Skip to main content

Transitional Age Youth, My Peers

When most people think of homeless individuals they think of two groups: older people and single parents with dependent children. However, with the recession more young people are left jobless and homeless. Young people between the ages of 18 and 24 have the highest unemployment rate of adults. The young adult homeless population has recently grown over 9 percent. Some young adults can easily move back with their families but some do not have that form of family support to fall back on or don’t have families that can financially support them.

With the young adult homeless population growing, homeless shelters need to start carving out a place for this group. For young adults to turn to a homeless shelter it needs to provide services that they require, such as employment, education and counseling programs. The programs that work best to help these young adults to move into a secure adulthood are ones that give them individual attention and the opportunity to develop marketable skills.

This really hit home for me, because my friends and I fit into this age group. As we approach the realm of adulthood it is important to be independent and make things happen for ourselves. Not being able to meet those aspects of adulthood would be emotionally devastating. I think it is important to have shelters and resources to help all homeless individuals. With the young adult population growing we need to be aware of the needs that are unmet and work to meet the unmet needs. Acknowledging that young adults are in need of help in this area is the first step to solving to problem.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Outlook

Sometimes there are just things that we cannot understand. I have found myself feeling that way more often than not. This may not be the most understandable position to take when dealing with the effects of poverty on individuals but it is hard for me to wrap my logic around why so many people are struggling with poverty. I know that there are so many reasons why poverty happens, from society to personal. I try to think of ways to solve the problem, that is when I realize that there is not just one problem. How can you solve a problem that has so many aspects? It is disheartening; maybe there is no solution. But I can at least be part of a solution; anyone can be if they choose. Awareness is the first step, but what I have come to realize is that awareness takes time. We are all aware that poverty exists, but what we need is a deeper awareness. A deeper awareness to me is a type of understanding that brings every aspect of the problem together to show you the big picture. After three m...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Tale of Two Auroras

October 20th was a fairly busy day at the NIU Health Advocacy Clinic. The afternoon started with an interdisciplinary presentation about the roles of social workers from Neil McMenamin, Associate Director of Hesed House. Listening to him describe how faith and the Church led him to help others through social work really inspired me. He also described how he grew up on the east side of Aurora where poverty was not as prevalent as it is by where Hesed is located. This comment made me realize how we can sometimes forget that poverty exists where we least expect. Prior to working at the clinic, I had a much different perception of Aurora. I certainly did not view Aurora as an uber-wealthy suburb like Kenilworth or Wilmette but rather a typical, middle-class Midwestern suburb. The first thing that always came to mind when I thought about Aurora was the Chicago Premium Outlets shopping center which even has a Versace outlet. Homelessness was the last thing that came to mind when t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Power of Attorney Day

On Tuesday, March 27, 2018, the NIU Health Advocacy Clinic will host its annual Power of Attorney (POA) Day. This event provides the guests of PADS and TLC as well as the general Hesed House Community an opportunity to complete a Power of Attorney for Healthcare, free of charge. What is a Power of Attorney for Healthcare? A Power of Attorney is a document that allows you to designate a person of your choice, called a health care agent, to make health care decisions for you in the event that you are unable. For example, if an accident left you in a coma, then your healthcare agent would decide on your behalf whether life-saving measures should be used and if so, which ones. The most important part of picking an agent is ensuring you select someone that knows what your medical wishes are and that you trust will implement your wishes in case you are unable. A Power of Attorney is an important document to have for oneself. This document trumps any influence of family members, fri...
Post a Comment
Read more