stable place to be while determining future steps, but may not need any form of employment help at all. Some people may need a lot of help and some people may need very little, but it is important to remember that there is not a one size fits all solution to homelessness. That’s why the simplified answer of “providing a house” isn’t always enough if a person has no means of paying the bills.

How do we redefine homelessness?

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, recognizing the many aspects of homelessness, defined homelessness in a more comprehensive way so as to create a better fit the population who receives assistance from HUD funded programs. The four categories of homelessness are: [iv] Though these definitions are not perfect, their specifications help to pinpoint a fuller understanding of what homelessness is.

What is the role of Earthlinks in the expansive issue of homelessness in Metro-Denver?

At Earthlinks, there is a strong belief that the best approach to a fulfilling life is a holistic approach. Earthlinks strives to create a positive atmosphere in which a community can build and thrive. Participants can plant in and enjoy the foods from the organic garden as well as utilize them to create Earth friendly products for Earth friendly use- feeding both the body and the soul.

EarthLinks provides participants with opportunities to build and enhance their creativity and self confidence as well as create a community. The resources provided for participants as well as the skill building workshops all help participants find the help they need during difficult times.

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Footnotes

[iv] End Homelessness.org Federal Policy Brief http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/3006

What does it mean to be homeless?

The official definition of homelessness according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is overly simplified as “having no home or permanent place of residence”. When one over simplifies the issue of homelessness, the intricate factors surrounding homelessness and what it truly means to be homeless are ignored.

Who are “the homeless”?

Homelessness is more than just a phenomenon for politicians to address. Everyday 11,377[i] men, women, and children in the Denver Metro Area experience homeless.

The Merriam-Webster definition falls short of describing the very human aspect of homelessness. Anyone who drives through downtown Denver will at some point look out of the window and see someone with a cardboard sign saying something along the lines of “Homeless. Anything helps.” Though those who panhandle are a minority in Denver’s homeless population, they are who we envision as “the homeless”. This view practically eliminates the 40%[ii] of the homeless population that holds a job, as well as the 62%[iii] of the population that is families with children. So, if we cannot properly identify the homeless how can we even begin to determine the reasons they became homeless in the first place?

Footnotes

[i] Point in time survey through Metro Denver Homeless Initiative

[ii] Provided by Denver’s Road Home educational video

[iii] Point in time survey through Metro Denver Homeless Initiative

Click here to see the rest of the At the Roots series.

About the blogger

Hello! My name is Ana Gutierrez, EarthLinks intern and Public Policy student at the University of Denver. I heard about EarthLinks after volunteering for many years in the non-profit sector serving homeless and low-income individuals. EarthLinks has opened my eyes to the small things that we all can do to live healthy and Earth friendly lives.

About the blog

I’ve created this blog series to help anyone, from people who just heard of EarthLinks to people who have been involved with EarthLinks for years, better understand the roots of what EarthLinks works with on a daily basis. For example, why sustainability is important, or what causes homelessness. It’s good to understand that homelessness is an issue and sustainability is a need for the Earth, but it is also important to understand the facts and the background involving these issues. Information is power and understanding the issue strengthens the desire and ability to create positive change.

What topics you can look forward to in this series:

• Homelessness and Urban Poverty
• Sustainability
• What EarthLinks Does

See you next post!

Click here to see the rest of the At The Roots series.

EarthLinks Community Links

Monthly Open House

learn | build | sustain | grow

PEOPLE + THE PLANET

Saturday, February 11, 2012
2828 Larimer Street, Denver
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

• Worm Composting Workshop, 10am to noon: Join Kelly Shinn, Master Community Gardener and EarthLinks’ resident Worm Whisperer for this special hands-on workshop! Learn how to build and maintain a healthy vermicompost system, a great indoor alternative to composting that will keep your garden and houseplants lush and vibrant year-round! Kelly will answer all your wormy questions, from absolute novices to more experienced gardeners. $5.00 suggested donation.
• Valentine’s Shopping: Our EarthLinks Workshop Store will be open from 10am to 3pm, so come pick up beautiful, handmade gifts for your sweetheart, including locally grown and pressed flower cards, vases, and candle-holders. Bee Works soap and lotion bars made from EarthLinks’ beeswax. There are many more Earth-friendly products made by EarthLinks’ participants!
• Tour EarthLinks: Visit the garden and workshop, and talk to the experts and participants who make EarthLinks possible.

EarthLinks Community Links is a monthly open house that promotes garden-based skills for sustainable urban lifestyles. The events feature experts and participants of EarthLinks, an innovative, urban nonprofit in Denver that provides a work program for people who are homeless and low-income to learn skills and create Earth-friendly products that sustain people and the planet.

For more information, contact us at 303.389.0085 or cody@earthlinks-colorado.org.

Support EarthLinks on the second annual Colorado Gives Day! On December 6, 2011, Coloradans across the state will come together again to raise millions of dollars for nonprofits like EarthLinks. Last year, the goal to raise $1 million for Colorado charities was exceeded — $8.7 million was distributed instead! We’re looking to double our donations over last year’s Colorado Gives Day, with a goal to raise $6,000 for EarthLinks!

Presented once again by Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day asks you to give to your favorite charities through the website GivingFirst.org, an online giving resource featuring all of the nonprofits participating in Colorado Gives Day.

• 100% of your donation will come to us when you give through GivingFirst.org.
• When you give online anytime on December 6, the value of your donation will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund.
• Help us win cash prizes! We have a chance to win $1,000 Bonus Bucks and $5,000 High Five cash prizes when you remember us on Colorado Gives Day.

Donate online at GivingFirst.org/EarthLinks any time over the 24-hour period of December 6 to help EarthLinks Sustain People + the Planet!