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Where do I belong?
By Tia Changa
SUN STAFF WRITER
Where is your future headed? How many times have you feared not belonging
anywhere?
A home is known to be your personal sanctuary, your temple of peace, your
escape hatch where you are able to run to when alone time becomes a
necessity. Home is where one looks forward to releasing all thoughts and
embracing stability. Home is the reason many are able to maintain their
composure.
But, for those on the street, a place of sanctuary is not easily found.
Comfort is a luxury that is seldom available to those who live on the streets, and trust can’t
complete the equation, especially in a city full of strangers and criminals. Despite of fears of living
on the streets, the homelessness rate continues to increase.
In Detroit, there are over 18,000 homeless people in need of shelter on any given night.
Approximately 25 percent of the homeless population in Detroit are children. Fortunately, there
are transitional houses and shelters in the city to help teens to get back on their own feet.
Gateway Community Services is a homeless shelter that focuses on sheltering children and
young adults ages 12 to 21 years old.
“Most teens empty out during the holidays, and they have some challenges emotionally but our
programs help them to prevail above any bad influence and emotional distress,” says Mary Helen
Harper, program assistant.
Gateway offers two programs. Youth ages 12-17 can be sheltered for up to three weeks. A
second program assists those ages 17-21, allowing them to be sheltered for up to 1 ½ years.
“These teens are allowed to stay longer, but these are the expected time spans for healing and
assistance,” added Harper.
According to the December 2009 report of the Conference of Mayors, single men compromise
44 percent of the homeless population. Single women make up 13 percent, families with children
number about 36 percent and unaccompanied minors make up about 7 percent of the homeless
population. It is believed that African Americans suffer more from the struggle of homelessness,
making up about 50 percent of the population compared to 35 percent white, 12 percent
Hispanic, 2 percent Native American and 1 percent Asian.
As you lay down to sleep, imagine the strong scent of urine rushing through your nostrils.
Imagine lying your aching body on the surface of a stiff cold ground. Fear for your safety makes you
too paranoid to sleep and your eyelids begin to gain weight as you fight off Mother Nature’s
creatures and disease ridden rodents. This scenario is a harsh reality for many people. And, others
may just be a paycheck away for being in the same situation. For, job security is never promised.
“The economy nowadays seems to be working against the people, instead of helping the
people,” explained Carl Smith, 63, who experienced homelessness and is now getting back on his
own two feet. “I was homeless for three years, and finding work was extremely hard. My house was
foreclosed. As a man, I didn’t want to impose on family and fall under dependency. I would feel like
less of a man.”
To say that all men have the same mentality would be a simple fallacy, a hasty generalization.
However, this thinking is the mind set of many men.
Smith’s eldest son, Michael Smith, was very concerned for his father.
“It seems to me that he just wanted to push away the help I wanted so desperately to give him,
and I didn’t know what to do,” said Michael Smith. “The economy has suffered greatly, more than
it ever has since the Great Depression, and now we are suffering a great recession.”
Homeless is defined as someone lacking permanent housing. They need a shoulder to lean on
and the push it takes to help motivate those in their time in need of support. The community,
family, as well as the government officials should offer complete the support to lead the homeless
ones to the lighted paths.
Let’s help build a home that’s where you belong.
Warming Center opens in Detroit
Now that frigid temperatures have arrived, the Detroit Department of Human Services has opened
its warming center. The warming center is at Operation Get Down, located at 10100 Harper. The
center, which will be open through mid-February, is open from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next
morning, including holidays.
When the high temperature stays at 10 degrees or below, the warming center will extend its
hours until noon.
The center can accommodate up to 250 people. Individuals who stay in the warming center are
picked up from any of the downtown/Cass Corridor homeless facilities and transported to
Operation Get Down. All individuals are provided with two hot meals, counseling, and showering
and sleeping accommodations.
This program is designed to provide the homeless with some temporary relief from the cold
during the winter. In addition, clients are encouraged to take advantage of other support
services, such as referrals, housing assistance, health screening, and other related services.
Upon entering the warming center, clients are supervised at all times to ensure the safety of all
concerned. If it is determined that a client needs medical attention, a nurse is on duty at all
times for minor medical needs; however, if warranted, EMS is called and the client is transported
to a medical facility.
For more information about the warming centers, call (313) 887-1125.
By Tia Changa
SUN STAFF WRITER
Where is your future headed? How many times have you feared not belonging
anywhere?
A home is known to be your personal sanctuary, your temple of peace, your
escape hatch where you are able to run to when alone time becomes a
necessity. Home is where one looks forward to releasing all thoughts and
embracing stability. Home is the reason many are able to maintain their
composure.
But, for those on the street, a place of sanctuary is not easily found.
Comfort is a luxury that is seldom available to those who live on the streets, and trust can’t
complete the equation, especially in a city full of strangers and criminals. Despite of fears of living
on the streets, the homelessness rate continues to increase.
In Detroit, there are over 18,000 homeless people in need of shelter on any given night.
Approximately 25 percent of the homeless population in Detroit are children. Fortunately, there
are transitional houses and shelters in the city to help teens to get back on their own feet.
Gateway Community Services is a homeless shelter that focuses on sheltering children and
young adults ages 12 to 21 years old.
“Most teens empty out during the holidays, and they have some challenges emotionally but our
programs help them to prevail above any bad influence and emotional distress,” says Mary Helen
Harper, program assistant.
Gateway offers two programs. Youth ages 12-17 can be sheltered for up to three weeks. A
second program assists those ages 17-21, allowing them to be sheltered for up to 1 ½ years.
“These teens are allowed to stay longer, but these are the expected time spans for healing and
assistance,” added Harper.
According to the December 2009 report of the Conference of Mayors, single men compromise
44 percent of the homeless population. Single women make up 13 percent, families with children
number about 36 percent and unaccompanied minors make up about 7 percent of the homeless
population. It is believed that African Americans suffer more from the struggle of homelessness,
making up about 50 percent of the population compared to 35 percent white, 12 percent
Hispanic, 2 percent Native American and 1 percent Asian.
As you lay down to sleep, imagine the strong scent of urine rushing through your nostrils.
Imagine lying your aching body on the surface of a stiff cold ground. Fear for your safety makes you
too paranoid to sleep and your eyelids begin to gain weight as you fight off Mother Nature’s
creatures and disease ridden rodents. This scenario is a harsh reality for many people. And, others
may just be a paycheck away for being in the same situation. For, job security is never promised.
“The economy nowadays seems to be working against the people, instead of helping the
people,” explained Carl Smith, 63, who experienced homelessness and is now getting back on his
own two feet. “I was homeless for three years, and finding work was extremely hard. My house was
foreclosed. As a man, I didn’t want to impose on family and fall under dependency. I would feel like
less of a man.”
To say that all men have the same mentality would be a simple fallacy, a hasty generalization.
However, this thinking is the mind set of many men.
Smith’s eldest son, Michael Smith, was very concerned for his father.
“It seems to me that he just wanted to push away the help I wanted so desperately to give him,
and I didn’t know what to do,” said Michael Smith. “The economy has suffered greatly, more than
it ever has since the Great Depression, and now we are suffering a great recession.”
Homeless is defined as someone lacking permanent housing. They need a shoulder to lean on
and the push it takes to help motivate those in their time in need of support. The community,
family, as well as the government officials should offer complete the support to lead the homeless
ones to the lighted paths.
Let’s help build a home that’s where you belong.
Warming Center opens in Detroit
Now that frigid temperatures have arrived, the Detroit Department of Human Services has opened
its warming center. The warming center is at Operation Get Down, located at 10100 Harper. The
center, which will be open through mid-February, is open from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. the next
morning, including holidays.
When the high temperature stays at 10 degrees or below, the warming center will extend its
hours until noon.
The center can accommodate up to 250 people. Individuals who stay in the warming center are
picked up from any of the downtown/Cass Corridor homeless facilities and transported to
Operation Get Down. All individuals are provided with two hot meals, counseling, and showering
and sleeping accommodations.
This program is designed to provide the homeless with some temporary relief from the cold
during the winter. In addition, clients are encouraged to take advantage of other support
services, such as referrals, housing assistance, health screening, and other related services.
Upon entering the warming center, clients are supervised at all times to ensure the safety of all
concerned. If it is determined that a client needs medical attention, a nurse is on duty at all
times for minor medical needs; however, if warranted, EMS is called and the client is transported
to a medical facility.
For more information about the warming centers, call (313) 887-1125.
