Volunteer Learning Project: Homelessness Life Experience

Introduction

The service-learning project involved working with the local food banks to offer food rescue to the homeless living around the city. The volunteer learning partner project was an extensive learning experience that provided us the opportunity to learn various challenges and problems the homeless go through. Although the project was entirely on food support to the homeless, we had a chance to interact with different homeless people and learn the homelessness life experience. The interaction was an essential component of the project. It created an opportunity where we could identify and experience the challenges and struggles that the homeless go through.

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The homeless live in hard conditions. They live outside and sleep in boxes, the makeshift shelters. The adverse climatic conditions surrounding the temporary shelters of the homeless exposes them to numerous health hazards. The makeshift shelters are susceptible to cold exposing the homeless to extreme temperatures, which affects their health by causing illnesses like pneumonia and malaria. Most of the homeless we talked to stated that they have suffered from malaria as a result of mosquito bites during rainy seasons. They also said that cases of pneumonia are high especially during winter. In extreme cases, some homeless people have died due to the cold winter temperatures.

The homeless do not have medical covers due to their informal settlement. Any form of illness can cause serious health problems for the homeless. The problem worsens when they suffer from chronic diseases and musculoskeletal disorders, which require advanced medical attention. These are the types of illnesses that are rarely diagnosed and ends up killing them. Respiratory diseases seem to be a common health issue for the homeless. Six out of every ten homeless people we talked to stated that they suffer from related respiratory diseases nearly three times a year. They also said that getting medical attention is hard since they depend upon well-wishers for medical support.

The homeless seemed to hold a perception that they do not have much to live. Most of the homeless wake up and spend the rest of the day in the streets begging. They rarely pay attention to basic hygienic practices such as washing their clothes, brushing teeth and general body hygiene. As a result, they suffer from hygiene-related diseases such as skin and foot infections, food poisoning, diarrhea, dental problems, and infectious diseases. Nevertheless, the poor living conditions of the homeless exposes them to sexual abuse, which leads to sexual and reproductive related ailments.

Besides financial constraints, the homeless suffer from various emotional and social related issues. They have low self-esteem as a result of rejection from society due to their living conditions. The living environment drives them to the point where they lose hope in life and fail to see the need to take care of themselves. As a result, they suffer emotional trauma, and they become aggressive and violent. They also tend to engage in drug abuse as it is their only form of entertainment and helps them forget whatever they go through in life. In many cases, the homeless tend to involve in criminal activities either intentionally or unknowingly. Therefore, most of them end up locked in correctional facilities. In general, the homeless develop emotional stress and behavioral problems.

Service Learning Partner Mission

The primary goal of the service-learning project was to offer food support to the homeless while at the same time analyze and understand the complex homelessness problem. The service-learning project aimed at establishing the underlying forces behind the recent increase in the level of homelessness across various cities in the country. As part of the mission of the service-learning partner, we were able to connect the homelessness problem to social and economic constraints. The homelessness problem is caused by various factors such as lack of affordable housing, and community or family breakups. The tough economic times result in high costs of living. It becomes hard to get accessible living areas within the city. As a result, many people live in the streets in makeshift shelters.

Some of the homeless people we encountered in the service-learning project were war veterans who were suffering from various mental illnesses. A vast majority of the homeless were individuals struggling with the problem of drugs and substance abuse. A good proportion also involved the poverty-stricken people who own nothing apart from the boxes they use as the makeshift shelters. Thus, homelessness is a social and economic problem that requires attention of all members of society.

Personal Role in the Service Learning Partner

The food rescue mission was a way of giving back to society. Through the service-learning partner, I wanted to offer food assistance to the people who need it the most. The service-learning project created an opportunity where I could learn different problems people go through in life. Understanding the challenges the homeless go through helps in developing a compassionate and caring heart, and the need to appreciate whatever we have as people are suffering without the privileges we take for granted. Therefore, my role in the service-learning partner was to help the homeless with nutritional and emotional support.

The central personal role in the service-learning partner project was to give them hope and make them feel that people do care about what they go through. The project was an assessment of my ability to interact with people from different backgrounds. It created an opportunity to break the monotony of interacting with people from the same social and economic context and associate with people from the less privileged background. Thus, the project is a learning experience for both of us. The service-learning project helped us develop the virtue of love, care, compassion, and selflessness.