APRIL.17.2009
8 FEATURES
FEATURES 9
Striving through struggle Student continues to attend high school despite poverty, homelessness First Impressions On a cold day in January Freshman Brenda* had no idea how quickly her life would change as she moved from the only house she knew to the Salvation Army. “When I realized the Salvation Army had become my new home I knew that life had no meaning,” said Brenda. Brenda became one of the 88,000 people, including adults, youth, and children in the state of Indiana that are homeless. According to Indiana.gov, studies show that 36 percent to 40 percent of the homeless population is made up of families with children. Brenda recalls her first memory of the Salvation Army being like a jail. “When we opened the door they had to ring us in and then we all signed a whole bunch of papers,” said Brenda. The shelter then fed Brenda and her family a standard lunch consisting of a sandwich, a bag of chips, cookies and a juice. They then went to the upper level of the shelter to the area that would become their living chambers. There are housing areas for singles that are separated from the housing areas for whole families. Once Brenda and her family settled in their chamber they all began praying. “I asked God to help us get out and never go through it again,” said Brenda.
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switch and rotate in and out of schools during the school year. According to Indiana.gov, 35 percent of homeless children that transfer schools have to repeat a grade level and 78 percent of those children have poor attendance. Their lack of attendance is often caused by poor health, difficultly enrolling in schools, emotional problems and trouble finding transportation. Each school system has a liaison for their township, which is the coordinator for the families and the school system. Currently Jamie Schroll is Lawrence Township’s liaison. She has been filling in for Sarah Cross since September while Cross is on medical leave. Schroll is a kindergarten teacher at Forest Glen Elementary School in the morning and performs her liaison duties in the afternoon. Schroll has noticed that in Lawrence Township there have been numerous amounts of student homes that have either been foreclosed or many families have been evicted, but it is hard for her to provide help and services to families in need when they do not desire the help or may be too ashamed to ask for it. “Homelessness is a change that occurs in the family’s dynamic that is often difficult to admit when it should be addressed,” said Schroll. “Often times families want to take care of themselves because they’re not looking for a handout.”
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Nicole Burts REPORTER
I want for my dreams to come true. For me to become a singer and director in movies, so this would never happen to me or my family again.
Brenda lives in the shelter with her three sisters, her brother and her mother. Brenda and her family have been homeless three times, but this is their first time staying in a shelter. There are four bunk beds inside their living chamber and Brenda shares one of the beds with her younger sister. Brenda wakes up first in the morning and gets in the shower and gets dressed. Once she is dressed, she wakes up her other siblings so they can get ready for school and they all wait downstairs together for the bus to come. A school bus from the township comes and picks Brenda up at the shelter at 6:30 a.m. There are five additional students that ride the bus with Brenda in the morning. Four of the students go to Fall Creek Valley Middle School and Craig Middle School and another student attends LN along with Brenda. This transportation is made possible through the McKinneyVento Act, a national law that was passed to keep homeless students in their school of origin so they would not have to constantly
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In Brenda’s circumstance, none of her family members know that she and her immediate family are staying in a shelter. “My mom didn’t want us to tell any of our family. She told us they would just dog us or make fun of us,” said
Brenda. Guidance Counselor Shelia Allen feels very positive about giving students in such circumstances as Powell the alternative of choosing their school. “They have the right to continue at our school and if they want to go to LN we have to provide transportation,” said Allen. “By keeping them at the school it gives them a sense of continuity.” Brenda has found a way to deal with the frustration and pain she feels from her current situation and find a “mental escape.” “I just ignore it and write. I write all the time, I usually write several plays about feelings and what goes on in the world,” said Brenda. Brenda has one wish to make her situation better and to achieve financial security. “I want for my dreams to come true. For me to become a singer and director in movies, so this would never happen to me or my family again,” said Brenda.
*Name has been changed.
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Staying In School
Moving Forward
Homeless shelters serve community Rosemary Pritchett-Montavon REPORTER A naked girl who had escaped a situation of physical abuse found her way to The Caring Place on the corner of 22nd Street and College Avenue. “She didn’t want to go to the hospital until she had come to talk to us at The Caring Place. The people living around there, they can come straight to us,” senior Chad-Michael Temple said. The Caring Place, a satellite location of Calvary Temple, provides a place for entire families to get food, clothes, and time to have fun. They host a breakfast for the homeless on Mondays and Tuesdays. On Saturdays, children are invited for a church service that includes games and a worship experience. Because his dad is the pastor of Calvary Temple, Temple has grown up at The Caring Place. “On the outside, the whole building is a big mural. On the inside, it has a stage like an auditorium with chairs set up, and we play loud Christian hip-hop music. It’s basically a big, loud, fun place for kids to go,” Temple said. Overall, The Caring Place serves the whole family in the neighborhood. “If [people in the neighborhood] need anything, it’s a positive place for them to clear their minds. If they can’t put food on the table, we can get them whatever they need,” Temple said. Homeless shelters in the Indianapolis area can also serve in this way through passing out food and clothing, providing access to medical clinics and fostering enrichment programs. “In its most basic form, the homeless shelter offers emergency shelter to those in need, in other words, a place to sleep at night and perhaps even a place to hang out during the day,” said Mike McKenzie, Assistant Director of Mission Services at Wheeler Mission Ministries. Because Wheeler Mission offers both a men and women’s shelter along with other services, McKenzie sees Wheeler Mission as “much more than simple a homeless shelter.”
McKenzie works with the men’s emergency shelter on Delaware Street. Within the course of his job, he does not encounter the stigmas of homelessness. He explains that the people that Wheeler Mission works with understand what they do. “In general, many people not familiar with our work may believe that all homeless are uneducated, or come from broken homes, or are simply lazy bums. While it is true that some are uneducated, many come from broken homes. There are just as many individual stories and circumstances among the homeless as there are among the people in your neighborhood or school or church,” McKenzie said. Michelle Jackson, Volunteer Coordinator and Coordinator of Material Donations at Dayspring Center, explains that awareness of the issue of homelessness is instrumental to Dayspring Center’s work. Founded in 1986, Dayspring Center works to provide shelter, clothing and food to families in need. Today, they provide three meals a day and a heated place to sleep for 53 residents, which includes over 35 children. “We provide housing and resources for families, and also making everyone aware of the issues having to do with homelessness,” Jackson said. Dayspring Center works to get families back on their feet and to break the ongoing cycle of homelessness. Fostering this kind of second chance is also the purpose of Wheeler Mission, which is why the organization depends on those who are willing to donate their time and monetary gifts to help provide all of Wheeler Mission’s services at no cost. “The best way to help the homeless is by supporting those organizations and agencies that serve them. You can do that by giving financially or by volunteering your time or both. In most cases it’s better to direct someone to the place that can help them in the long term, not just for one meal,” McKenzie said. After volunteering with those in need the first 18 years of his life , Temple has a second home serving at The Caring Place. “I’m building friends and it’s really cool to know that you’re impacting these kids for eternity,” Temple said. “I honestly love it and would recommend it to anyone in the school.”
Racial, Ethnic Breakdown of Homeless Population 3%
Asian
4% 12%
Native American Hispanic
49% 32%
Caucasian African Americans
Homelessness Statistics
28% said they sometimes or often do not get enough to eat. 44% did paid work during the past month. 66% of the homeless have problems with alcohol, drug abuse or mental illness.
7% have been sexually assaulted. 43% of the homeless population are women.
WWW.GRABSTATS.COM/ INFORMATION
25%
of
homeless women claim to have been abused with in the past year. Families with children comprise
Call For Help Homeless Initiative Program: 317-931-3055 Coalition For Homelessness Intervention and Prevention: 317-630-0853 Homeless & Reentry Helpers Inc.: 317-547-0500
33% constitute
of the homeless population. Veterans
40%
of the homeless population.
25% of the homeless nationwide are employed. WWW.GRABSTATS.COM/ INFORMATION