Purpose: To provide communication and resources for the friends and supporters of the Whittier Homeless Summit
Objectives
► For this website to be a collaborative resource for all those interested in learning about the homeless population.
►To connect the homeless population with resources and support.
► To educate the public on myths surrounding the homeless.
There are many "degrees to homelessness", and various reasons to why they became that way. While people think that to be homeless means sleeping in the park, there are other descriptions. Living paycheck to paycheck is a degree of homelessness, since what happens once all your money for the week is gone and you have not paid rent yet? Sleeping on your uncle's couch is also a degree, since where do you go once they kick you out? Too many people living in together, for example 20 people living in a 2 bedroom house, may be a degree of homelessness. There are so many people living together because they have no where else to go. People become homeless for many different reasons. Some being mental and health problems with no one to take care of them, drug and alcohol addictions, physical disabilities, or just lack of love. Sometimes a person does not feel wanted in their house and for whatever reason, knows living anywhere but there will be better. The main thing to focus on is that no matter what circumstances that put the individual in this condition, to be defined as "homeless", they need help. Every human being needs food, clothing, and shelter to live, and the fact that they are homeless just makes their need for these things even greater. Ideally, this webpage would help reduce the homeless population to zero, allowing every person in Whittier to eat a hot meal for dinner and have their own warm bed to sleep in at night. Realistically, the problem of homelessness will never fully disappear. However, there are resources out there and people who want to help. This website is just one stepping stone in getting those people's needs met.