Experience in Homeless Drug Shelters Essay Example

its inception in September of 2013, has assisted in moving over 250 men, women, and children off the streets and into safe and secure housing.

The field trip was done in 6 days and which constituted a five-hours per day as a research student volunteer at the Field house for the Homelessness, which is the hub of services for homeless people in Hattiesburg/Pine Belt area. I had spent three hours researching prior to the volunteering services and spent five hours per day volunteering at the Fieldhouse shelter, and two hours at Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, Illinois which gives me a total field experience of thirty-four hours. It was a reminder of where I came from and where God is sending me. At the Field house, I discovered that there are many individuals’ still homeless and looking for support.

The Homeless Ministry is a powerful outreach ministry to those who are without homes, living on the street, in motels, or in other housing that is not their own. We use one-to-one relationships to bring salvation, encouragement, and friendship. We also provide tools, tips, and assistance to those who are looking to get off the streets and begin a healthy lifestyle. Come and join us as we love people to life. If you are currently homeless and are seeking assistance with getting off the streets, call 909-825-8887 ext. 276.

On a single night in January 2015, there were 564,708 people experiencing homelessness in the United States. Sixty-nine percent of those who were homeless were in sheltered locations and 31 percent were found in unsheltered locations (streets, abandoned buildings, cars, etc.). Nearly one-quarter (23 percent or 127,787) of all homeless

people were children, under the age of 18.  Ten percent (or 52,973) were between the ages of 18 and 24, and 66 percent (or 383,948) were 25 years or older. Homelessness declined by nearly two percent (or 11,742 people) between 2014 and 2015, and by 11 percent (or 82,550) 2007.

Substance Abuse and Mental Illness

In U.S. cities, substance abuse and mental illness are the leading cause of elderly homelessness (Jasinski et al., 2010). This is because the continuous abuse of substances and drugs leads to addiction, which when coupled with mental illness leads to disruption of relationships with not only families, but also close friends, apart from causing the dismissal from jobs. This in the long run results in difficulties in paying rents that eventually cause them to lose their previous houses.

According to Killion (2000) substance abuse is an indirect cause of homelessness among the elderly people. This is because homeless elderly people may turn to drugs and substance as a way of dealing with their homeless condition, this ends up exacerbating their homeless problems by decreasing their abilities of being employed, re-employed or getting money to get them out of homeless conditions. Substance addiction also estranges family and friends’ relationships, breaking the social support network. This makes recovery from addiction very difficult.

In addition, Killion (2000) found that mentally ill people use street drugs as a means of self-medication. This implies that alcohol use among elderly homeless co-occurs with mental illness. As an effect, elderly homeless individuals experience both substance addiction and mental illness faces various recovery obstacles that makes them live on the street for long. First, they are at high risk of being involved

in violent behaviors, and victimization, which increases cycling between street, jail and emergency rooms (Fisher & Roget, 2009). This cycling reduces the chances of seeking rehabilitation programs. In addition, elderly individuals that experience addicts and mentally ill lack the ability of finding appropriate treatment facilities to offer assistance to them. This is because many homeless facilities for mentally ill individuals don’t admit substance addicts.

On the other hand, substance abuse treatment facilities for homeless people never accept mentally ill individuals. This makes it very difficult to find a homeless facility that will admit elderly individuals that experience substance addiction and mental illness (Fisher & Roget, 2009).

The Background of the Homeless Problem in Mississippi

Mississippi has three Continuum of Care groups that coordinate a range of services for the homeless through local organizations. If you are homeless and need help, or if you would like to help others, start by looking at those organizations, which are primarily filled by people on Substance abuse and mental Illness.

Fieldhouse Homeless Center

Since its inception in September of 2013, has assisted in moving over 250 men, women, and children off the streets and into safe and secure housing. The Fieldhouse mission is to provide barrier free services to empower those who find themselves in a desperate situation. The Fieldhouse has become a hub for the homeless in the Hattiesburg/Pine Belt area. The Fieldhouse does not stand alone in assisting the Homeless in that community. They are supported by local churches and synagogues and together they coordinate their efforts with the Salvation Army, Christian Services, St. Vincent’s De Paul, Hope House, R3SM, PRVO, MUTHE, and other great public and private entities.

The Fieldhouse provides the

following services: Counseling, Personal Hygiene Supplies, Showers, Washer, Dryer, Transportation, Bus Tokens, access to telephones, access to computers, access to clothing, family reunification assistance, pre employment training and support, State ID assistance, emergency food and shelter, application assistance for SSI, VA Benefits, SNAP, FAFSA.

They connect their clients with legal assistance, health care, housing opportunities, and jobs. For hundreds of adults and families living in the most severe poverty, The Fieldhouse, has become a place that offers safety and hope. The people they assist coming from every economic background. While some come from a family with a history of poverty and abuse, others come from loving families, but are temporarily experiencing a wildly unanticipated life event. Their volunteers distribute preassembled boxes of supplies, food, home furnishings, mattresses, TV's, etc. to help with the transition from homelessness, into a safe and secure home environment.

Fieldhouse Volunteer Services: Volunteers are a vital part of providing all types of services in the Fieldhouse Centers. Thousands of people from the community bring their time and talents to enrich the lives of the homeless men, women, and children that are being cared for throughout the year.

Not only are the homeless and needy touched by the compassion of the volunteers, but the volunteers' lives are also touched. Serving others is one of life's greatest privileges. Reaching out to the least, the last, and the lost in a personal way that says, "I care about you" brings encouragement to our residents and staff. Whether it’s serving a meal, tutoring a student, or working with the youth - volunteers make a difference in people live. See Volunteer Opportunities

A lot of needs become clear when you

hear their stories. Their Community of Volunteers meets privately with each client to best determine how we can assist. The Fieldhouse makes every effort to reconnect them with family, while at the same time, best managing their present condition. They provide personal guidance to connect these individuals with the right resources to successfully exit the street life and transition to independent living.

Breakfast was at 6:30 a.m. and devotion 8:30, lunch at 12:00 at dinner was at 5:30 p.m. The clients are coming from a Salvation Army emergency shelter, which is let out to find work throughout the day — ideally looking for a job. The Fieldhouse helps in that pursuit, and if anyone wanted to enter one of their in-house programs, I could likely find work in the kitchen. Lunches were served at a handful of soup kitchens about town.

The original spring semester, field trip plans, was dealing primary with leadership, after assessing the process, spoke with my adviser, and we agreed that, I would do research on outreach ministries. But my research focus was changed from leadership to “Outreach Ministries” for the Spring Semester, “Field Trip Experience”. The Outreach Ministries research focus will consist visit to organizations to see what they are doing/how/effective. I will volunteer some time in one place to find out more about the day to day activities of the outreach ministries. Interacting with the homeless who have been rescued will help me understand their plight on the street and their views on the Field House experiences. I will do this by being part of their day to day life and interact as I volunteer. I will also pay attention to

how they view different issues. It will improve my understanding of what they have been through and will reduce the barrier and make them ready to open up. I will also attend several outreach ministries in Mississippi and Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, Illinois, where they have transformed lives since 1877, to reach lost with the gospel.

I talked to them about God’s love for all and His purpose for us during one of the lunch sessions. After this I noticed a more positive attitude from the people since they had now gained hope in life. During the spiritual sessions, I explained to them how to look up to God and have faith that He will always be there to guide them through.

Experiences Pacific Garden Mission

Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, Illinois, where they have transformed lives since 1877, to reach lost with the gospel. This field experience has provided me with data covering many centuries. Because Pacific Garden Mission is one of the oldest, continuously operating gospel rescue mission in the country with a mission to share the gospel and provide a spiritually nutritive environment. I have visited the mission on two occasions, once in October 2015 and again on March 25, 2016, we reviewed the operation of the Outreach Mission ministry. We reviewed the activities and research materials, which reflect the changes being made, pitfalls indicating a new paradigm shift focus for the 21st century.

Experiences:

• The six days at the Fieldhouse were spent serving meals Food/Clothing Drives
• Chapel/Spiritual Groups
• Prayer Team
• Office/Clerical

In our final conclusion, it appears the missing link is related to changes in the mentality of the culture, and there seems to be

a lack of training and preparing for the culture to renter back into society. There should be more of a spiritual approach, instead of just a program where men and women may come to be delivered from addictive behaviors and be cut off from Satan’s “web.” And teach them how to fall in love with Jesus. These programs will aid in the restoration of people’s lives through the infusion of intellectual, emotional, and spiritual influence, which is directed to help them discard harmful patterns, avoid addictive, destructive relationships, and behaviors.

Also teach them how to stay out of those behaviors—and prisons—to reduce the school dropout rate and become positive contributors to society. The outreach missions must bring awareness to the local churches of our nation’s fastest-growing population and enhance the church’s role in reaching those impacted by the various needs. The substance abuse population includes the youth, middle age, and the elderly who are locked beneath the trappings of addiction, crime, prostitution, and homelessness, like a silent treasure waiting to be released. With outreach programs, there is a significant decrease in problems related to homelessness (Blau 7).

The sleeping giant, the Church, and outreach missions need to rise out of their comfortable setting and rescue those hidden deposits of greatness, with more than meets their physical needs, also adding the mending power of the gospel. We must point these lives in the direction of their destiny. As a result, they can return to their families as role models, to the church as gifts, to the body of Christ and to the communities as evidence of the love, power, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Volunteer Opportunities: