An Internet Lifeline for New York’s Homeless

Social networking and social media are taken for granted by most of us. The fact that we can let off steam, hook up with friends, share troubles and worries, or have a laugh via Internet sites like Facebook keeps us sane. Knowing that we are certain to be listened to is a hugely therapeutic aspect of social media and sites like Twitter perform a helpful function. Accessibility is not a huge issue for many of us, but a social group not normally in a position to take part in the world of web connectivity is the homeless.

Underheard is an organization determined to change that. As its title suggests, it concerns itself with remedying the lack of exposure that the homeless receive. Their silence effectively makes those who are on the streets invisible, or at best, they are promptly overlooked and certainly rarely spoken to on an equal basis.

A simple solution devised by the Underheard program was to give prepaid cell phones to homeless individuals. The device, which most people regard as just one of daily life’s automatic necessities, becomes a way to connect with the world in the hands of these recipients. These homeless individuals utilize Twitter to communicate thoughts and events in their everyday lives. The readers of the tweets gain an insight into the thoughts and feelings of an often victimized minority.

Underheard’s inception came about when a trio of interns attached to a well-known ad agency were set the challenge of affecting some good in their environment. They selected one of the most neglected and perhaps misunderstood of society’s sub-groups.

It’s hoped that through the medium of relatively humble prepaid cell phones, the voices of an often vilified section of society will strike a chord with fellow Internet users out there.

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The strength of youth volunteers

Finding ways to keep our youth out of trouble is an almost universal concern for parents across the nation. Sharp spikes in violent crime, drug use and unsafe sexual activity among modern teenagers has offered plenty of reasons to be alarmed. Community, religious and educational leaders have worked long and hard to come up with some viable solutions to these growing problems.

The biggest deterrent to bad behavior from youth is right under our noses. Youth who volunteer are much more likely to be well-adjusted members of society and less likely to lash out in rebellious ways.

Why does volunteering make such a big impact? It gives youth a foundation at a time in their lives when everything from fashion to hobbies changes almost daily. Youth who volunteer on a regular basis are less likely to engage in illegal or dangerous behavior, are more likely to feel a stronger connection with their communities, and they tend to do better in school.

The easiest way for a parent to get their teenager into the habit of volunteering is to set the example by doing it themselves. Having a good adult role model is essential for any youth. A teenager who has parents that volunteer regularly in their local community is almost three times more likely to actively volunteer themselves. Parents should seek out a local or national charitable organization and sign up to provide some form of community service on a weekly basis.

Many teenagers who volunteer have noble purposes behind their actions. They are not in it for personal recognition. They truly want to make the world they live in a better place. Their goal is to help other people because they truly believe it is important to do good things for other people. This is an ideal that should be encouraged.

Any community organization looking for volunteers should incorporate many youth into that number. It is good for them both now and in the future.

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what is a community?

When we talk about communities, it is important to know what a community is and what makes it strong. By definition, a community is a group of people of any size who reside in a specific locale, share government, and possess a common cultural and historical heritage.

Five factors influence the underlying sense of a community. These factors are: sense of membership, reciprocal importance, mutual responsibility, shared world views and networking.

A strong sense of membership within a community comes when people go from viewing themselves as being apart from the community to actively participating in it and proudly displaying symbols of membership in said community.

Reciprocal importance is acheived once community members make an effort to recognize, cherish, and support the contributions of others within the community. If only a few influentuial people are involved in building a community, it will falter when those particular people are no longer involved in its affairs.

Mutual responsibility offers the idea that the survival and health of any community is a central concern of every person who actively participates in the community. If only a single person or a couple of people work to keep a community together, it could fall apart in the face of small obstacles.

If active participants in a community possess shared world views, it means they share a set of common beliefs and are willing to promote values equally important to them. When this isn’t true and members of a community believe and value things in a dramatically different way, they are typically unable and unwilling to reconcile their differences.

Bonding occurs within a community when its survival and health becomes a central concern of all community members. At that point, they effectively create a healthy network with one another. If community participants do not move their relationships beyond a superficial level, it is impossible to achieve bonding on any effective scale.

The common theme here is a healthy community requires active participation from all members.

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Helping the homeless

Few people can truly understand just how difficult it can be when a person is homeless. There are the stereotypes of the raving lunatic or spaced-out druggie. In many cases, however, homeless people are just normal people who are down on their luck. Maybe they simply lost a job and their home foreclosed. Perhaps a fire or some other castastrophe destroyed their home and all their worldly possessions. Regardless of their reason for being homeless, people in this situation deserve help from volunteers.

There are many ways you can serve the homeless and make their lives better. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Give clothing.

What homeless person could not use a warm blanket or new pairs of socks and shoes? Instead of adding to the wardrobe already in your closet, buy some clothing that can be taken to your local homeless shelter. Remember to buy clothing for both adults and children, since there are also a large number of homeless children out there.

2. Give food.

Going hungry is a real daily concern for a homeless person. One thing you can do to help them find their next meal is to provide that meal for them. Many businesses will accept canned good donations for the local homeless shelter or food bank. If that is not an option, you can simply take some non-perishable food items down to the shelter yourself. Help them to at least have a warm meal they can count on in their time of need.

3. Volunteer at a shelter.

One of the best ways to help the homeless is to give freely of your time. Jump at the chance to volunteer at the local homeless shelter in your community. You can do anything from serving food at meal time to reading books to homeless children before bedtime. Organize games and activities for the kids. Help the adults line up jobs or obtain assistance for medical problems.

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Helping the Elderly

The elderly are often neglected and forgotten by other residents within our communities. This should not be the case. We should take every opportunity to serve and help them. By serving their needs, it makes a statement of how we are individually as people and collectively as a community.

There are many rewarding ways we can serve the elderly in our own communities. Here are some ideas on what you can do to make a positive difference in the life of an elderly person.

  • Rake the yard or shovel the walk.

Doing basic yardwork is something most of us take for granted and some of us try to avoid doing. Many elderly people, because of age and illness, lack the mobility to complete basic chores like raking or shoveling. When you notice leaves falling from trees or snowflakes hitting the ground, that is your cue to help an elderly neighbor deal with the chores that come naturally with the change in seasons.

  • Buy or carry in groceries.

Nothing is more helpful than saving an elderly person a trip to the store or offering them a hand once they get back. Going to the store or carrying in their groceries is not only a thoughtful gesture, but it can prove vital if they have no means of transportation to the store or limited mobility when it comes to travel. Become the person they can count on in their time of need. Offer to run errands for them whenever possible as a means of making their lives easier and happier.

  • Spend quality time.

Serving an elderly person can boil down to something as simple as visiting them and keeping them company from time to time. Whether it involves making them dinner or stopping by with freshly picked flowers or coming by around the holidays to sing Christmas carols; just seeing your face can be enough to brighten the mood of an otherwise lonely elderly person.

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