Homelessness At Skid Row Street - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1543 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/03/26 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Homelessness Essay Did you like this example? Stay close to me! said my mother. I was distracted by the clouds that had a nice shade of salmon and peach mixed up on the evening sky and when I turned to face the west the sky was sort of turning into a dull greenish gray among the apparent pollution rising up from the tall buildings of Downtown, Los Angeles. My mom and I walked away from our car and into the pungent smell of weed, tobacco, urine, and gasoline. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Homelessness At Skid Row Street" essay for you Create order The ambulance seemed to be rushing back and forth between the same block, it had already gone by around four times. I wanted to interview a homeless transgender woman, but my mother opposed due to her religious values and I was disappointed that I had to walk the other way. The majority of the homeless on the streets of Skid Row that I could see were minorities, they were either Black or Latinx/Hispanics, I would say about one-fourth of the crowd was Caucasian. As we approached the Downtown Womans Center we saw more and more tents that were either able to stand on their own, lopsided or were made out of blankets and tarps. In front of the Downtown Womans Center, I saw lady passing out big boxes of pads and tampons for women, as they are aware that these women are not able to afford the necessary feminine care items needed. Some of the shelters such as the Union Rescue Mission were remolded into a bright modern architecture with bright colors such as green, white, and purple. Although most of the shelters looked a bit old, similar to the Downtown Womans Center, which was a tall building that had a fire escape at the back and was mostly a dirty but friendly color of Beige painted on top of the old red bricks, with the front of the building having turquois e tinted windows. Once we reached the front of the shelters building a big argument between two women over an unidentified box began to violently arise, at that moment I was reminded of the stereotypes that are pit against the homeless. There tend to be many stereotypes amongst the public that homeless people are lazy, violent, thieves, drug addicts and that there is no hope for them. These stereotypes are about the estimated that 3.5 million Americans [that] experience homelessness per year(NCH, 2009). These stereotypes only share half of the true story and the scary thing about these stereotypes is they do not inform of the immense hardship that these people have to live through every day, nor do they explain how we will get rid of this worldwide phenomenon. The occurrence of homelessness is extremely high in what is considered a first World country, the National Coalition for the Homeless maintains that 17% are single women, and 30% are families with Children. (NCH,2009). The National Center for Homeless Families has stated the U.S. has the highest rate for homeless women, children, and families. My first interviewee was Cheryl. I had found her the first one in line, in front of the Door of the Downtown Womens Center. She is Black, had recently styled and dyed her hair Blonde, she mentioned that she was in her mid-forties, she was also very kind, optimistic and pretty. When I asked her how her day was and she said she was having a wonderful day, and that she was visiting the homeless shelter since they have a health clinic. Cheryl was a bit shy to go in depth on her story and why she ended up without a home but she said due to her mental illness she was not given a job and that her SSI or Supplemental Security Income did not go through the system. Our interview ended with her saying her long-term goal was to live her dreams of a better life of owning a salon or to get any kind of work. After having my short conversation with Cheryl, I realized why she seemed so shy and hard to open up. It is a terror to be a female and homeless because women are more likely to be victims of childhood sexual abuse.., foster care and adult partner abuse (Donohoe, 2009). Not only that but according to Doctor Deborah Finfgled- Connett of the University of Missouri, she writes that Homeless women have a high[er] occurrence of chronic health conditions, and their children suffer from higher than normal rates of physical and mental health problems and problems at school(Connett, 2010). Doctor Connett also states that although only forty percent of Homeless Women do not have children, that means that fifty percent of homeless women are with children. In making these comments, Dr. Connett is urging that women are disproportionately at a disadvantage when it comes to homelessness because they lack access to mental, physical care, and the need for child care assistance. My last two interviewees were Royce and Cheryl, this is a different Cheryl because apparently, there were a lot of women named Cheryl that Saturday in Skid Row. Cheryl was a Senior Citizen and Royce was in her early 50s. Both of them were black and very kind, informative, and very talkative. Cheryl had her hair lighter tone of brown, but both of them had their hair in their natural texture. Our interview sort of turned more into a conversation, and they had answered questions that I had not written down. Both of them had mistaken me for a student in Junior High. They explained how shelters such as the Downtown Womens Center had a lot of programs to help homeless women, but not many of the people knew about them because many are afraid to seek out help. They gave an example of the different housing programs saying that one can sign up if they can show that theyve been living on the streets for a least a year. Royce had a bit of a problem with this since shes been living on the streets for six months and wanted to find someplace safer to live. They also mentioned that the shelter had a health clinic, a place to help people get jobs and much more. They mentioned that when living in a shelter they had to show proof that they were staying there in order to qualify and participate in the programs. They explained how everyone has different situations, in Royces case, she explained how she could no longer work as a cook at the Dodgers stadium because of a big leg injury, and due its expensive medical bills and with no job to pay them she ended up homeless, and still paying those hospital bills. Both of them explained how they had to deal with depression from living in the streets and how there was a lack of security for them on the streets . There are too many drugs in the streets and too much sexual abuse and violence in order for any woman or person to feel safe said Cheryl. They explained how there was a need in shelters to provide mental help because one too many times have people gone crazy or killed themselves just from living in the streets. Something that was evident when interviewing Royce and Cheryl was that they did not want to ask their family in fear of being a burden on the rest of the family, I learned later that this was not rare, according to Dr. Connett, many women will leave their families as they do not want to be a burden or involve themselves in others problems. Some may question that all homeless women come from dysfunctional families, friendships and/or relationships, however evidence suggests that many of them do have people close to them who have had a history of supporting them. Why would it not be common that a person may experience shame when it comes to facing a personal crisis such as being homeless? That is why Victoria Tischler, of the University of Nottingham, has suggested that a way to help woman cope with homelessness is to create social networks, which is a way to possibly help with post traumatic growth and what I would argue would help with overcoming obstacles such as depression (Tischle r,2009). Which is something that has helped out both Royce and Cheryl as they have became good friends and helped each other through and through. Both of Royce and Cheryl gave me a lot of information about Shelters and how they have updated their programs in order to better help the homeless. Throughout this conversation Cheryl was beaming with passion for the program for housing senior citizens since she finally got herself an apartment to live in. After finishing my interview my mother and I gave each of the ladies a bag filled with feminine products such as pads, tissues, lotion, wipes, heating pad, food and a warm water resistant coat for the winter. I gave each of them of a hug and tearful goodbye as I wished the best for each of them. From talking with Cheryl, Royce and Cheryl I learned that there was more to homeless woman then meets the eye, and there is major need for compassion and communication when it comes to helping out the homeless.

Who Is The Most Important For My Profession - 1131 Words

Depending on whom you ask, the most important virtue for someone to possess will vary. Maya Angelou strongly believed that it was courage1. Contrary, Bernard of Clairvaux was very adamant that it was humility1. Taking a look into their backgrounds, Maya Angelou was an author, poet and civil rights activist (bio., 2). It takes courage to speak your mind and actively fight for something that you believe in, especially when you know that there are many people who don’t agree with your way of thinking. On the other hand, Bernard of Clairvaux was a monk of the Cistercian order who was very pious and encouraged others to humble themselves before God (New Advent, 3). Looking at these two examples it is likely that the virtues rendered most†¦show more content†¦Receiving warranted constructive criticism and keeping an open mind is an example of this type of virtue. Stubbornness and gullibility are the deficiency and excess cases in this situation, respectively. Unlike virtue s of thought, virtues of character are gained through practice. Engaging in honesty is an example of this type of virtue. Understating would be the deficiency and being boastful would be the excess. Honesty and respect are a few virtues that I possessed before my time as a student at Texas AM University. Although, I recognize that my work and experiences throughout my college career have helped strengthen these virtues. There have been multiple situations that I found myself, or a fellow student, in and honesty really was the best policy. No matter what the personal cost is, a virtuous person acts according to value and principle. Even if the news is negative, most people respect that another individual had the disposition to tell the truth. Speaking of respect, working with other students on various projects or even just listening to other’s questions during lecture helped me appreciate my fellow students. Each student possesses different abilities and skills and it is admi rable that others will have ideas, suggestions, and questions that vary from your own. Other virtues that are perhaps more specific to engineering are curiosity, open-mindness, and perseverance. Most, if not all, fieldsShow MoreRelatedThe Nasw Code Of Ethics1266 Words   |  6 PagesEthics, I am confident that my personal values will conform well to the social work profession. There are a few personal values of mine that may conflict to the social work profession; however, I will most certainly use my professional judgement to ensure that I will not break the NASW Code of Ethics. Overall, I found that many of my personal values were mentioned in the NASW Code of Ethics. There are several personal values of mine that conform well to the social work profession and NASW Code of EthicsRead MoreWhat Makes A Profession?1510 Words   |  7 Pagesregarding the paralegal profession. 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Mardi gras Essay Example For Students

Mardi gras Essay Mardi Gras, literally Fat Tuesday, has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous sometimes hedonistic event. Buts its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the last hurrah before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. That is why the enormous ends abruptly at midnight on Tuesday. There are well-known season-long Carnival celebrations in Europe and Latin America, including Nice, France; Cologne, Germany; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The best known celebration in the United States is in New Orleans and the French-Catholic communities of the Gulf Coast. Another popular site for the celebration of Mardi Gras is Galveston, Texas. Mardi Gras has become a major influence to the people and the economy of Galveston. With its great history and deep economic impact Mardi Gras is beneficial to both the community and visitors to the Island.The first celebration took place in 1867, when a dramatic entertainment and masked ball took place in the old Turner Hall. The dramatic entertainment was a scen e from King Henry IV, featuring Alvan Reed (a justice of the peace weighing in at 350 pounds!) as Falstaff (Mardi Gras!). The first time Mardi Gras was celebrated to any great extent was in 1871, when there were two night parades by separate organizations, one known as the Knights of Momus and the other as the Knights of Myth, both of which devised masked ball, exquisite costumes. In the years that followed, the parades and balls grew more elaborate and attracting attention throughout the state. After the hurricane of 1900 the events were discontinued for several years. The celebrations were gradually revived, but not on an extensive scale. It was not until 1914 that a group called the Kotton Karnival Kids staged parades for both Mardi Gras and the Galveston Cotton Carnival. The 1917 masked ball took on added glamour with the first official appearance of King Frivolous and his court,(Mardi Gras!). The king was given the key to the city. With the outbreak of World War I, Mardi Gras was confined to small single day festivities. Shortly after the war the celebration a new revival. It was not until the threat war once again placed the celebration on hold. In 1985, native Galvestonian George P. Mitchell and his wife, Cynthia, launched the revival of a citywide Mardi Gras celebration (Mardi Gras!). Now under the supervision of the Galveston Park Board of Trustees, Mardi Gras spans two weekends and several days in between with parades, masked balls, and many different theatrical entertainments. Mardi Gras has brought a significant amount of public participation to Galveston and the surrounding communities. There are more than 400,000 people that flock to the Island over the span of two weeks. With this many revelers, the efforts of the Parks Board are an attempt to expedite the activities, minimize problems, and maximize net benefits to the community. This leads to the question does Mardi Gras benefit the community or does it create more of a problem?Barton Smith, Professor of Economics at the University of Houston, conducted an analysis of the economic effect that Mardi Gras has had on Galveston. The study conducted by interviews, surveys, and the collection of empirical findings over a two year span of Mardi Gras events. The affect of Mardi Gras effected the hospitality industry the most. The median gain revenues for all respondents was 20% (Smith 14). Many of the business did hire new employees and security for the two week span. The study concluded $33.2 million in sale s, $10 million in income, and an increase of 320 full time employees. This would lead to a positive effect on the community and the desire to continue this tradition. There are several problems that can come out of such a large event. The most prevalent is with in the public sector. The excessive consumption of alcohol and deviant behavior are two of the common factors that lead to the negative outlook on the Mardi Gras events. Others involve traffic, the lack of accommodations, and overcrowdingness. Though the latter group is easier to coop with, it is the actions taken while under the influence and individual behaviors that have a greater impact on the community. Christina Woolwine, Vice President of the Park Board of Trustees of the City of Galveston, in an interview said, There are always a few individuals that get out of control and those are usually the ones that make the news and create a negative view of Mardi Gras. Though there are a few negative aspects associated with Ma rdi Gras in Galveston, there are far more benefits to the event surrounding the celebration. The rich history of the creation of Galvestons Mardi Gras stimulates individuals to take an active participation in the events. The positive economic influence that is constructed by the twelve to fourteen days of celebration provides the community with greater than average fiscal incomes. Not to mention the religious influence of the need to Fatten Up before the fasting. Works CitedMardi Gras! Galveston: A 128-Year-Old History. Editorial. Baywatcher Magazine February 1989, page 11. .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 , .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 .postImageUrl , .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 , .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71:hover , .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71:visited , .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71:active { border:0!important; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71:active , .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71 .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ufc6618a832875ab3a3577d7e3ba2cf71:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Sexual Harassment EssaySmith, Barton. An Economic Analysis of the Impact of Mardi Gras Events in Galveston, Texas. Professor of Economics: University of Houston. 24 May, 2004. Woolwine, Christina. Personal interview. 23 March, 2005.

The Geology of Seattle free essay sample

Seattle is located in the state of Washington in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is metropolitan and has a population of nearly 3. 5 million. Seattle’s climate changes from wet and cold during the winter months to dry and hot during the summer months. The coast of Seattle is responsible for the growth of its economy, due to the large number of commercial ports. Seattle is in the destructive range of several volcanos within Washington, most prominently, Mt. Rainier. Topography Seattle is surrounded by large bodies of water and mountainous terrain. The city itself lies on top of several hills, which include; Capitol Hill, Second Hill, Denny Hill, Beacon Hill, and Queen Anne Hill. From the center of Seattle you can find shoreline to the north, Bainbridge Island to the north-west, The Puget Sound to the west, Vashon Island to the south-west, Tukwila to the south, Renton to the south-east, Lake Mercer to the East, and Lake Forest Park to the north-east. Past the Puget Sound lie the Olympic Mountains. Seattle owes its specific structure due to glacial scouring and deposition and tectonic activity, subsequently modified by landsliding, stream erosion and deposition, and human activity. Geological hazards Seattle is threatened by several geological hazards, such as earthquakes, flooding, volcanos and landslides and shore erosion. Perhaps one of the most prominent hazards to Seattle is the Massive volcano, MT. Rainier, which lies 54 miles southeast of Seattle. MT. Rainier stands at an elevation of 14,411  feet and is very topographically prominent. Rainier is considered one of the world’s most dangerous volcanos. The composition of Rainier is very andesitic and upon it eruption could cause a violent explosion. The glacial ice that sits atop the mountain can also cause massive lahars that could cause major damage to Seattle’s infrastructure as well as its economy. Although MT. Rainier displays no signs of imminent eruption, it has gone through several major eruptions in the past 3000 years. These eruptions include the Twin Creek eruptive episode 1,500 years ago, the Fryingpan Creek eruptive period 1000 year ago, the Electron Mudflow 500 years ago, and several small eruption plumes in the 1800’s which caused black smoke to be seen to the early pioneers of the area. It is projected that the potential damage to Seattle and the surrounding area would be catastrophic if MT. Rainer were to erupt. Geoff Clayton, a geologist working for a company called RH2 Engineering, was asked by Seattle Weekly to estimate the damages to the Settle area. By using a computer program, he reached a conclusion that the result of Mt. Rainer spawning lahars would be a devastating natural disaster. Clayton then quoted that, Before approaching Seattle, a lahar, he says, would have wiped out Enumclaw, Kent, Auburn, and most of Renton, if not all of it. Clayton went on to say that if such a massive lahar could potentially cause tsunamis in Lake Washington and the Puget Sound, effectively flooding the port of Seattle. It is needless to say that if Seattle were to lose its commercial ports, the economic consequences would be dire. Another geological hazard that presents itself in Seattle is the risk of Earthquakes. Seattle lies within the ring of fire and is at risk of experie ncing a crippling earthquake. The Seattle area has experienced several significant earthquakes in the past. The most recent notable quake was in February 28, 2001 when a magnitude 6. 8 earthquake ravaged Pioneer Square. The quake caused significant property damage but no fatalities. More powerful earthquakes have occurred farther in the past. On  January 26, 1700 the area was struck with a staggering 9. 0 magnitude quake, and on December 14, 1872 Seattle was struck again with a 7. 3 magnitude quake. A few more semi-powerful quakes occurred between 1940 to the present day, however, fatalities were minimal. To predict the potential loss cause by another 9. earthquake hitting modern day Seattle, FEMA used â€Å"Hazus† (a computer program used by FEMA) and found that such an earthquake would cause billions of dollars of property damage, thousands of deaths and even more injuries to the population. The aftereffects of the earthquake would be equally devastating. The earthquake would trigger tsunamis form the surrounding water bodies, as well as fires and landslides. Effects such as the se would be devastating and would take decades to repair. Seattle has hundreds of miles of waterfront surrounding the city. With such a large amount of water around the city, flooding is a major concern to the residents of Seattle. Although tidal flooding from the Puget Sound and Lake Washington is a concern, the real threat of flooding comes from the system of undeveloped creeks and river that run through the city. These floods most often occur in the fall and winter due to the increased rainfall. Thornton Creek in northwest Seattle and Longfellow Creek in west Seattle are two creeks that are notorious for flooding during the winter months. Thornton Creek has caused major water damage urban areas that border the creek when it has flooded in 1967 and again in 2003. Another flood of importance occurred in 2006 when record rainfall caused flash floods that swept through the city during rush-hour. Although the floods in the Seattle are wide spread and intense, they cause few deaths. Landslides are another geological hazard that is common to the Seattle area. Landslides in Seattle can be caused by any number of factors, either natural or manmade. Landslides occur in areas that exhibit clay-sand contact or any other adverse soil and groundwater conditions. The most notable series of landslides in recent history occurred in January of 1997. Over 100 landslides were reported throughout the Seattle area within several days and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. A study showed several factors that contributed to the incident. During the spring of 1997, the Seattle area experienced much more precipitation that usual. A cold spell in the spring caused ice crystals to form and melt in the soil, increasing its porosity. The several day of intense rainfall between late January and early March are what triggered the series subsequent landslides. Geologically economic activities Present day Seattle relies in its ports for economic growth, however, in the 1800’s coal was Seattle’s main export. Coal was discovered in the Seattle area in 1833. The development of the railroads in Washington spurred the growth of the coal market. At the time, locomotives primary fuel was coal, and coal required the use of the railways to be exported. The coal market continued to grow in Seattle. In 1918 Seattle was delivering 4. million tons to California each day. The coal market began to fail when locomotives started switching from coal to petroleum and natural gas. Coal mines began to shut down as the demand for coal diminished until the last active coal mine closed down on November 27, 2006. â€Å"Live-ability of Seattle† At a glance, Seattle seems as good as a place as any to live. However, there a re several factors to consider for anyone looking to take up residence in the Seattle area. To the human perspective, hazardous geological incidents seem too far and few between to see as a threat. If one were to look at all of the geological disasters in the Seattle area on a geological timescale, they would see just how prone to disasters Seattle is. Approximately every five hundred years Seattle experiences a 9. 0 earthquake. Any seismic activity on that scale would also cause tsunamis to devastate the area. Seattle is also under the constant threat of MT. Rainier erupting and spawning a massive lahar that would destroy downtown Seattle. Seasonal floods are a major threat to the residents of the Seattle regardless of the lengths the city has gone to prevent flood damages.