Introduction
Poverty is a problem affecting people globally and unfortunately it affects people in the wealthiest country in the world. We see it as a big problem in our own city, Dayton, OH. As Catholics, we have always been taught to spread our wealth and treat everyone equally. All humans have dignity and have rights to food, shelter, and basic necessities and it’s our job to insure that for others. We’ve spent the past year volunteering once a week at St. Vincent Homeless Shelter and we’ve seen the impact poverty has on families. Instead of just filling their immediate need, we want to raise awareness on this issue and get others involved as well.
Before we began, we had quite a few questions. Why does someone become homeless? What are stereotypes that they are likely to face? How likely is a child who grew up in poverty to break the cycle his parents struggled with? How can the common person break the cycle of poverty? What prevents homeless people from getting back on their feet? What help is available to those in homeless and impoverished situations within the Dayton community and United States? What are the educational opportunities for homeless children? What level of education do they typically reach and fail to reach? Do children grow in poverty grow up and think that it is okay and acceptable to depend on organizations and others for help and basic necessities? Are children an object of homelessness or a cause? When children doodle or draw, they are most likely to draw their families in their house- what do homeless children draw?
In order to answer all those questions, we did extensive research into homelessness specifically among children. We were lucky to talk to Brother Brandon Paluch of the Marianists who gave us some great insights. We also researched other papers, books, and criticisms that offered insights into challenges people face and how we can raise awareness to effectively relieve their problems. As a result of the research, we conducted interviews of residents in the Downtown Dayton St. Vincent DePaul Homeless Shelter to get residents of the shelter's own take on the problems that they and their families face.
This website is a presentation of our findings as well as a resource for those looking to understand homelessness better. Included are; references to organizations working to combat poverty and the cycle of homelessness, Catholic Social teaching, resources for research, and our own take on the issue at hand.
Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School
505 S Ludlow St
Dayton, OH 45402
Before we began, we had quite a few questions. Why does someone become homeless? What are stereotypes that they are likely to face? How likely is a child who grew up in poverty to break the cycle his parents struggled with? How can the common person break the cycle of poverty? What prevents homeless people from getting back on their feet? What help is available to those in homeless and impoverished situations within the Dayton community and United States? What are the educational opportunities for homeless children? What level of education do they typically reach and fail to reach? Do children grow in poverty grow up and think that it is okay and acceptable to depend on organizations and others for help and basic necessities? Are children an object of homelessness or a cause? When children doodle or draw, they are most likely to draw their families in their house- what do homeless children draw?
In order to answer all those questions, we did extensive research into homelessness specifically among children. We were lucky to talk to Brother Brandon Paluch of the Marianists who gave us some great insights. We also researched other papers, books, and criticisms that offered insights into challenges people face and how we can raise awareness to effectively relieve their problems. As a result of the research, we conducted interviews of residents in the Downtown Dayton St. Vincent DePaul Homeless Shelter to get residents of the shelter's own take on the problems that they and their families face.
This website is a presentation of our findings as well as a resource for those looking to understand homelessness better. Included are; references to organizations working to combat poverty and the cycle of homelessness, Catholic Social teaching, resources for research, and our own take on the issue at hand.
Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School
505 S Ludlow St
Dayton, OH 45402