Homelessness in America

HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform my listeners of the causes of homelessness Central Idea: Factors that contribute to homelessness Introduction I. Attention material 1. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness the recession will lead approximately 1.5 million people to be homeless within 2 years 2. U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - since January 2007, 671,000 people have experienced homelessness a. 58% shelters/transitional housing; 42% unsheltered b. 1/50 (1.5 million) are children (2009 Study by National Center for Family homelessness) II. Orientating material 1. 23% chronically homeless, unaccompanied homeless person with disabling condition (substance abuse, serious mental illness, developmental disability or physical illness) 2. Continuously homeless within year or more - homeless four times within 3 years and sleeping in places not meant for human habitation or emergency homeless shelters 3. Highest ranking states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington-state, and Washington D.C.) (Transition: let's look at the factors of homelessness) I. Lack of employment A. Low wages, reduced hours, job loss 1. Little or no education/skills a. Lack of motivation 1) Death of family/friend 2) National disaster/fire 2. Lack of affordable housing a. Roomates don't pay their share of rent b. Decline in public assistance 1) Welfare may not be relief from poverty B. Divorce 1. Lack of child support a. Non-custodial parent fails to pay child support b. Decrease in income hard to pay rent, utilities 2. Domestic violence a. Battered women in poverty may be forced to chose between abusive relationship and homelessness 3. Drug and alcohol problems Rates disapproportionately high among homeless population C. Illness/physical disablities 1. Mental illness - 20-25% single adult population a. Post-traumatic stress disorder 1) Violent situations make it difficult to maintain stable life b. Severe depression 1) Difficult to maintain stable life (Transition: Let's take a look at some statistics for homelessness) II. Statistics A. 2008 U. S. Conference of Mayors Study 1. 40% (200,000) veteran men homeless B. Demographics 1. 2006 study among races a. 39% non-hispanic whites b. 42% African-American c. 13% Hispanic d. 4% Native American e. 2% Asian 2. Urban/rural communities a. 71% Central cities b. 21% Suburbs c. 9% Rural 3. Health problems (1996 Samhsa's National Mental Health Information Center) a. 38% alcohol use b. 29% drug use c. 39% mental health d. 66% substance abuse with mental health e. 3% HIV/Aids f. 26% Acute health problems (tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, pneumonia) (Transition: Let's look at legislation for homelessness) III. Legislation A. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (1987) President Ronald Reagan 1. Consists of several programs that has helped hundreds of thousands of Americans regain stability and financial independence 2. Programs such as emergency shelters, tranisitional housing, job training, healthcare, permanent housing (Transition: Review) Conclusion I. Summary 1. Some contributing factors of homelessness - lack of employment, divorce, no affordable housing, natural disaster/fire, drug/alcohol problems, and mental illness physical disablitites/illness 2. There has been legislation signed into law to help relieve causes of homelessness II. Clincher 1. Is there any way we can do our part to help end homelessness in America? 2. Questions? 3. Thank you III. Bibliograhpy 1. Causes of homelessness. Factors Contributing to Homelessness. http://homelessresourcenetwork.org/causes.html. Retrieved 18 Apr. 2012. 2. Facts and Figures: The Homeless. Now on PBS. http://www.pbs.org/nav/shows/526/homeless-facts.html. Retrieved 18 Apr. 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVhVvtE2kR0&t=18s

Finding Love, Romance and Friendship on the Internet

Finding Love, Romance and Friendship Online Romance and dating have become popular activities on the Internet. People can sit at home in front of their PC or download dating apps like POF and Tinder. There’s no need to go to a bar, supermarket, school, work, or even to church when it comes to looking for date. The top 3 dating websites are Zoosk, Match.com and eHarmony. Some popular dating apps are Plentyoffish (POF) and Tinder. People looking for love, romance and friendship can make an account on one of these sites or apps. There are also the free social media sites like Facebook, Myspace, Tagged, Myyearbook (now MeetMe) and Twitter to find dating relationships. Why are people looking online for relationships? According to Stephen J. Betchen, Ph.D. for Magnetic Partners, people are doing it for convenience, so they don’t have to leave home; they can sit behind their PC or app. It reduces the humiliation—they don’t need to worry about how someone sees them. They don’t have to wait for friends or family to fix them on that possible horrendous blind date. What are the risks? Some people may think they have found someone they are looking for. some people may omit certain details like marital status, age, and whether they have children or not. Internet dating can make it easier for people to cheat on a spouse or significant other—thus giving them anonymity. How can one stay safe? Here are some tips for staying safe while dating online. • Don’t give out personal details like your address, phone number or account numbers. • Don’t make financial arrangements or give money. • Find out everything and examine the person’s story. • Do a background check for crimes commited or felonies. • If you’re planning to meet your date—meet in a well-lit, public place with lots of people. • Tell someone where you’re going to meet your date from the Internet. • Most of all, take your time until you become comfortable taking the next step. 2 experiences of Internet dating My experience After my divorce, I met someone on Myyearbook.com (now MeetMe) and have been dating via internet with a gentleman from Canada for 6 years. We are making plans to meet and decide if we should take the next step in our dating relationship. A friend’s experience A friend of mine, who lives in Michigan, met her husband on tagged.com. They have been married for a few years now. My friend also said that her friend also met her husband online. Review It can be risky no matter where you meet someone. But you can take precautions and watch for signs and red flags when it comes to dating whether it’s the Internet or locally. If you follow the steps discussed in this article, dating on the Internet can be a rewarding experience. It shouldn’t matter where two people find love, romance or friendship. Just remember: have fun! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0PAFtR2QM-8x9Vovy6ydyw

My Reedsy Freelancer Profile

Check out my freelance profile on Reedsy. https://reedsy.com/valerie-harvey

My Fiverr Profile

https://www.fiverr.com/vlmcharvey66

My Freelancer.com Profile

https://www.freelancer.com/u/vmcharv66.html