Homeless Count

The informational training session that was hosted by G. Baldwin as actually very in sighting. Of course, I knew about the homeless population because of the attention from the news that is given to them and the areas that they inhabit within the city, especially in the city of St. Petersburg. Coming from a metropolitan city like Detroit, MI, I am accustomed to seeing the homeless and those who are pressed on their luck. I was not prepared to see what I witnessed at Williams Park in downtown St. Petersburg. I have never seen such a concentration of homeless individuals in one outside place. It wad mind-boggling for me. I was taken aback for a moment.

Mr. Baldwin had the class re-elaborate on the actual meaning of being homeless. There were many different answers with none of them really being of the wrong choice. Homelessness was classified into three categories; 1) being without a residence, 2) lack of a permanent stable residence, and 3) living with family and/or friends until stabilized. When I thought of one who may be homeless, I think of a single individual who may have lost their job, lacked education, or just abused some sort of drug. During the presentation I learned that the fastest number of homelessness consists of families, due mainly to foreclosures of their homes. The children are hidden so that they are not at risk of being taken by the state authorities.

Upon enlightening the class of the Homeless Count done by Pinellas County on an annual basis, he introduced the class to G.W. Rolle. Mr. Rolle once was homeless himself by means of losing his place of residence and in-turn not being able to keep himself properly groomed for his job as a cook. Mr. Rolle works with the Faces of Homelessness Bureau so as to try to affect young adults by giving them a better understand of who the homeless actually are. Young adults would violently attack the homeless for just being homeless and on the streets. They will not take into consideration that that individual is someone's father, mother, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, or cousin. That person may even be a distant relative of theirs.

It was a shock to find out that within the county of Pinellas that there is 800,000 a night and 2.5 million a day of people who are considered homeless. Sadly, with numbers like that, there four to six more animal shelters than that of homeless shelters, Do we as a society care more about the well-being of our animals than that of man-kind? I am pretty sure that it would not cost a community too much to have a bit more facilities for the homeless to go to for assistance and shelter. The Faces of Homelessness Bureau is an agency trying to humanize homelessness and the 700 families within Pinellas County.

It is sad how we would separate ourselves from those less fortunate than ourselves. The city of Detroit itself was notorious to separating the wealthy from the middle-class, and the middle-class from the poverty stricken, and treating the homeless like cattle. During the years of the freeway, the I-96, I-94, I-75, Davison, Lodge, and Southfield expressways have been placed right through neighborhoods with many people being displaced. Few neighborhoods were saved, but it is hard to fight for a cause when federal, state, and municipal governments are working together. Interstate 96,75, and 94 separated the whites from the blacks and prohibited the residents from being able to sell their depreciated homes. The Lodge separated the middle-class blacks from the low-class blacks into neighborhoods known as Paradise Valley and Black Bottom.

This informational presentation opened my eyes on how I actually view the homeless and had me analyze more before I judge the individual of just why they are on the streets and pan-handling. One do not know the situation that occurred which caused a homeless person to be financially distraught. It can happen to any one of us at any given time.

http://www.pinellashomeless.org