As younger children, most of us have been taught to view the homeless in our community as outcasts who initially put themselves in that place. Growing up in a smaller city, I never got the chance to encounter chronically homeless people, but as I have started attending Georgia State, I am guaranteed to at least come across one on my way to class or the parks around our school. The number of homeless people in metro Atlanta is estimated to be at least 10,000 and what most people fail to realize is that this number also includes younger people between the ages of 18-25.
During my first year in college, I befriended a couple of people, some who were in school and some who were not. During this span of time, I first handedly witnessed at least 5 of my peers become homeless. It took me by shock that persons I grew up with lost control of their actions and consequently lost support from their family and resulted in a seemingly irresolvable financial status that left them homeless. This goes to show that homeless people are not always dangerous beings who are out to murder you when you are alone, but people who have lost touch with reality and are in severe need of support. This does not mean you have give a $1 to every homeless person you meet, but to try to set aside some time to contribute real service in community shelters.
As I was doing rough research on the homeless community in Atlanta, I was not surprised at the lack of action in our community to help stop the number of homeless teens grow. As students, we are so focused on ourselves and the busy lives we have ahead of ourselves, but never really stop to help a hand. As I volunteered at Safe House, a community outreach program to help lessen homelessness, it was clear to me that there are not enough volunteers to elevate the program to its truest potential. To help solve this problem, we must all become engaged and actively interested in strengthening the state of our community. There are plenty opportunities you can find around the community. DoSomething.org is the easiest way to find ways to help out, even in the simplest form. Also, safehosueoutreach.org is a great option to find out more information.