You are not Alone: We can Help

Homelessness could be very frustrating, disappointing, depressing, and traumatizing for anyone but more so if it took you by surprise like an eviction. Our thoughts are with you and we want to help you to get into your own home as soon as possible if you are living on the streets or in a shelter. If you really want to get your life together getting your home ought to be your priority.

Your home could be a rental property or a house ownership and you can pursue it whatever way that works best for you. The most important thing to know before you begin this journey is that you are responsible. The help that comes your way will mostly be the result of what you are doing. The moment you get the ball rolling the forces of fulfillment will emerge and keep it rolling till you reach your destination.

If this is your first time of being homeless you might have a tendency to blame yourself, blame the system, become depressed or become depended on alcohol or other drugs. You may blame yourself and become depressed but do not fall for the temptation of drinking or using drugs. A healthy body and a clear mind is what you need to get out of this so do not mess it up. 

It is all right to feel the pain of what has happened to you and even become depressed; let your feelings run their course but you must lift up yourself and begin to plan your life. John Bunyan wrote in the Pilgrim Progress that “He or She that is down needs fear no fall”. Thus in a way you are at the best state in life to move up because your only tendency is upward or forward.

Homelessness did not happen to you because you are a bad person and it did not happen to you because you are a sinner or because you did not believe in a God or a savior. Further homelessness has nothing to do with your moral position in life but for the most part it has everything to do with the choices you have made in your life. However the truth is that you are having a life experience and life experiences help us to grow or to evolve. Evolution helps us to understand the meaning and purpose of our lives but if you give up don’t you think it would have been a waste for the chance you have been given to live on earth?

Causes of Homelessness
Anyone could be homeless at any time more so when you have no means of livelihood or when you are subjected to circumstances beyond your control. Consider the following causes of homelessness and determine which caused your homelessness. Think through it and state what you would do if the same thing happened to you again.

  1. Unemployment
  2. Eviction
  3. Drug Addiction
  4. Alcohol Dependence
  5. Mental Illness
  6. Poverty
  7. Family Conflict
  8. Incarceration
  9. Domestic Violence
  10. Foreclosure

Effects of Homelessness
If you live on the streets you might not take good care of yourself like having a regular shower, brushing your teeth, cutting your hair, wearing clean clothes, having a medical checkup, having dental care, eating nutritious foods and drinking enough water. Further living on the streets will exposes you to the harmful effects of the weather which could make you sick. Living on the streets will also expose you to violence which could further complicate your life if you are not killed. Do not wait to complicate your life with the effects of homelessness and we here to help you to get out of homelessness as soon as possible. Here are some of the effects of homelessness:

  1. Health Issues
  2. Mental Health Problems
  3. Criminal Activities
  4. Substance Abuse
  5. Lower Life Expectancy
  6. Risk of Incarceration
  7. Hopelessness
  8. Malnutrition
  9. Helplessness
  10. Unemployment

Living in a Shelter
Living in a shelter effectively protects you from violence on the streets and helps you to have a shower and eat some hot meals but this is a temporarily place. Your challenge is to get your home and leave the shelter as soon as possible in order to create space for new homeless people.

The 2-1-1 Hotline
The 2-1-1 hotline provides callers with immediate assistance by connecting them to appropriate agencies and community organizations. Here are some of the services provided by the 2-1-1 hotline:

  1. Basic Human Needs Resources – including food and clothing banks, shelters, rent assistance, and utility assistance.
  2. Physical and Mental Health Resources– including health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health resources, health insurance programs for children, medical information lines, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, and drug and alcohol intervention and rehabilitation.
  3. Work Support – including financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance and education programs.
  4. Access to Services in Non-English Languages- including language translation and interpretation services to help non-English-speaking people find public resources (Foreign language services vary by location.)
  5. Support for Older Americans and Persons with Disabilities– including adult day care, community meals, respite care, home health care, transportation and homemaker services.
  6. Children, Youth and Family Support– including child care, after-school programs, educational programs for low-income families, family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring and protective services.
  7. Suicide Prevention– referral to suicide prevention help organizations.

How to Get Help as a Homeless Person
If you think you might be homeless or you are already homeless you may take the following steps to help your situation.

  1. Call a Family Member, a Friend or a co-worker and share your situation
  2. Call your church, Lodge, Mosque, Temple or any other organization for help
  3. Contact your local 2-1-1 hotline for immediate help
  4. Get a copy of the Guide to Homeless Resources in your community.

Get Housing Fast
Get housing immediately even if it is a temporary place. Try to get housing during the first week of your homelessness. This should be your priority. You may need to leave your city or move out of state if a family member or a friend has housing for you in another city or state. Do not delay!

Get a Job Fast
Consult with your Housing Counselor and get a job as soon as possible. As long as you are doing something with your life the negative effects of homelessness could hardly make a dent on your life so get busy and change your life!

UNISM is Tax Exempt Under Section 501(c) (3) in the United States. Homelessness complicates life in general but we can help ease their challenges by giving them food, water and blankets that puts smiles on their faces. Thank you for your donation. You may contact us at UNISM, 10746 SE Highway 212, Clackamas, OR 97015. Phone: 503-309-0083