Amber:
Thank you so much for sharing these clarifications. Thank you also for giving of yourself. That is the greatest gift of humanity - to give to others at those times when they are down.
I too have spent years involved with what people call the homeless, and I am presently and always shall be involved. But for the Grace of God, we all could be homeless, because you never know the twists and turns in life which causes you one day to be on top, and the next day on the bottom.
It is a fact that homeless people are stereotyped. But if the truth be told, as you have so ably done, there are more people in this situation of whom you would never know, than there are those who fit the myth.
I would be willing to assist in perhaps starting something here at UTC where those who wished to do so could offer voluntary, monetary, and in-kind assistance. Think about this, and see what we might come up with.
Thanks again Amber!
Jean
-----Original Message-----
From: Amber Crystal Beason <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:07:52 -0400
Subject: [UTCSTAFF] Krystals for the Kitchen
As people have ranted about Krystal on raven, a few have mentioned pledging money to the Chattanooga Community Kitchen. Some even mentioned a dollar per Krystal! My boyfriend works at the Community Kitchen, doing everything from case management to marketing and grants. I have spent many hours doing volunteer work, and have seen the good that can come from community donations. Alot of people have misconceptions about the homeless, and concerns about where their monies go. Here are a few bits of information, and you can count me in to donate as well.
Here at the Kitchen, we serve 120,000 plus meals every year. Many of the people we serve are single men and women, who repeatedly eat in our dining room. However, more and more young women with children are needing our services. We serve families in our transitional housing apartments, and shelters, as well as with our SAFAH program which assists single mothers and their children as they transition into permanent housing from shelters.
Nationally, the average age of a homeless person is 9 years old. The number one, two, and three reasons for homelessness are unemployment, divorce/domestic violence, and eviction.
The stereotype for a homeless person is the aging, drunken, bearded old man in the gutter. The truth is far from it. You actually rarely see the majority of homeless people...or at least you rarely notice them. They live in cars, stay with friends and family, and work. They could be anyone on the street. They are dressed. They do not panhandle (actually, I've never been panhandled by a homeless person in Chattanooga...the people that panhandle are housed, and panhandle as a living). They may drink, but drugs and alcohol did not cause them to be homeless. More than likely, if they have a drug or alcohol problem, they developed it AFTER they became homeless.... I probably would too; what's more depressing than being homeless?
Here in the US, we don't have hunger like third world countries experience it. Still, it is not limited to the homeless. We live in the land of reduced/free lunches, 99 cent gorditas and a sackful of Krystals. We have a high rate of obesity, highest in the world. But we have people down the street literally starving.
I read a few weeks ago that in New York City, the average person in a soup kitchen line is a 6 year old girl.
Amber Beason
Office of Records & Registration
University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
109 Race Hall
423-425-4892
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Dr. Jean Howard-Hill
Political Science Department
419 Fletcher Hall
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403
423-425-5702
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