In the United States over half a million individuals are homeless. The reasons vary but range from drug addiction problems to severe money problems that all leave people on the streets. While 830,120 beds are available throughout the year in different housing projects the problem is in our number of citizens facing homelessness. The numbers are so high many people are continuously turned away due to lack of space and funding.
Photo Courtesy of: Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets
In the United States, women and families are the highest growing group of those who are homeless. The leading cause of women faced with homelessness is domestic violence and sexual abuse. Many women turn to homelessness in fear of a negative outcome if they report their abuse to the authorities. About 90% of women who are homeless have been affected by domestic abuse and on top of that are trying to provide safety for their children. Homeless women are not only faced with higher chances of added sexual abuse and incarceration, as opposed to homeless men, but also have to worry about their menstrual cycles. Women struggling to find shelter shouldn’t have to also worry about coming up with money to supply for their monthly needs. Sanitary napkins and tampons are heavily taxed items throughout the United States and are highly requested donations by shelters. Photo Courtesy of: splinternews.com
Those of us who are fortunate enough to not understand these hardships turn a blind eye by default. We are so occupied by our daily routines and responsibilities that we forget to lend compassion and a helping hand to our community members. While I always believe in focusing our energy on positive productivity rather than the negative, solely wanting to create a difference is not enough. During this holiday season we can make big differences in the quality of life of those struggling by coming together for amazing causes that are so easy to contribute to.
The Sociology Club is hosting a Feminine Hygiene drive on campus. They will be located on the spine from November 13th to November 17th from 11am to 1pm. They will be accepting feminine products to help homeless women in the area. The sociology club will also be taking donations at the Sociology DA’s office in Swenson 224, giving us more chances to help make a difference to those in our community who are faced with such hardships. The harsh reality is in the facts found by experts and while it seems that we cannot create any difference on our own, collectively we can make a big impact on our struggling community members.
Photo Courtesy of: carlow.edu