Yes, They Can: Homeless, but not Helpless

Neil Panchal

yestheycan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:10:34 +0000

I am Neil Panchal, a senior at Georgia Tech majoring in Mechanical Engineering. With an opportunity of helping the homeless, the HPS 1040 class has allowed me to not only learn about achieving a healthy lifestyle, but also help others to achieve it. I have had an opportunity to help the homeless by providing necessary help for resume building and shaping their career interests.

Eagle’s Nest Resource Center had organized a Saturday resume building session. It was held at a small place with a resourceful computer cluster. Attached are some pictures taken at the facility as we aided the homeless individuals. In today’s modern world, it is necessary to learn and use computers. The homeless people who arrived at the facility were clearly computer illiterate. Along with a half-a-dozen team members, we provided the necessary advice for resume building. They provided information regarding their past experiences and future endeavors. We helped them by giving them a constructive feedback on what a professional resume comprises of and how to put their career interests across prospective employers. Indeed, a stable employment is a key part of once’s survival in the modern economy and resume building is just one step towards a bright future. A good employment can not only raise the standards of living but also improve their health conditions by attaining a healthy lifestyle.

I am glad to have made a difference through Eagle’s Nest Resource Center and I wish all the best to the homeless individuals needing help.

Scott Morrison

yestheycan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:13:12 +0000

I worked with Eagle’s Nest (http://www.eaglesnestministry.org/) and Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless (http://www.hoseafeedthehungry.com/). We chose these organizations, because they are reaching out, blessing, and uplifting the homeless community. They respect the value of human life and are helping homeless get off the streets. At the Eagle’s Nest we helped a man who needed to write and print some stuff out for a court case. I learned that it’s best when helping people like that to let them learn it themselves and not do all the work. That way, they develop their own skill and self-confidence to do marketable work. At Hosea, we directed homeless people to different stations: barber, clothes, food, work application, and prayer. I helped serve food, silver wear, and drinks to the homeless people. I really enjoyed seeing the smiles on their faces and hope in their eyes.

Scott Morrison

Aayush Daftari

yestheycan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:11:16 +0000

It is not one day in everyone’s life that you do not come across a homeless person, may it be while going to work or school, or going to the grocery store. So busy and self-occupied, that rarely does someone stand and talk to them, hear their side of the story. With the numerous opportunities and options before us in selecting a HPS project, I am glad to have been part of the team to volunteer and share information, and most importantly listen to the homeless in Atlanta.

I had the opportunity to go to Eagle’s Nest Resource Center for volunteering. Talking to the coordinator on Saturday, I learnt that they offer breakfast and computer services over the weekend. On hearing that they offer computer services to help the homeless to use a computer, make resumes and add/edit documents, I jumped on the offer. What better way for a Georgia Tech engineer to offer his technological services for the good of another, and help them make a new beginning.

I met a homeless man who had run into some problems in his life. While he was sharing his experiences, I realized that they are no different from us; only difference was an unfortunate event that changed his life. I helped him with some paperwork and making a resume. After this experience, I realized the importance of channeling a few of our resources towards such individuals, as they are as competent as us, with a little less fortune. With a little encouragement, and a helping hand even they can stand up on their own feet and thus proving to everyone that ‘Yes They Can’.
- Aayush Daftari

Eagles Nest Resource Center

yestheycan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:00:12 +0000

I am Maanasa Kona, a senior at Georgia Tech. These past four years I have been living in what we call the ‘Tech bubble.’ Campus conveniently ends at 10th Street on one side and North Ave on the other. Once in a while, however, our bubble is pierced by a very common occurrence, running into a homeless person. It is easy while driving by an intersection and seeing a homeless person, to lock your car doors and pretend like this part of the world does not exist. As I am about to graduate, I feel like I need to reorient myself to the harsher realities of the world.

Through this project, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting with Shawn Hong, an organizer for the Eagles Nest Resource Center’s Saturday activities. I was interested in the unique concept of the center. This was basically a mini computer lab, where the homeless could come for help with various tasks. Students from various universities around Atlanta help the homeless learn how to use computers, build a resume, create and edit documents. When one thinks of the homeless, one immediately thinks of total helplessness. After first hand interaction, I can safely say that this is not the case. Some of them, at least the ones I met with, were determined to change their lot and steer their life towards a better direction.

I believe that along with soup kitchens, homeless shelters which take care of the basic amenities for the homeless, these kinds of resource centers are equally important. In the end it all boils down to the saying, ” Give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish, he’ll never go hungry again.”

Humphries pictures

yestheycan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:47:36 +0000

Experiences with the Eagle’s Nest Mission Atlanta

yestheycan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:45:01 +0000

My name is Swetha Krishnakumar, and I am a student in Dr. Snow’s HPS1040J class. As a part of the “Yes They Can” team, I volunteered at the Eagle’s Nest Ministry in Atlanta serving breakfast to the homeless. This was a unique experience for me. While I have been involved in various community service organizations, these organizations have generally been of an international nature or involved working with children. This was the first opportunity I have had to work with adults in Atlanta.

Working with the veteran volunteers, I learned about how Eagle’s Nest had progressed from its operations in a run-down building using a makeshift kitchen without proper amenities to their current location where they can serve the surrounding homeless community in a proper dining area with food made in a proper kitchen.

I had the opportunity to experience the full range of activities involved in serving breakfast. Beginning with the arrangement of breakfast plates and the preparation of juice and coffee, I also helped with serving the drinks. Through about three shifts throughout the breakfast period, I helped with serving and preparing breakfast. We also helped make carry-out boxes for those who were unable to stay for breakfast. In the end, we cleaned the tables and swept and mopped up the floors.

It was an eye-opening experience to work with these volunteers who had spent years doing this. They spoke of how much of these homeless people had been neglected. However, not only did they make these observations, but they worked to ensure that changes could be implemented. Through serving food, providing showers, and resume development sessions, the Eagle’s Nest Ministry has worked to provide means for the homeless to overcome their circumstances and break the cycle of poverty.

Therefore, the work done with the homeless promotes physical as well as emotional and intellectual health. Not only are they provided with meals to cater to their physical needs, but providing shower amenities and help with resume development enables emotional and intellectual wellbeing that can lead to a more sustainable level of personal wellbeing.

Kevin Humphries

yestheycan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:44:05 +0000

Working to improve the health and wellbeing of homeless people that live near me was a necessary experience. At Eagles Nest Ministries, I helped to make and serve breakfast to the homeless and helped a man prepare for a court case using computers at the facility. I also volunteered with Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry and Homeless, an organization that feeds the homeless on holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving, and even Christmas and also offers clothes, medicals services, barbers, beauticians, showers and church services. I worked as part of the clean-up crew to clean and organize City Hall East, the facility where the event took place. Even though, I have volunteered with the homeless several times before, I feel that lately I have developed more compassion for the segment of the Atlanta population that I see and even come into contact with almost every day.

I must admit that I have often felt afraid of homeless people especially when walking by myself in the city and have even tried to avoid them. But, after this experience I see that such fear and avoidance may be helping to worsen their plight. They are so commonly stamped as alcoholics, drug-addicts, and mentally unstable. But, even if society doesn’t agree, they are persons and not problems. They long to be treated as equals and with dignity and just to have a moment of conversation. These simple things that I take for granted, the homeless on the streets get little of. I know that caution is in order in some circumstances, but I now am realizing that homeless people are much more like me than different though they are face far graver problems. But despite the gravity of their problems, simple acts of kindness are of enormous significance to those often treated as the dregs of society. Truly, I realize that the homeless are not helpless. They can surmount their problems and even I can help them.

-Kevin Humphries

Rainbow Village

yestheycan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:33:58 +0000

My name is Adnan Jiwani. I spent my time volunteering at the Rainbow Village homeless center. The mission of this organization is “provide families in domestic or economic crisis a healing environment to rebuild their lives through a community-based transitional housing program that promotes self-sufficiency.” Although they are a homeless shelter, they cater more toward families broken apart by homelessness. I chose this organization because I have driven past it numerous times, but never had the time to go inside until out HPS project came along. I’ve wanted to help out but I never had the time. I spent my time making food packets for the homeless and reading to the children at the shelter. The time I spent was really eye opening for me. I went in thinking that the homeless were less civilized, illiterate, and unhappy. I was shocked to see that the people were very much like me. Most of them were happy to be with their families and have a roof over their head. They even cared enough to share their stories with me. Frasier, who has been living there for two weeks, was telling me stories about how he used to be rich but lost it all in the stock market. At first I thought he was crazy and didn’t believe him, but then he showed me his college degree. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1971!

If you would like to volunteer or donate please contact:

Rainbow Village, Inc.
400 Holcomb Bridge Road
Norcross, GA 30071
770-446-3800
development@rainbowvillage.org

yestheycan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:31:23 +0000

This semester my mind has been opened in regards to the issue of Homelessness. I realized that a good majority of the people that are homeless do not choose to be. I volunteered at the Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless on Martin Luther King Day and Easter Sunday. These experiences were extremely rewarding. I was able to hear stories about how people became homeless and some of the issues that they face on a daily basis. It was eye-opening because some people had college degrees others were on the right track but they hit hard times. There were people who had good jobs but lost them, one guy had everything stolen from him and was not able to get back on track. It seems like most of the people just wanted someone to talk to and treat them as a human. I enjoyed hearing what they had to say.

I must admit that being at these events made me a bit angry. I think a country such as the United States should not have any homeless people. We spend more money on military expenses than the rest of the world combined. I think this money should be funneled into social programs that help people such as the ones at the Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. I could blame the government and everyone else but really I need to look in the mirror and ask myself what I am doing to combat this issue. I know this is a complicated matter but I am sure that I can make a difference.

-Craig Muse Miller

Hosea Feed The Hungry, Pictures and conclusions.

yestheycan — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:50:44 +0000

Craig and Scott and I went to Hosea Feed the Hungry on Easter, we left right before Kevin got there. My girlfriend (not pictured) accompanied us as well. It was hectic to begin with, and seeing all of the people who needed help on this day was not really shocking to me, I know how much homelessness effects Atlanta, so much as it opened my eyes to how big the problem really was. Every ethnic group, age, and background were represented. There were people in suits, there were people in designer sweaters, who are on the streets now. They hold on to nice clothes so that they may talk to potential employers, or they can’t get good clothes because they can’t get a job and they can’t get a job because they can’t get good clothes. The problem isn’t endemic to any particular lifestyle or background, it is endemic to our society. One solution would be that the government could redistribute the wealth through taxation and socialization. I have volunteered for government programs, and experienced them in the ninties, and as well have studied the history of our government. We can not and should not expect the government to solve these problems by force. Echoing the sentiment of JFK, I believe that what we can do for our country is to use our privileges (be it the time to help, or money, or food, or skills or whatever we have) and take it upon ourselves to help those around us. Hosea Williams organization does just that, and does it well. If there were more programs like it, in more cities, then we would go a long way towards helping this problem. Because of what I have found about the nature of this problem, it blatantly follows that health issues that plague the homeless communities are caused by the conditions of being homeless. Just as there are those who live highly unhealthy lifestyles and maintain an even upperclass status, there are those that can take the utmost care of themselves and be homeless. I still believe that good health and hygiene is a first step for many homeless people to improve their lives, but I realize that there must first be space in the society for them to improve to. It won’t be much use for them to get cleaned up and educated for a job that doesn’t exist. If we could reward successful businesses for reducing profit margins and creating jobs in the areas of highest homeless concentration, and have low-income housing that is stationed directly adjacent to police stations for safety, or any number of other equally good opportunities for safe housing or job creation, health issues would largely take care of themselves. I learned that the average homeless person is not content to be unhygienic and in bad health, if they had the means and opportunity they would live a healthier lifestyle. Improving their health right now would have benefits, but the real issue is getting unemployment down and incentives for the upper class to help the lower class up. We do not need an equal, or even tiered, distribution of wealth in this country. We simply need to more effectively allocate the millions spent on the cause each year. In Obama’s words, we can do it, it would not be hard for America, and in our words, yes they can, while there are some homeless that are homeless because they are on the unfortunate end of the human bellcurve, our homeless rate is higher than that, and those people will pull themselves up and out given the opportunity.

–Alex