A Place of Trust

As I have said many times before First Day has proven itself to the community as a successful nonprofit organization, but how were they able to pull it off? It is not easy to provide services to the homeless, especially since many of them do not go in search of the types of services provided by First Day. Oftentimes all they truly want is a roof over their head and First Day does much more than provide people with shelter. First Day expects their residents to use the time spent at the shelter to begin putting their lives back together and get off the streets.

The staff of First Day upholds values that have made them a trustworthy organization. From the beginning they have taken a client-centered approach which assures that the needs of their residents are met. Using this approach the staff of First Day builds a bond with its clients due to the fact that their work revolves around assuring the safety of all residents and providing them with emotional support. By seeing all that the staff does for them the clients know that they are in good hands and this allows them build that sense of trust and confidence. After spending time on the streets being overlooked by many people it is nice for the residents to be treated with respect and be given the opportunity of change.

First Day has been successful in creating an environment in which people can feel comfortable which is perhaps one of the most important things a nonprofit like First Day can do. When you are trying to reach out to people and offer them a helping hand it is crucial that you make them feel comfortable so that they may trust you. Comfort is most found in places where you know that you are safe and are surrounded by people who can help support you in any way that they can. In making their residents feel comfortable and providing them with reliable resources First Day has achieved its reputation of creating a place where people can find a “family”.

For years people who have lived at First Day refer to its staff and other residents as family. To some First Day may be the only family they have ever had. The relationships formed at First Day consist of trust, reliability, and loyalty which are all the things that make a family. This sense of family has been formed within First Day due to the “open honest communication” approach the organization values.

Honesty is an important thing that is incorporated within the organization and is used among the staff as well as the residents. By being honest with one another the staff of First Day is able to make decisions that are more beneficial to the organization and using honesty among the residents helps to build that form of trust and growth.

When residents come into First Day they must agree to follow the rules and are expected to be honest about what it is that they are doing that way the staff can see what progress is being made and whether or not there are things that draw concern. Honesty also allows the staff to share discussions with the residents about where they are and what it is they need to work on. But before someone can even be helped they must be able to trust the person who is offering them that help because without trust honesty ceases to exist.

Those of First Day made it clear to the public from the beginning that they have nothing but good intentions. When the people fought against the organization making its mark in Whittier the organization fought back because they truly believed that they had what it took to make a difference. Their determination and persistence is what makes them a success.

By upholding its values the organization continues to thrive. It is a trustworthy organization and that trust between staff and residents is the key component of the organization’s successful outcome. In a world where people struggle to trust each other it is nice to see that there is a place people can go to find people that are honest and regain their ability to trust.

A New Light

When the organization First Day proposed establishing a shelter in the Whittier area the proposal was not accepted by the community who were concerned about the negative effects a shelter would have on the area. The majority of the community feared that the shelter would attract more homeless people who would increase crime rates, destroy public property, and increase the amount of drug use in the area.

Despite the oppositions made against the shelter First Day received funding from local organizations and Los Angeles state and federal agencies. This funding allowed First Day to establish itself within the Whittier area and they officially opened their doors November 2001.

After years of providing their services the organization proved to be a success and its success altered the way many felt about having the shelter in the Whittier area. Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital (PIH) was one of the strongest opposing forces at the time First Day was trying to establish itself. They feared that the organization would attract more homeless people to the area thus creating a bigger dilemma in the emergency room. Since the homeless do not have health insurance they go to the emergency room for treatment whenever they have an illness or injury even if it does not require emergency attention.

Although PIH had opposed the establishment of First Day once the organization had officially opened their services in the Whittier area PIH chose to work alongside First Day. PIH decided to offer their health care services within First Day and by doing so they helped to decrease the number of homeless people in the emergency room.

What had once was thought to be an outrageous idea had turned out to be one of the most beneficial changes made within the Whittier area. Not only do the services of First Day help the homeless but they have changed the overall perception of those within the community by proving that their organization does more good than bad. Everything that the community had worried about did not happen and the biggest opposing group ended up working alongside the organization which led to one of the best collaborations in the community.

First Day is not just simply a shelter it is an organization that ensure a healthier, safer and more tightly knit community that strives to support one another. The organization has created such an impact on the community that it has recently gone to the All-America City Award competition in Denver, Colorado. It was one of twenty-five cities across the country to attend and was a finalist in the overall competition.

The organization’s story just goes to show that nothing but good change can come from helping others. By standing up for what they believed was the right thing to do for the community the people of First Day shined a light over Whittier where there had once been darkness, opening the community's eyes to change.   

Human

We all have stories. Our pasts are filled with memories that remind us of how we have come to be where we are today. Oftentimes we do not think about the stories hidden behind the eyes of people we come across in our lives. We base our judgments on appearance and although we may think we know a person we don’t. 

As I said before people are well-known to follow stereotypes and base many of their life decisions on these stereotypes. When it comes to helping the homeless many people choose to look the other way because of the stereotypical idea that the majority of homeless people are either drug addicts or mentally unstable. The very idea of approaching them, even if it is in broad daylight, causes peoples’ hearts to beat fast in fear.

Well, even if they are drug addicts or are mentally unstable that does not necessarily mean that they are a threat. Like all the rest of us they are dealing with obstacles the only difference is that theirs may be more difficult to overcome than most other people. Hearing about what happened in their lives that led them to become homeless may change our overall view of the homeless.

When people think of drug addicts they oftentimes view them as weak people or people who are completely careless. But I do not think that all drug addicts are weak nor do I think that do not care. Many did not have the intention of getting hooked on drugs which we should take into consideration before labeling them as careless. In most cases people just use drugs as a way to escape the stress of their everyday lives, but when it gets out of hand they have trouble getting off of them. With that said we should remember that we all make mistakes but our mistakes should not define who we are. A drug addict is a person like any other. Sure they have trouble with drugs but that does not necessarily make them a bad person.

The mentally disabled face just as much judgment as addicts. Many people have a problem seeing someone who is disabled. It makes them uncomfortable because they have little knowledge of mental disabilities. Others believe that those who are disabled have are dangerous especially since many of the crimes seen on television are committed by the mentally unstable.

As someone with an Autistic brother I know for a fact that those with disabilities are not always a threat and that awareness helps to create an environment in which the disabled can live more comfortably in. Ignorance causes the disabled to lead isolated lives and intensifies their behaviors. That is why disabled homeless people oftentimes look so lost. At one point they may have at least had the support of their family and if they lost their family then they pretty much lost everything. The world that once made sense fell apart in front of them and since nobody was there to help them they continue to be lost in their thoughts. Others may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, most often times found in those who fought in war. There is also the possibility of brain damage caused by a tragic incident.

Whatever it is if we can find a way to provide more services to the mentally disabled then we would not only be getting them off the streets, but we would also be providing them an opportunity to receive treatment and be safe. Just because they have a disability does not make them any less valuable than people considered “normal”. Instead of allowing them to get lost in the world we should help them feel as if they belong.

At First Day I have not only read stories of the residents, but I have also met people who have experienced what it is like to be homeless and how it was that they got to that point. With what I found I hope to help people gain a better understanding of not only the homeless but people in general. Like I said before, everybody has a story to tell but regardless of our story when it comes down to it we are all the same. We all make mistakes, we all do things that others may not understand, and we are all human. 

A Man's Loyal Friend

*The following story is fictional, the information is not based on any particular person. This is a story that is meant to show how humanity seems to be nonexistent in some people's lives.*

My back aches as I try to get as comfortable as I can on the freezing cold bench out in the park. I am hoping the cops don’t pay me a visit and tell me to get off the bench. This bench is the most comfortable thing I can find to sleep on and it is away from all the noise and the people.

Daisy, my dog, sleeps on the patch of grass to the right of the bench.  Her fur is matted up and I am afraid that her health is poor. I don’t know what I would do without her… she is the only friend I have left in this world.

That dog was the only one happy to see me when I came back from war. She did not care that I suffered brain damage and lost my ability to speak the correct way. When my wife left me after she saw no future with a mentally disabled man Daisy stayed by my side.

After mom died and I ended up on the streets she followed me. Some people may think that I should have given Daisy up to a better owner, one that could support her. But Daisy would get depressed. One time before I ended up on the streets and before I decided to fight in the war, I took a trip to my friend’s beach house in Malibu which was about two hours away from where I lived. Two days into my vacation I see Daisy running on the beach towards me.

Sometimes I wish people could have the same compassion and loyalty as a dog. 

The Choice to Change

We all reserve the right to live our lives the way we choose to. Sure, our choices are not always the best but they are our choices. Others may not agree with the way we live our lives but they are our lives to live, not theirs.

When people are walking past a homeless man or woman they most likely look the other way pretending as if they do not see them. Some of these people are simply greedy and unwilling to share their hard earned money with someone else no matter how deeply that other person may be in need of a meal. Other people however, feel guilty not helping the person they had just chosen to ignore but at the same time they are not sure if they can trust a stranger.

I am not going to lie I have been in these situations myself. I know how it feels. You fear that if you give them money they will blow it on drugs or alcohol. When I was little many people told me not to give money to someone who is homeless because you do not know what they will use it for. So when I would see someone begging for change I would look the other way and every time I did that I felt absolutely horrible about myself. In some instances I had food on me or gift cards to food places and I would give them that, but when all I had was some cash I felt useless.

It was not until I was in my church’s youth group that I was told something that completely changed my perception of giving the homeless spare change. I’m not sure how the subject came up but I am truly grateful it did.

Unfortunately I do not remember the name of the man. He was a guest speaker for my church that night and he talked to us about how he would help the homeless people he came across on the streets. He brought up the fear of giving away money to those we barely know and told us that if someone claims to be in dire need of spare change then it is up to you to help them with what you can. Give them any loose change you have or if you can give them enough money to buy a meal. He told us to not worry about what they chose to do with the money just be proud of yourself for giving them the opportunity to buy themselves a meal.

At First Day I have come to see the importance of giving others an opportunity to better their lives. When going through some reports I saw how important it was for the residents to make their own decisions that would better their lives and that all they truly needed was a helping hand and support. Many of them described that the neglect on the streets left them isolated and feeling as if they were not as valuable as other people.

This made me think of what the man in church said and I thought that maybe if we give people the tools they need to get back on track they will be more likely to do so. Instead of treating them as if they are invisible we should treat them with respect and offer them support. By shutting them out and pretending that they are not there is only going to tear down their self-esteem and cause them to lose faith in humanity. But if we show them that they can still turn things around and give them the help they need then maybe they will take it upon themselves to reconnect with the community.

So to all those who feel as if they should give a homeless man or woman the spare change in your pocket but are scared they will waste it, don’t be. As long as you do your part that is all that matters. Leave it up to that person to make their decision and hope that they make the right decision. You can let them know that you want them to use it for what they truly need, but leave it at that. Not all the people you see on the streets waste the money they receive, and for those that do, maybe providing them with small words of advice will help them make the right choice.

Do what you know is the right thing to do. Help those around you in any way you can. Give your advice and hope people use it. Provide people with the necessary tools and hope they do not abuse them. That is all we can really do, the rest is up to those we try to help. 

Stereotypical

Stereotyping is simply a part of human nature. Although some may attempt to avoid stereotyping others or may take offense to stereotypes about certain groups of people, stereotyping is a way in which people attempt to find their way around. It is a way to try to separate the good people from the bad, the selfless and the selfish, friends and acquaintances.

When I met with Ted Knoll, the executive director of the Whittier First Day Coalition, we discussed the issue of homelessness. In our discussion he brought up the stereotypical assumptions made by the public. He mentioned that the goal was not to eliminate the stereotypes of what it means to be homeless, instead we had to expand on the stereotypes or alter them.

At first I questioned this tactic, but when I thought about it more thoroughly it made sense. Why? Well to be honest if you think about it the stereotypical idea of someone who is homeless is someone who is either mentally ill, an addict, or a veteran. These are the types of people who make up the homeless population, however, there is more to the story.

You see many people assume that approaching someone who is homeless is something scary. They fear that they may be attacked or be mugged. Others do not give the homeless spare change with the fear that they may waste the money given to them on drugs or alcohol.

What people need to understand is that not all homeless people are a threat and not all of them wish to waste the money they come across on drugs. Some of them want an opportunity to turn their lives around and leave the isolation of the streets to reconnect to society.

When people think of homelessness they should not think of people who have hit rock bottom and have  not way of getting back up. Instead they should think of homelessness as something that can be overcome given the opportunity.