Spring 2002

_______________________

Who Are the Homeless?

by Mary Ellen Moore

                    Twenty-two percent of homeless people are

                    veterans. There are more homeless veterans today

                    than U.S. soldiers who died in Vietnam.

        The average age of a homeless person in the United

                    States is NINE YEARS OLD. 

        In the U.S., twenty-nine percent of homeless families

                    that have ever received Temporary Assistance to Needy

                    Families (TANF) reported having their benefits cut or

                    reduced in the last six months.

                    In Chicago, twenty-two percent of homeless people are

                    currently employed.  Twenty-five percent have been

                    unemployed for more than one year.  Thirty-three

                    percent have never been employed.

                    Sixteen percent of homeless people spent time in foster

                    care; group homes shelters or welfare hotels before they

                    were 18 years of age.

                    In Chicago, 47% of homeless families have been

                    homeless more than once.

                    As many 25-40% of homeless people work full or

                    Part-time, but cannot afford to pay rent.

                      A person must work full-time and earn at least

                    $8.29/hour to reach the federal poverty level for a family

                    of four ($16,588).   According to the most recent

                    Census Bureau report, 2.3 million people worked

                    full-time in 1997 yet were below the poverty line.

                    In Chicago, a family of four must earn an annual income

                    of $33,775 to meet a basic budget including rent,

                    transportation and childcare.

                    A full-time worker at the minimum wage of $5.15/hr.

                    earns an annual income of $10,300 before taxes.

                    Minimum-wage jobs generally provide no benefits such

                    as health insurance or daycare, nor do they provide

                    opportunity for advancement.

                    Between 1980 and 1998, the average pay of working

                    people increased just 68%, while CEO compensation

                    grew by 1,596%. The average CEO of a major

                    corporation made $10.6 million in 1998, 419 times more

                    than an average blue-collar worker.

                    Cause: Lack of Health and Supportive Services

                    The mortality rate for a homeless person is 3-4 times

                    higher than that of the general public.

        A national study indicated that thirteen percent of

                    homeless individuals became homeless due to health

                    problems.

                    Homeless individuals are 10-15 times more likely to

                    suffer from gangrene, gout, and ulcerations resulting in

                    amputation; 2-3 times more likely to suffer from

                    gastro-intestinal disorders; and 2-4 times more prone to

                    hypertension.

                    Twenty to twenty-five percent of homeless people suffer

                    from serious mental illness.

                     Impact of Homelessness on Children

                     Families with children are the fastest-growing segment of the

                     homeless population. Homelessness has a particularly

                     devastating impact on children. One problem that often arises

                         is a disruption in schooling as homeless children are forced to

                         change schools repeatedly and miss many days in the school

                         year.

                         It takes an average of 4-6 months for a child to recover

                         academically from a change in schools.

                         66% of students who missed 20 or more school days

                         during first, second, or third grade will drop out of

                         school.

                         50% of all children in shelters show signs of anxiety and

                         depression.

                         Children in shelters show as high as a 70% rate of

                         delay in immunizations, compared to 22% among

                         low-income children who are housed.

I Knew My Life Could be Different

by Mary Ellen Moore

"I knew I had reached the bottom and I knew I did not ever want to be here again.  I never wanted to be homeless again.  From the day I came, I decided that this would be my chance to make things different for my future."  That's what Sandra told us the evening of the Open House in December.

She found some papers and looked at what jobs would be stable, what jobs could pay a decent wage, what jobs would continue and probably not disappear too quickly when the economy shifted.

She read an article that students were needed for Mortician school.  "That was it" she thought, "I can do that."  She wrote and got the information and  began to study.  She used her time at Casa to study, to get what she needed.  She wanted to have a steady job and to never be homeless again.

She is an example of Casa's success stories. She used the time and program at Casa just the way we hope it can be used. She took the opportunity to turn her life around.  And, like the other women, she took the time on a busy Sunday afternoon right before Christmas to come back and say "thank you", not only to the staff but through them to all of you who helped make her story possible. Today, Sandra is finishing the last part of her training in Mortician school and will qualify as a trained Mortician by this summer. We hope to have more of her story in a following newsletter.

Life-Long Accompaniment

by Mary Ellen Moore

The phone rings.  As Sally picks up, she hears a familiar voice. It's a voice that is tired or discouraged, disappointed or overwhelmed!  It's a voice that needs contact, a little stability, or simply a little reassurance that someone still cares.  There can be a number of these calls during a week.  When Sally asks the familiar question, "where did the time go today?"  Often, the answer includes, supporting our former residents who are now out continuing to try and make it on their own.

 

As the stages of life unfold, we recognize that we are not entirely alone to face the challenges that life throws at us.  In childhood we have our parents, in adolescence we often have a peer group or trusted friend.  Likewise as we move through the different stages of adulthood, we have wisdom figures, spouses, parents, mentors, counselors or spiritual directors who offer an emotional connection when the challenges seem overwhelming.

 

At Casa, our women also need those lifelong supportive relationships. They are important anchors in theses young women's lives.  At the root of homelessness is often the discovery of fractured relationships, family ties that have never truly been established.  Therefore, as we help the women of Casa to rebuild their lives, they don't just get a job, get permanent housing and "live happily ever after."  Life continues to throw curve balls in their direction and even with the best of intentions, they falter at moments not knowing where to go or where to turn. 

 

We have discovered that there is indeed, continued work to be done.  There is a place for a "graduate hot-line" or support group, that our women can continue to call where they are in need of help.  It is becoming more evident to us that this is a vital part of our ministry here at Casa, to help women who are on their feet, stay on their feet, when they are walking on a little bit of ice.

 

We are beginning to understand that to make a commitment to the homeless is a little bit like a marriage.  One engages in it for the long haul, for better and worse, through sickness and health.  It is a long-term accompaniment.