Download Inform the Homeless - St. Edwards University

Autonomy Lost:
Living Without Choice
The Information Age
These vehicles
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The Internet
Advertisements
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Newspapers
Mail
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Billboards
Television
Radio
Periodicals
Surveys
Catalogues
411
transport
this information
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Doctors
Laws/Annuities/Taxes
Employment
Restaurants
Entertainment
Transportation
Medicine
Goods
Services
Information provides choice
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Picture life without:
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The internet
A phone
Television
Radio
Car
How does this thought make you feel?
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Helpless, Hopeless
Lost, Distraught
Powerless
The homeless live without this information
network upon which we have come to depend
Information prevents helplessness
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One is empowered when
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one knows what to do
one has a choice
Homeless live without information enough to
be empowered, to know what to do, or to
make a choice
Autonomy
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3rd Categorical Imperative
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The homeless are not often able to forego their
actions
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“Because I am responsible for my own actions, I must be
the true author of them. Hence, I must be able to forego
performing them. I must be able to do otherwise.” - Pojman
Survival dictates their actions
Without choice, how does one have autonomy?
Value and Dignity
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“We depend for our self-image on the
humans immediately around us - to the point
of altering our perceptions of the world so as
to fit in with theirs.”
–
Barbara Ehrenreich
“Their status is an anti-status.”
- Michael Rowe
Dennis and Smitty
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Dennis (53)
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Has been a carpenter
since he was 11
Mother has Alzheimer's
While napping, was once
attacked by a man with a
crowbar
Afraid of downtown
Desperately wants a job
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Smitty (48)
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Is a Desert Storm vet
Wife kicked him out
Is desperate for pro bono
legal aid
Doesn’t know where to
go for legal aid
Is ashamed of his
situation
Survey 1
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Spoke with 5 homeless people for 1 to 2
hours each.
Learned their stories and what daily life was
like for them.
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No one wanted to be homeless
Everyone was ashamed of their situation
Everyone wanted to work
No choice
Quotes:
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“My life is being wasted.”
“Right now I’m in a ditch. Like that one right
there. I’m down there. I know I can do
better.”
“God bless you.”
“You are a real sweetheart. I can’t tell you
how much this meant to me.”
“My day just got a lot better.”
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil
is that good men do nothing.”
- Edmund Burke
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How is it possible, within a society as rich
and advanced as ours, with as many aid
programs as we have available, that this
problem persists?
We aren’t “doing nothing”…
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Many homeless programs/services exist
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See handout
BUT there is a GAP between services and:
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need
Homeless awareness of services offered
Homeless motivation
What I discovered: Survey 2
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Almost everyone had heard of MLF/ARCH/S Army
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By far the most well known services
No one had heard of Habitat on Wheels or I Am Here
No one had heard of medical help – “just call 911”
At Least half of the people I spoke with needed legal
aid and didn’t know where to get it
Bottom Line: No one is aware of all services
available to them but most had heard of MLF
What Can Be Done?
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What is a possible first step toward
empowering the homeless?
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Increasing Awareness
Create maps to pass out
Distribute through MLF truck network
A good way to improve service efficacy
Example:
= Mobile Loaves & Fishes Truck Stop
= ARCH
VALIDATION:
Others also working to improve awareness!
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Mobile Loaves and Fishes (MLF)
House the Homeless, Inc.
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Many employees are homeless or formerly homeless
MLF Truck Stops - ONLINE
Housing the Homeless
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The Plastic Pocket Guide
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Produced by House the Homeless, Inc.
Very Comprehensive!
BUT
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No Map!
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If a homeless person can’t access the internet,
how can they find the places? Or a bus route to
get there?
Distributed through ECHO
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No one that I spoke with had a plastic pocket
guide
The issue has been recognized
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There is a gap between available aid and
those in need
We need to bridge this gap
Idea - Weaving
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MLF has the right idea: going to where the
homeless live
Provide MLF with maps to pass out
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use the network that they already have in affect
Work with HTH to create a map to go with
their plastic pocket guide and to use MLF for
distribution
Tomorrow
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I will take this action and contribute to my
fellow man thusly
I know that improved efficacy is attainable
Society will be judged on the manner
in which it treats the least of its kind
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"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth,
whatever you did for one of the least of these
brothers of mine, you did for me.'
–
Matthew 25:40
Appendix
Mobile Loaves and Fishes
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“Providing food, clothing, and dignity to our
brothers and sisters in need.”
Trucks that travel to different points of the
city to disperse meals to the homeless and
indigent
I Am Here
Habitat on Wheels
http://www.mlfnow.org/site/PageServer
House the Homeless
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Mission: Education and Advocacy of the Homeless
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Let’s get to work initiative
http://www.housethehomeless.org/lets-get-to-work-initiative/
Universal Living Wage
2010 health survey:
http://www.housethehomeless.org/hth-health-surveyresults-2010/
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“Given the number of persons experiencing various types of
cancer (26) and number of people with other disabling
conditions (186) as when compared to those receiving
disability benefits (108) indicates that this is again a
seriously under served faction of our community.”
Available Social Services
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ARCH (Austin’s Resource Center for the
Homeless)
Salvation Army
Austin Baptist Chapel
Lifeworks Street Outreach for Youth
Caritas
Trinity Center
Baptist Community Center
Available Prepared Meals
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Congregational Church of Austin
Austin Baptist Church
Caritas Community Kitchen
Salvation Army
University Avenue Church of Christ
Community of Christ Church
Trinity United Methodist
University United Methodist
Mobile Loaves & Fishes
Available Groceries/Food Pantries
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El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Center
Baptist Community Center
Available Shelter
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Salvation ARMy
Women and Children Shelter
Casa Marianella
Lifeworks Street Outreach for Youth
Transitional Living facility (18 – 23yo)
ARCH
Housing Authority and Section 8 - apply
Travis County Housing Authority - apply
Cold Weather Shelter (call ARCH or Lifeworks)
Available Medical Care
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Salvation Army Homeless Clinic
ARCH
Volunteer Health Clinic
Lifeworks Street Outreach (at Congregational
Church of Austin)
AIDS Services of Austin
Baptist Community Center (prescriptions)
Available Mental Health Care
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ACCESS (MHMR) – at ARCH
Suicide Prevention (MHMR)
Safeplace
Austin Recovery
Alcoholics Anonymous
Available Dental Care
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Jack Sansing Dental Clinic (HIV+ only)
Manos De Cristo Dental Clinic
Mobile Dental Clinic
Available Legal Aid/Advocacy
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Legal Aid for the Homeless (at ARCH)
UT Criminal Defense Clinic
American Gateways
Family Law Hotline
National Domestic Violence Hotline
House the Homeless (at ARCH)
Project Help
Available for Veterans
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Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic
The Vet Center PTSD
Travis Co. Veteran Services
Available Other
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Capital Metro (bus route info)
Christian Service Center (for ID, Birth Cert)