Homeless Shelter Research Paper
For my project, I decided to visit a homeless shelter and eat at the Soup kitchen. Me and one of my close friends visited The Bridge homeless center last weekend to see how it worked and operated. When we arrived 10 minutes before noon and the line was all the way out the door and almost in the street. I was just in such a shock to see so many homeless people right here in my community. I stood in line for at least 30 minutes waiting to receive my meal. While waiting I just watched and evaluated everyone around me and their behavior. I didn’t expect to see so many women with children and elderly homeless people. I just wanted to know why so many of these people homeless and couldn’t go live with family or someone that cares for them. I chose to go here because I have always heard such horrible things about homeless people. I have heard that many are lazy, bums, uneducated, addicts, and are just looking for a hand out. By visiting the soup kitchen, I got a chance to experience firsthand what it is like to be in
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their shoes and I got a chance to develop my own opinion of the homeless people in my community. Before visiting the soup kitchen, I had many bias and negative opinions about the homeless. Being in a society that looks down upon homeless people I was taught to think that all homeless people are crazy, lazy, worthless, dirty bums. Our society looks down on anyone who cannot provide for themselves without assistance, therefore people with mental and physical disabilities are discriminated on and looked down upon. Society needs to have more compassion for homeless people because many of the time these people did not choose the path they are on, instead were forced into the situation they are in. Many people are not addicts, lazy, or uneducated and have lived an amazing life before they were homeless. There was so many people standing outside when I arrived. Many of the people were wearing dirty clothes, hungry, and covered in dirt. Some walked in with absolutely nothing in hand but a bag that carried all their belongings. For many this is all that remains from their former life that they lead. Many of these people had no job, no money and depended on the soup kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I couldn’t help but to think how many of these people felt about their current situation. I cannot imagine not having a home to go to and having to live every day on the streets with nothing but my clothes on my back and a bag of the rest of my belongings. Many of these people have nothing, and live day to day in search for their next meal or next place to sleep for the night. My experience at the soup kitchen changed my entire perspective of homeless people.
While standing in line me and my friend were getting stares from some of the people on the streets. The older male in front of us began to ask why are we here at a soup kitchen and that we did not look like we needed help. I begin to tell him that I was here to try out the food and just see how it is like to be homeless for a day. He was confused as to why we would want to do something like this and just kind of let it go. I was curious as to why he was homeless and I asked him why he was here. He began to tell me about his life and he tells me that his wife had passed away due to cancer and he lost his house after she passed because he couldn’t keep up with the expenses on his own. He then tells me that he does not have any children and both his parents are deceased as well. While talking to him I began to feel for him because we all could be put in this
situation. As he goes on he tells me that he makes money by washing cars at a local car wash that he gets paid between 45-70 dollars a day. I was in shock to hear that people are still working for little to no pay. He tells me that this is the only job he was been able to keep over the years due to his back issues and his eye sight that is giving out. As an able bodied individual I take for granted many of the things that I have in my life such as my family and job. I couldn’t imagine losing my mother, let alone my spouse and having to be left to fend for myself in the world. No matter how young or old a person maybe we all deserve to be homeless. I felt for the man and wanted better for him and his situation, but I don’t myself have the resource to help him. As we got to the front of the line we were served two tacos, rice, beans, and a cake for dessert. I was very pleased with the amount of food I received as well as the taste of the food. It was many people seated in the café area. There was a small children’s area, for children to eat at. The café was huge and very nicely decorated that was something that I was not excepting the inside to look like. Once I received my food I sat down at a table with two other adults. The people that I sat with were very welcoming and helpful. At the café, there were volunteer waitress staff that assisted us and gave us our drinks. It was a really good feeling to see this kind of hospitality shown to the homeless. Everyone was very nice and the food was very tasty. While at the Bridge Homeless Center I did experience classism by the older male in line. He guy told me and my friend that we did not look like we needed to be there receiving a meal. This was an assumption he made based on our appearance. He did not what we might have been though, instead he just assumed that we were wealthy. Classism can be used in favor or against to discriminate against a group of people based on their economic status. Many homeless people experience classism daily, so I was shocked to have someone discriminated against me based on my appearance. In conclusion, visiting the soup kitchen helped me reevaluate any biased opinion I had already had against homelessness, since my thoughts were always influenced by society, friends, and family. These people were not bums or lazy, as I have heard them been labeled by society, but instead I learned that many have had been though rough and unfortunate circumstances in life. Many of us take life for granted and think that unfortunate circumstance will not or cannot happen to ourselves. Speaking to the people at The Bridge really changed my life and helped me become more appreciative of the things that I take for granted. I have learned how hard it can be to survive financially in the world. In our society, it is normal to talk down upon someone who is less fortunate then you. After this experience, I will no longer judge anyone based on their looks instead judge people by their actions. We as humans need to understand that life will be a up and down rollercoaster and everyone cannot handle some of the challenges that they are faced with. Many people just need a helping hand or an ear to listen to help guide them back on track, and many of the people that I seen at the soup kitchen needed just that. Just from speaking to one person, I learned I shouldn't make judgments about others based on bias that society put in place. I realized that I should go out and experience something myself before making up assumptions about a group. Relying on others judgments has its setbacks and I learned that if I want to understand the truths in the world, I must go out and discover them myself.
their shoes and I got a chance to develop my own opinion of the homeless people in my community. Before visiting the soup kitchen, I had many bias and negative opinions about the homeless. Being in a society that looks down upon homeless people I was taught to think that all homeless people are crazy, lazy, worthless, dirty bums. Our society looks down on anyone who cannot provide for themselves without assistance, therefore people with mental and physical disabilities are discriminated on and looked down upon. Society needs to have more compassion for homeless people because many of the time these people did not choose the path they are on, instead were forced into the situation they are in. Many people are not addicts, lazy, or uneducated and have lived an amazing life before they were homeless. There was so many people standing outside when I arrived. Many of the people were wearing dirty clothes, hungry, and covered in dirt. Some walked in with absolutely nothing in hand but a bag that carried all their belongings. For many this is all that remains from their former life that they lead. Many of these people had no job, no money and depended on the soup kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I couldn’t help but to think how many of these people felt about their current situation. I cannot imagine not having a home to go to and having to live every day on the streets with nothing but my clothes on my back and a bag of the rest of my belongings. Many of these people have nothing, and live day to day in search for their next meal or next place to sleep for the night. My experience at the soup kitchen changed my entire perspective of homeless people.
While standing in line me and my friend were getting stares from some of the people on the streets. The older male in front of us began to ask why are we here at a soup kitchen and that we did not look like we needed help. I begin to tell him that I was here to try out the food and just see how it is like to be homeless for a day. He was confused as to why we would want to do something like this and just kind of let it go. I was curious as to why he was homeless and I asked him why he was here. He began to tell me about his life and he tells me that his wife had passed away due to cancer and he lost his house after she passed because he couldn’t keep up with the expenses on his own. He then tells me that he does not have any children and both his parents are deceased as well. While talking to him I began to feel for him because we all could be put in this
situation. As he goes on he tells me that he makes money by washing cars at a local car wash that he gets paid between 45-70 dollars a day. I was in shock to hear that people are still working for little to no pay. He tells me that this is the only job he was been able to keep over the years due to his back issues and his eye sight that is giving out. As an able bodied individual I take for granted many of the things that I have in my life such as my family and job. I couldn’t imagine losing my mother, let alone my spouse and having to be left to fend for myself in the world. No matter how young or old a person maybe we all deserve to be homeless. I felt for the man and wanted better for him and his situation, but I don’t myself have the resource to help him. As we got to the front of the line we were served two tacos, rice, beans, and a cake for dessert. I was very pleased with the amount of food I received as well as the taste of the food. It was many people seated in the café area. There was a small children’s area, for children to eat at. The café was huge and very nicely decorated that was something that I was not excepting the inside to look like. Once I received my food I sat down at a table with two other adults. The people that I sat with were very welcoming and helpful. At the café, there were volunteer waitress staff that assisted us and gave us our drinks. It was a really good feeling to see this kind of hospitality shown to the homeless. Everyone was very nice and the food was very tasty. While at the Bridge Homeless Center I did experience classism by the older male in line. He guy told me and my friend that we did not look like we needed to be there receiving a meal. This was an assumption he made based on our appearance. He did not what we might have been though, instead he just assumed that we were wealthy. Classism can be used in favor or against to discriminate against a group of people based on their economic status. Many homeless people experience classism daily, so I was shocked to have someone discriminated against me based on my appearance. In conclusion, visiting the soup kitchen helped me reevaluate any biased opinion I had already had against homelessness, since my thoughts were always influenced by society, friends, and family. These people were not bums or lazy, as I have heard them been labeled by society, but instead I learned that many have had been though rough and unfortunate circumstances in life. Many of us take life for granted and think that unfortunate circumstance will not or cannot happen to ourselves. Speaking to the people at The Bridge really changed my life and helped me become more appreciative of the things that I take for granted. I have learned how hard it can be to survive financially in the world. In our society, it is normal to talk down upon someone who is less fortunate then you. After this experience, I will no longer judge anyone based on their looks instead judge people by their actions. We as humans need to understand that life will be a up and down rollercoaster and everyone cannot handle some of the challenges that they are faced with. Many people just need a helping hand or an ear to listen to help guide them back on track, and many of the people that I seen at the soup kitchen needed just that. Just from speaking to one person, I learned I shouldn't make judgments about others based on bias that society put in place. I realized that I should go out and experience something myself before making up assumptions about a group. Relying on others judgments has its setbacks and I learned that if I want to understand the truths in the world, I must go out and discover them myself.