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Kids Can... Take a Stand

Against Prejudice & Discrimination

Sometimes people are mean to those who seem different. Maybe they think everybody has to act a certain way to be cool. Or maybe they feel scared or angry about people who are different (about the things they do, the way they look). Treating people unkindly because they are different is called prejudice.

Being the victim of prejudice doesn't feel good. Being stared at or called names (or being left out of the fun) hurts. Being the victim of prejudice can make a person feel very sad and very angry. And, sometimes prejudice leads to terrible violence. People have been killed just for having skin that is darker (or lighter) than another group's -- or for having a religion that another group doesn't like. Prejudice has created a lot of sadness in the world.

But just as bad, prejudice keeps us from working together to get things done. If we can't get along, we can't cooperate, and we can't help each other, or share our ideas. How can we work together to protect our Earth if we can't be respectful of one another's differences?

What's more the great thing about being different is that being different can help us come up with ideas that no one has ever had before! Maybe the person who could solve the climate crisis or invent a really efficient solar car is that boy or girl you know that is "different". So who cares if his hair cut is weird or her socks don't match. Does that stuff even matter?

Besides, if you think about it... EVERYBODY is different! In fact, the really sad part about bullying is that it makes so many people believe that they should pretend to be the same. And to feel really bad about who they really are...

So... what if we decide to see our differences as gifts to share with each other? And what if we could try to focus on what we have in common -- on the dreams and hopes that we share. Maybe we could learn to work & play together more easily-- and have more fun!

Thailand

People can be different in all kinds of ways. But differences can be fun!

Ecuador

1. One way to help us live peacefully together... is to look for the good in other people and in their way of living -- this is also called "appreciating diversity".

2. Another is to learn positive ways to cope with our own strong feelings, the feelings we have when we disagree with other people. Feelings such as fear, shame, or anger can cloud our thinking, and influence us to make choices we later regret.

3. -- this means, working out our fights and disagreements without hurting each other. We can also learn how to resolve conflicts And without hitting or name calling or trying to embarrass the other person.

4. Also, we must learn how we can get our needs metand be safe -- so that we can feel okay -- while letting other people be just who they are.

5. Finally, we must all make the commitment not to hurt each other (or ourselves) for being different. We must a lways remember that there is a better way.

Links

Stop Bullying.Gov

Bullying is being mean to another kid over and over again. It affects everyone: kids who are bullied, kids who bully, and kids who see it. Are you being bullied? Do you see bullying at your school? There are things you can do to keep yourself and the kids you know safe from bullying.

Resolving Conflicts

Rules For Getting Your Mads Out

How to deal with angry feelings... without hurting yourself or others!

Excerpts From Slave Narratives

First hand accounts from slaves and slave traders. Edited by Steven Mintz, University of Houston. Sobering food for thought about where prejudice has sometimes led our species.

Prejudice And Tolerance

Visit this The More You Know site to see video clips on this topic by famous television personalities like Kristen Johnston & Joseph Gordon-Levitt ( bullying a 3rd Rock From The Sun), Megan Mullaly & Sean Hayes ( Will & Grace), and Alex Kingston ( ER). Be sure to check out their information on s well.

Understanding Prejudice

Excellent collection of links relating to prejudice reduction programs, projects, ideas, and resources.

What to Tell Your Child About
Prejudice and Discrimination

Send us some email!

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Kids Can... Take a Stand Against Prejudice & Discrimination Sometimes people are mean to those who seem different. Maybe they think everybody has to act a certain way to be cool. Or maybe they feel scared or angry about people who are different (about the things they do, the way they look).

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You need self-esteem, but it doesn't always come naturally. Find out what it means to feel good about yourself.

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Kids Environment Kids Health - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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You can use these buttons to move to the next or previous page.

By Tom Hawkins, NIEHS Office of Communications
For a printable version of this story, download Sharon Finds The Environment

haron thought and thought. "I'll bet the sun isn't part of the environment!" But Herman said, "Oh, yes it is. A little sun gives you a vitamin you need, Vitamin D. But you can get too much. You can get sunburn. You can even get badly sick from too much sun. That's why we squirrels build nice deep, shady nests. And though you don't have anything as nice as a nest, at least you have a house." For more information about sun safety, download the SunWise Activity Book, the Sunwise Storybook and all the other Sunwise School publications created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to promote sun-safe behavior at any age.

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Stories

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You can use these buttons to move to the next or previous page. By Tom Hawkins, NIEHS Office of CommunicationsFor a printable version of this story, download Sharon Finds The Environment haron thought and thought. "I'll bet the sun isn't part of the environment!" But Herman said, "Oh, yes it is.

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Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants. It also damages buildings. Pollutants in the air take many forms. They can be gases, solid particles, or liquid droplets.

Sources of Air Pollution

Pollution enters the Earth's atmosphere in many different ways. Most air pollution is created by people, taking the form of emissions from factories, cars, planes, or aerosol cans. Second-hand cigarette smoke is also considered air pollution. These man-made sources of pollution are called anthropogenic sources.

Some types of air pollution, such as smoke from wildfires or ash from volcanoes, occur naturally. These are called natural sources.

Air pollution is most common in large cities where emissions from many different sources are concentrated. Sometimes, mountains or tall buildings prevent air pollution from spreading out. This air pollution often appears as a cloud making the air murky. It is called smog. The word "smog" comes from combining the words "smoke" and "fog."

Large cities in poor and developing nations tend to have more air pollution than cities in developed nations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some of the worlds most polluted cities are Karachi, Pakistan; New Delhi, India; Beijing, China; Lima, Peru; and Cairo, Egypt. However, many developed nations also have air pollution problems. Los Angeles, California, is nicknamed Smog City.

Air pollution is usually thought of as smoke from large factories or exhaust from vehicles. But there are many types of indoor air pollution as well.

Heating a house by burning substances such as kerosene, wood, and coal can contaminate the air inside the house. Ash and smoke make breathing difficult, and they can stick to walls, food, and clothing.

Naturally-occurring radon gas, a cancer-causing material, can also build up in homes. Radon is released through the surface of the Earth. Inexpensive systems installed by professionals can reduce radon levels.

Some construction materials, including insulation, are also dangerous to people's health. In addition, ventilation, or air movement, in homes and rooms can lead to the spread of toxic mold. A single colony of mold may exist in a damp, cool place in a house, such as between walls. The mold's spores enter the air and spread throughout the house. People can become sick from breathing in the spores.
Indoor Air Pollution
Effects On Humans

People experience a wide range of health effects from being exposed to air pollution. Effects can be broken down into short-term effects and long-term effects.

Short-term effects, which are temporary, include illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis. They also include discomfort such as irritation to the nose, throat, eyes, or skin. Air pollution can also cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Bad smells made by factories, garbage, or sewer systems are considered air pollution, too. These odors are less serious but still unpleasant.

Long-term effects of air pollution can last for years or for an entire lifetime. They can even lead to a person's death. Long-term health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to people's nerves, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs. Some scientists suspect air pollutants cause birth defects. Nearly 2.5 million people die worldwide each year from the effects of outdoor or indoor air pollution.

People react differently to different types of air pollution. Young children and older adults, whose immune systems tend to be weaker, are often more sensitive to pollution. Conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and lung disease can be made worse by exposure to air pollution. The length of exposure and amount and type of pollutants are also factors.

Effects On The Environment

Like people, animals, and plants, entire ecosystems can suffer effects from air pollution. Haze, like smog, is a visible type of air pollution that obscures shapes and colors. Hazy air pollution can even muffle sounds.

Air pollution particles eventually fall back to Earth. Air pollution can directly contaminate the surface of bodies of water and soil. This can kill crops or reduce their yield. It can kill young trees and other plants.

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide particles in the air, can create acid rain when they mix with water and oxygen in the atmosphere. These air pollutants come mostly from coal-fired power plants and motor vehicles. When acid rain falls to Earth, it damages plants by changing soil composition; degrades water quality in rivers, lakes and streams; damages crops; and can cause buildings and monuments to decay.

Like humans, animals can suffer health effects from exposure to air pollution. Birth defects, diseases, and lower reproductive rates have all been attributed to air pollution.

Global warming is an environmental phenomenon caused by natural and anthropogenic air pollution. It refers to rising air and ocean temperatures around the world. This temperature rise is at least partially caused by an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat energy in the Earths atmosphere. (Usually, more of Earths heat escapes into space.)

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that has had the biggest effect on global warming. Carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (coal, gasoline, and natural gas). Humans have come to rely on fossil fuels to power cars and planes, heat homes, and run factories. Doing these things pollutes the air with carbon dioxide.

Other greenhouse gases emitted by natural and artificial sources also include methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Methane is a major emission from coal plants and agricultural processes. Nitrous oxide is a common emission from industrial factories, agriculture, and the burning of fossil fuels in cars. Fluorinated gases, such as hydrofluorocarbons, are emitted by industry. Fluorinated gases are often used instead of gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs have been outlawed in many places because they deplete the ozone layer.

Worldwide, many countries have taken steps to reduce or limit greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming. The Kyoto Protocol, first adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, is an agreement between 183 countries that they will work to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. The United States has not signed that treaty.

Regulation

In addition to the international Kyoto Protocol, most developed nations have adopted laws to regulate emissions and reduce air pollution. In the United States, debate is under way about a system called cap and trade to limit emissions. This system would cap, or place a limit, on the amount of pollution a company is allowed. Companies that exceeded their cap would have to pay. Companies that polluted less than their cap could trade or sell their remaining pollution allowance to other companies. Cap and trade would essentially pay companies to limit pollution.

In 2006 the World Health Organization issued new Air Quality Guidelines. The WHOs guidelines are tougher than most individual countries existing guidelines. The WHO guidelines aim to reduce air pollution-related deaths by 15 percent a year.

Reduction

Anybody can take steps to reduce air pollution. Millions of people every day make simple changes in their lives to do this. Taking public transportation instead of driving a car, or riding a bike instead of traveling in carbon dioxide-emitting vehicles are a couple of ways to reduce air pollution. Avoiding aerosol cans, recycling yard trimmings instead of burning them, and not smoking cigarettes are others. Global Warming

Fast Fact

Downwinders
The United States conducted tests of nuclear weapons at the Nevada Test Site in southern Nevada in the 1950s. These tests sent invisible radioactive particles into the atmosphere. These air pollution particles traveled with wind currents, eventually falling to Earth, sometimes hundreds of miles away in states including Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Washington. These areas were considered to be "downwind" from the Nevada Test Site.

Decades later, people living in those downwind areascalled "downwinders"began developing cancer at above-normal rates. In 1990, the U.S. government passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. This law entitles some downwinders to payments of $50,000.

Fast Fact

London Smog
What has come to be known as the London Smog of 1952, or the Great Smog of 1952, was a four-day incident that sickened 100,000 people and caused as many as 12,000 deaths. Very cold weather in December 1952 led residents of London, England, to burn more coal to keep warm. Smoke and other pollutants became trapped by a thick fog that settled over the city. The polluted fog became so thick that people could only see a few meters in front of them.

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Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants. It also damages buildings.

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Trees provide benefits for your home, your community, and for the entire world. From saving on utilities to fighting climate change, trees make a world of difference.

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Kids Environment Kids Health - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Three great ways YOU can eliminate waste and protect your environment!

Waste, and how we choose to handle it, affects our world's environment-that's YOUR environment. The environment is everything around you including the air, water, land, plants, and man-made things. And since by now you probably know that you need a healthy environment for your own health and happiness, you can understand why effective waste management is so important to YOU and everyone else. The waste we create has to be carefully controlled to be sure that it does not harm your environment and your health.

What exactly is "waste?"

Waste is anything we throw away or get rid of, that doesn't get used.

How can you help?

You can help by learning about and practicing the three R's of waste management: Reduce, reuse, and recycle! Practicing all three of these activities every day is not only important for a healthy environment, but it can also be fun too. So let's take a minute right now to learn more about waste and waste management, so you can become a key player in making our world a safe and healthy place.

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Coloring

Coloring books and fun pictures to color.

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Scientific Dictionary

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Hazardous waste and chemicals are harmful to human health. They contain dangerous chemicals and can be a liquid, solid, or gas. Some of them can be found in your house or around you. Learn more about hazardous wastes.

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Think about how you feel when your room is a mess. Maybe there are socks and dirty clothes piled on the floor.

An old banana peel sits on the dresser and juice from a tipped over juice box drips down the side. How does your room feel? Do you like spending time there? Probably not. You might feel frustrated and annoyed. But when your room is clean, it feels peaceful, happy and safe.

The Earth is your home too. And when it's clean and healthy, the people, plants and animals that live on it are clean, healthy and happy. The Earth is a fragile place that can be damaged easily by people. The good news is that people can also clean it up and take care of it.

Fun Facts About Taking Care of the Earth for Kids

We get everything we need from the Earth - food, clothing, shelter and even medicines. But we have to be careful not to take more than we need and to use our resources carefully.

Loggers cut trees down in forests for paper, furniture and buildings. But if they don't plant more trees, soon the forests are gone. Animals have no place to live.

Factories sometimes dump leftover chemicals in rivers and lakes. These chemicals can pollute the water, killing animals and plants, and even polluting the water we drink.

Burning fossil fuels in cars or to make electricity causes global warming.

Taking Care of the Earth Vocabulary

All About Taking Care of the Earth Video for Kids

Watch this awesome Taking Care of the Earth video for kids:

Taking Care of the Earth Q&A

Question: How can we help take care of the Earth?

Answer: You can help take care of the Earth by recycling. Avoid using plastic bags and bottles, and recycle any plastic you do use. Walk or ride your bike when you can and pick up litter than you see. Encourage your parents to drive the smallest, most fuel efficient car they can.

Enjoyed the Earth Science for Kids all about Taking Care of the Earth info? Take the FREE & fun all about Taking Care of the Earth quiz and download FREE all about Taking Care of the Earth worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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Think about how you feel when your room is a mess. Maybe there are socks and dirty clothes piled on the floor. An old banana peel sits on the dresser and juice from a tipped over juice box drips down the side. How does your room feel? Do you like spending time there?

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Values: caring, responsibility,
Topics: animals, environment, health, human rights,
Subjects: Health, Science, Service Learning,
Age Ranges: 12+, 18+, 8+,

What's The Deal?

You may see that the environment around us changes every day. In some places, leaves change colors, water freezes, and rain clouds come and go. These are all part of nature.

But there are other changes in the environment that are not natural! We cause them! And these changes are not good! We need to be aware of the types of problems we create for our planet and how we, especially you, can help!

The number one issue that we can control is pollution. Pollution is all around us, it's in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and ground we walk on. This will take years to breakdown!

Did You Know?

While Americans make up only 5% of the world's population, they produce 30% of the world's waste and use 25% of the world's resources!

Humans throw away 26 million plastics which end up in the ocean.

The Earth is 71 percent water and we need to protect it! Poor water quality creates problems for the people and is bad for sea life.

1 in every 8 deaths on Earth links to air pollution.

Sea animals, like sharks and sea turtles, swallow plastic bags thinking they are jellyfish.

14 billion pounds of trash goes into the ocean every year, most of it is plastic.

Plastic bottles take about 500 years to decompose.

What Can You Do?

Pollution is a big problem! But there are ways you can help! Either by yourself or by joining other people trying to make the world a better place! Here are some ways you can take action:

Do something small:

The first thing you can do to cut the amount of pollution is to think differently. Before buying something new, ask yourself if you need it or if you could buy it used, like bikes or video games.

Recycle as much as you can! Waste from plastic plates to clothing is very bad for our environment! Try using reusable and recyclable items, such as cups and shopping bags.

Turn off electronics when you are not using them and remember to recycleyour unused electronics, like batteries and tablets.

Do something big:

Hold a cleanup! Talk about it with your family, friends, and at school and together you can help create a more environmentally friendly place to live.

Needs some help? Coordinate a cleanup with Sign-up!

Plant trees. Trees add oxygen, break down some pollutants, and decrease dust which will help us breathe better!

Sometimes it will take a powerful person to make some changes. If so, write a letter to your local representative about your views on keeping water free of chemical and to stop pollution!

Join a cause:

You can sign a petition! What is a petition? It is a written request, signed by many people, asking the authority to change a particular cause. You can sign one at greenpeace.org.

Join your school recycling club, or if you don't have one, then you can create one!

Become a member of a cause you are passionate about! Do you love dolphins, penguins, or other animals that live on our planet? Then you can volunteer with groups that will help clean our land and water.

Develop your environmental leadership skills with the National Park Services. They have volunteer openings for ages 8 to 18.

If you don't know where to begin, start with your community! There are opportunities to volunteer with the Youth Volunteer Corps.

Get Inspired!

Remember that you are not alone! Kids just like you all around the world are changing their daily habits to make a positive difference and you can too! Here are some stories to inspire you to create a better tomorrow:

Here is a teenager who spreads awareness about protecting the environment.

Pick up trash when walking to and from school. This will make you more mindful when it comes to waste and taking care of the environment.

A boy recognized the waste of plastic bags and began recycling newspaper to make paper bags.

Click here to find more InspireMyKids stories about making positive changes to our environment!

Additional Resources:

Find out more information about the world's pollution problems! There are many stories around the world about how we pollute our environment and what we can do to change it. Here are a few:

We all like buying new stuff and Storyofstuff.org talks about changing our ways.

People like you are fighting for a greener future. The group Greenpeace.org promotes solutions for our oceans, forests, and food.

Having less air pollution will need help from all of us! Cleantheair.org commits to improving air quality through voluntary actions.

We hope this was useful! If so, please tell your friends and family and together we can make a difference and reduce our pollution problem!

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IMK in Action - How Kids Can Help The Environment

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What's The Deal? You may see that the environment around us changes every day. In some places, leaves change colors, water freezes, and rain clouds come and go. These are all part of nature. But there are other changes in...

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Nellie McClung, born in Chartsworth Ontario in 1873, was a dominant figure in Canadian feminism. This Canadian History for Kids Beaver Tale discusses her importance in having women be legally recognized as "persons"!

Nellie and her family moved to Manitoba in 1880. She learned to read at the age of 9 and graduated from a Winnipeg Normal School in 1889. She received her first teaching assignment in Manitou, Manitoba.

McClung's marriage and family life were very happy, but Nellie saw a lot of suffering around her. Especially the suffering of women and children. In the eyes of the law, women had very little rights. If a woman had any money or property they legally belonged to her husband as did her wages and their children.

McClung belonged to the Canadian Women's Press Club and the Political Equity League. These groups used speeches and conferences as a way to convince politicians to grant women the right to vote.

On January 27, 1914, a group of women headed by McClung petitioned Manitoba's parliament asking for the right to vote.

On January 27. 1916 the Bill for Enfranchisement of Women was passed and women in Manitoba had the right to vote and the right to run for office.

And that's this week Canadian History for Kids Beaver Tale!

Other Canadian History for Kids Beaver Tales

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Canadian History for Kids: Nellie McClung

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Nellie McClung, born in Chartsworth Ontario in 1873, was a dominant figure in Canadian feminism. This Canadian History for Kids Beaver Tale discusses her importance in having women be legally recognized as "persons"! Nellie and her family moved to Manitoba in 1880.

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Photo Credit: Worldbank.org

Leaving one's home country is never an easy decision. But it is especially hard when the journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty, and there is no guaranty of a successful outcome. Unfortunately, unbearable conflict or repression forces thousands of people to take the plunge each year. However, over the past two years, the number of refugees has escalated to alarming levels, and there appears to be no end in sight.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), by the end of 2014, there were 19.5 million people living as refugees, almost 3 million more than in 2013. The humanitarian agency stated that last year, conflict and persecution displaced over 42,000 people daily! Some moved to "safer" zones within the country in hopes of coming back when things improved. Others gave up on their homeland and left to seek refuge in neighboring nations.

Photo Credit: aa.com

While leaving the country may sound like a great way to start a new life, it is not. That's because refugees are not instantly allowed to become citizens of the country they are seeking asylum in. Instead, they have to register with the United Nations and apply for a new home, a process that could take up to 24 months and sometimes even longer. Meanwhile, they spend their days in tented camps that are often crowded and offer little in the form of amenities. There are also no schools for kids. It is only after they receive an invite from a third country, that they can settle down and start a new life.

But despite knowing the odds, millions of people are opting to become refugees. The numbers are so large that they are being compared to the situation at the end of World War II when between seven and nine million Germans fled or were expelled from Eastern Europe. So what is causing this latest displacement? Read on . . .

Image Credit: UNHCR

The biggest and most pressing refugee crisis involves the residents of Syria who are leaving the country in unprecedented numbers. The issue can be traced back to the series of revolutions that began in Tunisia and then spread to other nations in North Africa and the Middle East. While some of the leaders gave in to the demands for change and resigned, Syria's Bashar al-Assad's was not as accommodating. As a result, Syria has been embroiled in a bitter civil war since then. If that is not bad enough, the residents also have to suffer through the daily atrocities imposed by ISIS members.

It is no wonder that the fear and chaos has caused 12 million Syrians to leave their homes since 2011. Of these 7.6 million have been internally displaced and remain in the country, while 4 million, (one in every five Syrian) have fled to neighboring areas and are currently living as refugees.

Image Credit: UNHCR

Of these, about 2 million are living in camps outside Turkey. Another million have sought refuge in neighboring Lebanon, and about 629,000 are living in makeshift homes in Jordan. Though the three countries were initially sympathetic, their resources are now being stretched thin. As a result, they have tightened their borders, forcing fleeing Syrians to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe.

In 2014, about 219,000 people crossed over to seek asylum in Europe. In just eight months of 2015, the number has increased to over 300,000, and there is no end in sight. What's even more disheartening is that 51% of the refugees are under the age of 18, and 39% are under the age of 11.

Image Credit: UNHCR

To make matters worse, Syrians are not the only ones seeking refuge. Political and other conflicts are causing people to leave Iraq, Eritrea, Southern Sudan, and Afghanistan in record numbers.

Meanwhile, European countries are trying to come up with a solution to handle the increasingly worrisome refugee situation. On September 7th, Germany's Angela Merkel announced that the country would open its borders to all asylum seekers and urged other European nations to do the same. However, the Chancellor was forced to retract her promise and close its boundaries within a week. While the alleged reason is a shortage of beds in the refugee reception centers, many believe the Chancellor and her team were spooked by the large number of refugees that rushed in.

Aerial view of Za'atri camp for Syrian refugees in Jordon (Photo Credit: By U.S. Department of State [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

On September 14th, the 28 European Union officials held an emergency meeting to come up a feasible solution. However, it was not very productive. Though the members agreed to settle 160,000 refugees, they could not reach a decision on how many each country would be responsible for. Though it may sound callous not to help another human in need, the officials have to be careful. That's because they also have to consider the cost and impact a large inflow of new immigrants would have on the local communities.

But even the prospect of spending years in crowded tented camps with no stable home does not seem to be deterring the Syrians who continue to flee their country in droves. On Sunday, Sept 14, Hungarian police detained 5,809 refugees, the highest number to cross the Mediterranean since . . . The previous day when 4,330 were held back!

Resources:.com, aljazeera.com, vox.com, news.yahoo.com, the nation

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Making Sense Of The Worst Refugee Crisis Since World War II

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Leaving one's home country is never an easy decision. But it is especially hard when the journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty and there is no guaranty of a successful outcome.

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CANAdooDAday | Viola Desmond: Canadian Civil Rights Champion | CBC Kids

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Canadian Civil Rights Pioneer on Vertical $10 Bill

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The first Canadian bank note showing a vertical image highlights a female civil rights protester.

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Gender equality is a belief that both men and women should receive equal treatment. People should not be discriminated against because of their gender. It can also be called sex equality, gender egalitarianism, sexual equality, or equality of the genders.

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After months of planning, collecting and sorting, one young Winnipeg girl's dream to make a difference in the lives of the city's homeless has come true.

"It makes me really happy that people are getting stuff that they maybe didn't have," said 10-year-old Callie Costello.

Costello took it upon herself to put together and distribute 185 backpacks filled with supplies to homeless people in Winnipeg Thursday.

Tooth brushes, tooth paste, water, juice, granola bars, lotion, shaving and hair care products are among the necessities Costello acquired for the packs - products most people take for granted.

Costello said the idea came from a film. The young male protagonist, around Callie's age, made similar backpacks and gave them out to those in need.

It inspired Costello to take action.

She begged her mother to let her help the homeless and started a Facebook page in January to ask people for donations.

Costello and her family organized drop-off points for donated goods through the Facebook page, but Callie said the backpacks were an equally important element of her plan.

"I had just recently lost mine so that is absolutely fantastic," said Brian Hart, a homeless person who received one of Callie's packs.

A crutch makes it almost impossible for Hart to carry an over the shoulder bag, so the brand new backpack will make it easier to carry things, he said.

"Ten-years-old, can you believe that? That just goes to show that young children understand a lot more than we think they do."

Costello isn't done yet. Her goal is to keep giving to the homeless and try to reach the 500 backpack mark.

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10-year-old girl gives 185 backpacks to Winnipeg's homeless

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After months of planning, collecting and sorting, one young Winnipeg girl's dream to make a difference in the lives of the city's homeless has come true. "It makes me really happy that people are getting stuff that they maybe didn't have," said 10-year-old Callie Costello.

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How We Help - Siloam Mission - Winnipeg Homeless Shelter

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A connecting point between the compassionate and Winnipeg's less fortunate, Siloam Mission is a Christian humanitarian organization that alleviates hardships and provides opportunities for change for those affected by homelessness.

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The number of people facing homelessness in Canada has grown since the mid-90s and is now reported at 235,000 people in 2016⁽¹⁾ . It is a crisis that has not left Winnipeg untouched. The Winnipeg Street Census revealed that on the night of October 25, 2015, there were at least 1,400 people experiencing homelessness in our city⁽²⁾
Siloam Mission has been both a witness to this crisis, as well as a place of hope, where vulnerable people can find the help they need. They find it in the form of a hot meal, a warm jacket, access to health care, shelter for a night and the support they need to secure social services to transition to permanent housing, education, work and more.

But now, nearly three decades after the beginning of our mission, we are reaching the limits of our ability to help.
OUR GOAL IS TO RAISE $19 MILLION.

1 The State of Homelessness in Canada 2016 - Stephen Gaetz, Jess Donaldson, Tim Richter, & Tanya Gulliver
2Winnipeg Street Census

WE NEED YOU TO HELP US MAKE ROOM.

We have an expansion plan to help change the lives of Winnipeggers who are experiencing homelessness and suffering trauma every day, right now.

SILOAM MISSION IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Since 1987, Siloam Mission has become an essential service for those experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg. Operating 24/7 with shelter, meals, clothing, health services, transition services, employment training, supportive housing and recreational activities, Siloam Mission is a full service organization for those in need.

515,140 MEALS SERVED AN AVERAGE OF 470 GUESTS PER MEAL

147
CALLED THE MADISON HOME LAST YEAR (INCLUDING 10 INDIGENOUS YOUNG ADULTS WHO HAVE LEFT THE CARE OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES)

199 ENROLLED IN TRANSITION SERVICES WITH 432 NEW CLIENT APPLICATIONS FOR SUPPORT

111
TRANSITIONED INTO HOUSING

101
ENROLLED IN MISSION OFF THE STREET TRAINING (M.O.S.T.) PROGRAM

11,669 VISITS TO OUR HEALTH CENTRE. INCLUDING 3,645 APPOINTMENTS WITH VOLUNTEER MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

17,313
CLOTHING ROOM VISITS

431 PEOPLE (309 MEN and 122 WOMEN) STAYED IN OUR SHELTER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

8,054 INDIVIDUALS AND 522 GROUPS VOLUNTEERED

Siloam Mission has embarked on the MAKE ROOM Capital Campaign in response to the growing number of Winnipeggers experiencing poverty and homelessness. With your help, we will construct a two-storey building that will link our current facility at 300 Princess Street with our newly renovated dining room at 303 Stanley Street, adding 54,000 square feet for programs and services!

Help us End Homelessness
A Message from Jim Bell, CEO
When I came to Siloam Mission a year ago, I was amazed by the passion of the staff, volunteers and donors like you to improve the lives of our city's most vulnerable. Today, we need your help more than ever to make homelessness a thing of the past.

Not only is it possible, but we also have the responsibility to do so and I know you feel the same way. Because of you we've been able to do so much over the past 30 years. And because of you we now have an opportunity to do so much more. Each night, more than 100 men and women will come to our emergency shelter, hoping for a bed to spend the night. Once our 110 beds fill up, we will have to refer people elsewhere. This is unacceptable. We need to do more.

Each day, our health centre sees patients that need more care and rest than our dedicated team is able to provide with our current resources and facility. And our transition services workers will meet with people who struggle with physical and cognitive disabilities, mental illness and other barriers to progress and success. They're working with 200 clients at any given time, while more than 400 are on a waiting list.

While there is so much to celebrate, especially the many changed lives because of your help, the demand for our services is greater than we can currently meet. That's why Siloam Mission is launching our MAKE ROOM Capital Campaign to drastically increase our services and decrease the number of people experiencing homelessness in our city. It's time to MAKE ROOM!

It's time that every man and woman in our city has the chance to find a safe place for the night. To get the help they need to overcome addictions. To get a job and a place of their own. To access life-saving healthcare and mental health services. But we can only do it with your help.

If you have any questions about the expansion or the campaign, please don't hesitate to contact us. We'd love to give you a tour of Siloam Mission and show you the progress we're making on the expansion. I want to thank you for continually pushing us to do better and serve our community better.

OUR GOAL IS TO
RAISE $19 MILLION

Homelessness is a growing crisis in our community. We need to grow to meet the needs of this vulnerable population. The problems faced by people experiencing homelessness are not going away. They need our help - and yours.

For every 3 days of shelter and care you provide, a generous benefactor has agreed to pay for a fourth day up to a total of $1 million. Your special gift today will help construct an expanded emergency shelter, health centre, and progressive services centre to help people transition back into homes and jobs.
HELP US MAKE ROOM. PLEASE GIVE TODAY.

Select the amount of "hope" you would like to donate for a person's shelter and care.

Donations of $5,000+ will receive recognition in the respective categories on our main donor wall in the new reception area of our new building.
Contact janet.mcleod@siloam.ca for details.

CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP TEAM

Cabinet Members

Joe Banfield
Jim Bell
Victor Bergmann
Mark Buller
CariLyn Buller
Dr. Riley Coulter

Damon Johnston
Albert Krahn
Susan Krahn
Kelvin Shepherd
Tracey Silagy
Bruce Taylor

Honourary Advisors
Albert El Tassi, Honourary Chair
Phil Fontaine
Peter Jessiman
Gary Steiman
Arlene Wilson

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The number of people facing homelessness in Canada has grown since the mid-90s and is now reported at 235,000 people in 2016(1) . It is a crisis that has not left Winnipeg untouched.

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Estimating the number of homeless persons in Canada has been a source of debate for years. The Homelessness Partnering Secretariat (HPS) has regularly used the estimate that between 150,000 and 300,000 individuals experience homelessness in Canada in a given year, with advocates often employing the higher number. However, there has never been a concerted, coordinated or consistent effort to enumerate homelessness in Canada. Until recently we have relied on ball-park estimates, based on unreliable and incomplete data.

Fortunately, things have begun to change. More communities across the country are using point in time counts to determine the number of people who are homeless on a given night, and we are also now accumulating more reliable data on shelter usage. In 2013 the Government of Canada released "The National Shelter Study: Emergency Shelter Use in Canada 2005-2009" (Segaert, 2012), which for the first time gives us reliable shelter data to inform a national estimate of homelessness. That same year, the Canadian Homelessness Research Network (CHRN) in partnership with the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, released the State of Homelessness in Canada 2013 report. Finally, we have reliable data to estimate the number of people who experience homelessness.
How many people are homeless in a given year?
In the State of Homelessness in Canada 2013 report, it was estimated that at least 200,000 Canadians access homeless emergency services or sleep outside in a given year. The actual number is potentially much higher, given that many people who become homeless live with friends or relatives, and do not come into contact with emergency shelters. Recent data from a March 2013 Ipsos Reid poll suggests that as many as 1.3 million Canadians have experienced homelessness or extremely insecure housing at some point during the past five years.
How many people are homeless on a given day?
The number of Canadians who experience homelessness on any given night in Canada is estimated to be minimally 28,500 individuals. The reader should be cautioned that this is only a rough estimate (for more details on our methodology for calculating this figure, see the endnotes section of the full report). Nevertheless, this is the best estimate of homelessness developed in Canada to date, and includes people who are:

I. Staying in Emergency Homelessness Shelters (14,400). There are approximately 15,467 permanent shelter beds, and in 2009 an average of 14,400 were occupied (Segaert, 2012:27)

II. Staying in Violence Against Women shelters (7,350). In 2010, there were 9,961 beds for women and children fleeing violence and abuse. This includes not only emergency shelters, but also transitional and second stage housing. In a Point in Time count on April 15, 2010, 7,362 beds were occupied by women and children (Burczycka & Cotter, 2011).

III. Unsheltered (2,880). If one draws from the data comparing homelessness in Canadian cities, one can estimate the unsheltered population. On average, for every one hundred people in the shelter system, there are 20 people who are unsheltered.

IV. Temporary institutional accommodation (4,464). Of those communities that count some portion of the provisionally accommodated, there are 31 people in this category for every 100 staying in emergency shelters.

There may be as many as 50,000 "hidden homeless" Canadians on a given night

Often referred to as couch surfing, this includes people who are temporarily staying with friends, relatives or others because they have nowhere else to live and no immediate prospect of permanent housing. There is no reliable data on hidden homelessness in Canada at the national level and very little at the community level. One Canadian study in Vancouver (Eberle, et al., 2009) estimated 3.5 people were considered to be hidden homeless for every one who was homeless. While the methodology of this study is sound, it was conducted in only one city, and the differences between cities, their infrastructure to support homelessness and their homeless population are quite profound. Applied nationally with a more conservative 3:1 ratio, as many as 50,000 people could be estimated to be hidden homeless on any given night in Canada.
Chronic Homelessness - How long do people stay homeless?
For the vast majority of people who become homeless, the experience is rather short. In Canada, though the median length of stay in emergency shelter is approximately 50 days, most people are homeless for less than a month (29% stay only one night), and manage to leave homelessness on their own, usually with little support. For these people homelessness is a one-time only event. People who are chronically homeless (long-term) or episodically homeless (moving in and out of homelessness), form a smaller percentage of the overall homeless population, but at the same time use more than half the emergency shelter space in Canada and are most often the highest users of public systems.

Based on our estimate of the total number of homeless people who use shelters on an annual basis (200,000), we can project the following numbers of chronic, episodic and transitionally homeless persons in Canada:
Chronic homeless: 4,000 to 8,000 Episodic homeless: 6,000 to 22,000 Transitionally homeless: 176,000 to 188,000
Reproduced from: Stephen Gaetz, Jesse Donaldson, Tim Richter, & Tanya Gulliver (2013)The State of Homelessness in Canada 2013. Toronto: Canadian Homelessness Research Network Press.

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Estimating the number of homeless persons in Canada has been a source of debate for years. The Homelessness Partnering Secretariat (HPS) has regularly used the estimate that between 150,000 and 300,000 individuals experience homelessness in Canada in a given year, with advocates often employing the higher number.

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A Hutterite colony in southwestern Manitoba may seem a world away from Syria - but Reyad Alhamud says he can see a connection between life in his home country and the communal life of Hutterites.

"When we met the Hutterites, it's the exact same as in my country," said Alhamud.

"The work is the same. They work on a farm, they make everything at home the same - just a bit different."

Alhamud, his wife and three children came to Canada from Syria after being sponsored by a family from the Green Acres Hutterite colony.

Now, the Alhamuds are like family to Paul Waldner - a teacher in the southwestern Manitoba colony near Wawanesa, about 35 kilometres southeast of Brandon - whose family sponsored Alhamud and his family.

Waldner describes himself as more open-minded than many in his community, and when he heard about the Syrian refugee crisis, he felt compelled to do something.

He decided he wanted to get involved in sponsoring a family, but wasn't sure how his colony would react to the idea of sponsoring a family of Muslim refugees.

"I went home, talked to my dad, who was minister and president of Green Acres Colony, and his initial comment really convinced me," said Waldner.

"He said, 'The Hutterites were refugees at one point as well. If it wasn't for people helping them, we wouldn't be here.'"

Hutterites are an Anabaptist branch that originated in Europe, but most fled to North America in the 19th century, many settling in Western Canada. They live communally in faith-based colonies.

'You can do anything. This is Canada'

So Paul worked with the Mennonite Central Committee to put in the paperwork with the federal government, and applied to bring a family from Syria to Canada.

Alhamud and his family flew into Winnipeg on Feb. 8, 2016. They had already fled Syria, and were living in a refugee camp in Lebanon. Alhamud said he was very nervous to meet the family who sponsored him but once he saw they, too, had a dress code, he relaxed a little.

"I miss my family and my country, but when I come to here, I have another family - it's Paul and Green Acres and all the people who've helped me here," said Alhamud.

"They told me, 'It's your family now here, you can do anything. This is Canada. If you need any help, we're ready for you.'"

Finding similarities in different cultures

Alhamud and his family initially moved into a house in Wawanesa that Waldner had prepared for them. While the two families got along from the start, Waldner said some colony members had developed negative stereotypes about Muslims and terrorism, and weren't welcoming to the new family.

"People would say, 'How could you bring those people here?' But as time went by, there were less of those types of questions," said Waldner.

That's because over time, Waldner and Alhamud focused on the similarities they found in their religions. They both pray several times a day, hold celebrations and observe holidays, and have dedicated buildings for worship - churches and mosques.

​"Many Hutterites ask me when will I convert them to Christianity, and I keep saying to them, 'I haven't seen anything that's not Christian,'" said Waldner.

"The specific things in religion are different ... but the celebrating and the ceremonies that we perform are similar, just for different reasons."

Bringing family together

Alhamud and his family have now moved to an apartment in Brandon. He's taking English and math classes and hopes to take construction courses to find work.

While they don't get to see each other as often as they used to, the two families make an effort to spend time together. They just held a big party in February to celebrate their two-year anniversary.

And the Alhamud family is growing in Canada. Shortly after they arrived in 2016, a separate church in western Manitoba sponsored one of Alhamoud's brothers to come to the Brandon area.

And now, Waldner is working with the Mennonite Central Committee to bring over more family. Alhamud's other brother is waiting in a refugee camp in Lebanon with his wife and five children. The colony is working to privately sponsor them as well.

"Yes, it's very nice, my brother is coming," said Alhamud. "It will mean all the family is closer together. It's good."
Urban Myths is a CBC series that explores Manitoba communities and their sometimes surprising stories. More from the Brandon Urban Myths series:

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How a Hutterite community and a Syrian refugee family found common ground

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A Hutterite colony in southwestern Manitoba may seem a world away from Syria - but Reyad Alhamud says he can see a connection between life in his home country and the communal life of Hutterites. "When we met the Hutterites, it's the exact same as in my country," said Alhamud.

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Struggling to Adapt: One Syrian Refugee Family's Story

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A Syrian family's heartbreak in search for safety | UNICEF

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"We are people just like you" - Mustafa, 14, one year later | UNICEF

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Refugee teen in Greece dreams of returning to Syria | UNICEF

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The dangerous boat ride to Greece through the eyes of a Syrian refugee girl | UNICEF

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Syria's child refugees: 'You feel that they have lost their hearts'

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Children's Book Author Talks About Immigrant Children

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I'M NEW HERE a picture book by Anne Sibley O'Brien (Charlesbridge Publishing) http://www.annesibleyobrien.com/index.php/asob/books BOOK DESCRIPTION Maria is from Guatemala, Jin is from Korea, and Fatima is from Somalia. All three are new to their American elementary school, and each has trouble speaking, writing, and sharing ideas in English.

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When there is a war or some other armed conflict in a country, many people will try to flee (run away) from that country. They will go to other countries, around the country where there is no war. Because they fled, they are called refugees.

If there are just a few refugees coming into a country it is generally no problem to get housing for them somewhere. However, if there are many (or if the government of a country expects many) refugees, it may build what is called a refugee camp. This is usually done by putting many tents, and a few toilets and showers on an unused plot (stretch) of land. This is usually land where no one wants to live.

Usually the governments hope that conflicts get resolved soon, and that those camps are only temporary.

This has not been the case for the refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, for example. Those camps have existed since the mid 1970s.

Related pages

Images for kids

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When there is a war or some other armed conflict in a country, many people will try to flee (run away) from that country. They will go to other countries, around the country where there is no war. Because they fled, they are called refugees.

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The three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle | Happy Learning ♻️ ♻️ ♻️

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We're seriously considering opening a biological research station in Craig's kitchen, where new forms of life may be evolving in his fridge. When you travel as much as we do - often taking off on just a few hours' notice - meal planning is difficult. Too often our produce sits untouched until it resembles primordial ooze. It's a guilt trip every time we dump a Tupperware-container-turned-bacterial-habitat into the trash.

Our grandparents lived through the Second World War, with its food shortages and rationing, and were raised to savour every last morsel on their plates. They handed that food thriftiness down to their kids, our parents' generation, who took up the refrain: "Eat, there are starving people in -," which was usually Africa in the era of Pierre Trudeau and Ronald Reagan. But as the decades have passed with no serious threat to our food supply, our attitudes to food waste have relaxed. Your milk expires tomorrow? Better not risk it. That green pepper looks a little wrinkly? Chuck it.

Every year in Canada, $27 billion worth of food is wasted - 40 per cent of the food we produce. That's according to a 2010 study by the Value Chain Management Center (VCMC). We burn more money on wasted food than the gross domestic product of the world's 32 poorest countries combined.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that nearly half of all the food produced in the world ends up uneaten. So where does it go?

Ever wondered why bunches of carrots are almost all exactly the same length? Us neither, but we recently found out. As much as 30 per cent of the fruits and vegetables grown in Canada will never make it to store shelves because they are deemed too ugly to eat.

But the biggest losses by far happen in our own homes. All of the mould colonies in Canadian fridges add up to $13.4 billion in wasted food every year. That's $384 per person - straight from your wallet to the trash. And our wasteful ways are on the rise. The VCMC says the annual amount of wasted vegetables in Canada was almost 80 kg per person in 2009, up from 50 kg per person in 1961. The average body weight of an adult male Canadian is 80 kg (or 730 green peppers, give or take).

But here's the real kicker: uneaten food also squanders all the elements that went into producing that food - water, electricity, transportation fuel. We pat ourselves on the back for installing low-flow toilets. Meanwhile, the International Water Management Institute in Stockholm estimates that almost half the water used to grow food every year is flushed down the toilet (metaphorically speaking), by hydrating produce that will never be eaten.

Eating leftovers could strike a major blow against climate change. According to the David Suzuki Foundation, 20 per cent of Canada's methane emissions - a greenhouse gas that traps more heat than carbon dioxide - come from the organic waste rotting in our landfills. Cutting that would be equivalent to pulling one third of Canada's cars off the road.

But even before the leftovers pile up, consider that most people generally buy more food than they can use. Two-for-the-price-of-one strawberries might sound like a great deal, but not if you can't eat them all before they go mouldy. Experts like those at the VCMC say consumers need to re-evaluate their shopping habits. Stores need to change the way they market, and stop using sales and incentives to coax consumers into buying more food than they need. They also argue that food producers and retailers could use labelling to teach consumers better food storage practices so foods last longer.

After all, we work hard to earn the money to buy our food. And while the local raccoons might appreciate your leftover lasagna in the trash bin, your family will appreciate it even more on their plates. Now if you'll excuse us, we have to go catch a month-old pizza that's making a break for the door.
Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger founded the educational partner and international charity Free The Children and the youth empowerment movement We Day.

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lifestyle/food/food waste a serious problem in canada/story.html

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technology/environment/food waste a serious problem in canada/story.html

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We're seriously considering opening a biological research station in Craig's kitchen, where new forms of life may be evolving in his fridge. When you travel as much as we do - often taking off on just a few hours' notice [...]

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Instantly access 25,000 high-quality books for kids

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Instant access to thousands of great kids books.

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Child labour means that children are forced to work like adults and take part in an economic activity. According to the ILO International Labour Organization this is applied to people up to age fifteen, or seventeen in case of dangerous work. Even though only about a fourth of the ILO members have ratified the respective convention, this age limit is generally accepted.

Child labour refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful.

Child labour is fundamentally different from casual work done by children, like guarding other children, or helping here and there. Child labour is forbidden in most countries. These days we see many minor boys and girls working in tea stalls, restaurants, hotels and other small shops. Some work in huge factories like brick factories. This is caused due to child labour, and the main reason why child labour occurs is poverty.

There are two kinds of work that minors can do:

1. Some work they do is acceptable, as it is only light, or easy to do. Children can also do it while they are well-integrated into the family. This kind of work can be done in addition to an education the children are getting.

2. The other kind of work is difficult to do, or it is physically exhausting. It may be dangerous, the children may be required to work for long hours and in humiliating clothing.

There are many prejudices against child labor in the Western world: Very often such cases are known through scandals made by the mass media: In that manner, a working child is often seen as a slave, working in a sweat shop in a third world country, producing textiles, or as one of the street children in South America. The reality is different though: Such shops exist all over the world, also in countries like the United States or Italy. The fact that child labour is involved is often hidden: More than three quarters of this work is done in the sector of agriculture, or it has to do with activities done at home, in the context of the family. If child-slaves exist, they are only a minority. This form of work done by children also existed before industrialisation and globalisation, the two phenomena have made it more visible, at best.

Related pages

Images for kids

In Spanish: Explotación infantil para niños

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Homelessness means people who do not have a place to stay. The word "homelessness" also includes people who sleep in warming centers, homeless shelters, or in abandoned buildings, parking garages, or other places not meant for humans to live in. Homelessness occurs for many reasons. It may happen when people or households are unable to buy and/or maintain housing they can afford. International human rights law includes the right to housing.

Homeless people

In academic articles and government reports, these people are called "homeless people". You may hear different words to describe homelessness and homeless people. Some of these words apply to people who might not be homeless. Sometimes they are based upon stereotypes. For instance, in slang, a vagabond is someone who travels without the money necessary to stay in good hotels. Such a person may or may not have a home somewhere. Sometimes police reports use the word "transient" to describe people from out of town or who are passing through. Many times these words confuse the issues because someone just passing through might own a mansion somewhere or might not.

There are tough questions in sorting out homeless people even when trying to create programs and services to help them. Homeless counts are required by the government agencies that deal with homelessness. In the USA, for instance, the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency requires a homeless "enumeration" count every two years. They classify "homeless" in a careful way and that way is very influential and a lot of other agencies and church groups copy it.

HUD definitions

Housing and Urban Development of the United States spreads information about what does and does not work when providing shelter for homeless people. That information about the things that seem to works is called "best practices". HUD defines homeless as 1. somebody who lacks a fixed, regular, and decent place to sleep at night or 2. somebody who sleeps at night in A.a supervised shelter (including welfare hotels, homeless shelters, warming centers and transitional housing) ; B.a place that provides a temporary residence for people waiting for space in a place like a hospital, jail or hospice; or C.a place not designed for human beings to sleep, such as parks or public streets.

A new focus: people who live outside

The "C" part of the HUD definition is now getting more attention. It is called "chronic homelessness". (HUD) defines a "chronically homeless" person as "an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition". There are other conditions to that definition. It has to be someone who has either been homeless for a year or more, or has been homeless four episodes times in the past three years."

People who study these things believe that the "chronic" homeless cost a lot more than the rest. A new approach is to seek information on who those folks are. They are using what is called a vulnerability index system. It was invented by a doctor in Boston who works with a New York organization called Common Ground. These "Vulnerability Index's" code for things like bad liver, kidney disease, HIV-AIDS, age and visits to the hospital.

In the sixteenth century in England, the government first tried to give housing to vagabonds instead of punishing them. In the eighteenth century, these houses were replaced by workhouses. These were later replaced by dormitory housing ("spikes"). By the early 1930's in England, there were 30,000 people living in these places.

In most countries, many towns and cities had an area where all the poor, transients, and afflicted lived, such as a "skid row". In smaller towns, there were hobos, who camped near train tracks and hopped onto trains from place to place. Many places where people were once allowed to loiter(such as churches, public libraries and public atriums) became more strict as the number of homeless people grew.

In the 1980s, in the United States, some new laws were made for the homeless as a result of the work of Congressman Stewart B. McKinney. In 1987, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was enacted. Several organisations in some cities, such as New York and Boston, tried to help the growing number of homeless people in a new way.

Main causes

The main reasons for homelessness have been studied in many reports and studies. For example:

Health care

Health care for the homeless is a major public health challenge. Homeless people are more likely to suffer injuries and medical problems from their lifestyle on the street. Some have skin conditions from being out in the sun without sunscreen to protect themselves from UV radiation. It is hard to find places to wash up, and homeless people are exposed to extreme cold and hot sun. It is tough finding good food for many homeless people so they tend to suffer from medical conditions. This can include obesity if they eat a lot of poor quality food with empty calories. Homeless people also may have more severe dental problems than the general population due to lack of access to washrooms and in some cases excess intake of sweets, which may be the only food available. Diabetes and liver problems are not uncommon, as are diseases associated with cigarette smoking.

Vulnerability Index

The vulnerability index is a tool for finding out who among the street homeless population needs health care and housing the most.

The vulnerability index is from the work of Dr. Jim O'Connell of Boston's Healthcare for the Homeless. He was concerned about the causes of death of unsheltered homeless individuals living on the street. A national drive is underway by Common Ground to work with the HUD homeless count. Since communities are doing the count, he believes that is a good time to do the vulnerability index too. Its' people say that using it will help getting needy individuals off the street.

The vulnerability index has been tried out in a lot of other places not just the East Coast. These include New Mexico and Santa Monica

Developing and undeveloped countries

The number of homeless people worldwide has grown steadily in the past few years. In some Third World nations such as Brazil, India, Nigeria, and South Africa, homelessness is a very big problem, with millions of children living and working on the streets. Homelessness has also become a problem in China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan.

Assistance and resources

Main page: Homelessness services

Further information: List of homelessness organizations

Most countries provide a variety of services to assist homeless people. Provisions of food, shelter, and clothing and may be organized and run by community organizations, often with the help of volunteers, or by government departments. Assistance programs may be supported by government, charities, churches, and individual donors. However, not all homeless people can access these resources. In 1998, a study by Koegel and Schoeni of a homeless population in Los Angeles, California, found that a significant minority of homeless did not participate in government assistance programs, with high transaction costs being a likely contributing factor.

Social supports

While some homeless people are known to have a community with one another, providing each other various types of support, people who are not homeless also may provide them friendship, relational care, and other forms of assistance. Such social supports may occur through a formal process, such as under the auspices of a non-governmental organization, religious organization, or homeless ministry, or may be done on an individual basis.

Employment

The United States Department of Labor has sought to address one of the main causes of homelessness, a lack of meaningful and sustainable employment, through targeted training programs and increased access to employment opportunities that can help homeless people develop sustainable lifestyles. This has included the development of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, which addresses homelessness on the federal level in addition to connecting homeless individuals to resources at the state level. All individuals who are in need of assistance are able, in theory, to access employment and training services under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), although this is contingent upon funding and program support by the government.

Income sources outside of regular employment

Waste management

Homeless people can also use waste management services to earn money. Some homeless people find returnable bottles and cans and bring them to recycling centers to earn money. They can sort out organic trash from other trash or separate out trash made of the same material (for example, different types of plastics, and different types of metal). In addition, rather than sorting waste at landfills, they can also collect litter found on/beside the road to earn an income.

Street newspapers

Street newspapers are newspapers or magazines sold by homeless or poor individuals and produced mainly to support these populations. Most such newspapers primarily provide coverage about homelessness and poverty-related issues and seek to strengthen social networks within homeless communities, making them a tool for allowing homeless individuals to work.

The 2010 passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act could provide new healthcare options for homeless people in the United States, particularly through the optional expansion of Medicaid. A 2013 Yale study indicated that a substantial proportion of the chronically homeless population in America would be able to obtain Medicaid coverage if states expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

In 1985, the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program was founded to assist the growing numbers of homeless living on the streets and in shelters in Boston and who were suffering from a lack of effective medical services. In 2004, Boston Health Care for the Homeless in conjunction with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council published a medical manual called The Health Care of Homeless Persons, edited by James J. O'Connell, M.D., specifically for the treatment of the homeless population. In June 2008 in Boston, the Jean Yawkey Place, a four-story, 7,214.2-square-metre (77,653 sq ft) building, was opened by the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. It is an entire full-service building on the Boston Medical Center campus dedicated to providing healthcare for homeless people. It also contains a long-term care facility, the Barbara McInnis House, which expanded to 104 beds and is the first and largest medical respite program for homeless people in the United States.

In Los Angeles, a collaboration between the Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California and the Union Rescue Mission shelter offer homeless people in the Skid Row area free dental services.

Studies on the effects of intensive mental health interventions have demonstrated some improvements in housing stability and to be economically beneficial on cost-analysis.

Permanent supportive housing (PSH) interventions appear to have improvements in housing stability for people living with homelessness even in long-term.

Savings from housing homeless in the US

In 2013, a Central Florida Commission on Homelessness study indicated that the region spends $31,000 a year per homeless person to cover "salaries of law enforcement officers to arrest and transport homeless individuals - largely for nonviolent offenses such as trespassing, public intoxication or sleeping in parks - as well as the cost of jail stays, emergency room visits and hospitalization for medical and psychiatric issues. This did not include "money spent by nonprofit agencies to feed, clothe and sometimes shelter these individuals". In contrast, the report estimated the cost of permanent supportive housing at "$10,051 per person per year" and concluded that "[h]ousing even half of the region's chronically homeless population would save taxpayers $149 million over the next decade - even allowing for 10 percent to end up back on the streets again." This particular study followed 107 long-term-homeless residents living in Orange, Osceola or Seminole Counties. There are similar studies showing large financial savings in Charlotte and Southeastern Colorado from focusing on simply housing the homeless."

In general, housing interventions had mixed economic results on cost-analysis studies.

Innovative solutions

Los Angeles conducted a competition promoted by Mayor Eric Garcetti soliciting ideas from developers to use bond money more efficiently in building housing for the city's homeless population. The top five winners were announced on 1 February 2019 and the concepts included using assembly-ready molded polymer panels that can be put together with basic tools, prefabricated 5-story stack-able houses, erecting privately financed modular buildings on properties that do not require City Council approval, using bond money to convert residential garages into small apartments which are then dedicated to homeless rentals, and the redeveloping of Bungalow-court units, the small low-income iconic buildings that housed 7% of the city's population in the 1920s.

In the neighborhood of Westlake, Los Angeles, the city is funding the first transitionally homeless housing building using "Cargotecture", or "architecture built from repurposed shipping containers." The Hope on Alvarado micro-apartment building will consist of 4-stories of 84 containers stacked together like Lego bricks on top of a traditionally constructed ground floor. Completion is anticipated by the end of 2019.

Political action

Voting for elected officials is important for the homeless population to have a voice in the democratic process.

There are also many community organizations and social movements around the world which are taking action to reduce homelessness. They have sought to counteract the causes and reduce the consequences by starting initiatives that help homeless people transition to self-sufficiency. Social movements and initiatives tend to follow a grassroots, community-based model of organization - generally characterized by a loose, informal and decentralized structure, with an emphasis on radical protest politics. By contrast, an interest group aims to influence government policies by relying on more of a formal organizational structure. These groups share a common element: they are both made up of and run by a mix of allies of the homeless population and former or current members of the homeless population. Both grassroots groups and interest groups aim to break stereotyped images of homeless people as being weak and hapless, or defiant criminals, and to ensure that the voice of homeless people and their representatives is clearly heard by policymakers.

Organizing in homeless shelters

Homeless shelters can become grounds for community organization and the recruitment of homeless individuals into social movements for their own cause. Cooperation between the shelter and an elected representative from the homeless community at each shelter can serve as the backbone of this type of initiative. The representative presents and forwards problems raises concerns and provides new ideas to the director and staff of the shelters. Examples of possible problems are ways to deal with substance use disorders by certain shelter users, and resolution of interpersonal conflicts. SAND, the Danish National Organization for Homeless People, is one example of an organization that uses this empowerment approach. Issues reported at the homeless shelters are then addressed by SAND at the regional or national level. To open further dialogue, SAND organizes regional discussion forums where staff and leaders from the shelters, homeless representatives, and local authorities meet to discuss issues and good practices at the shelters.

Veteran specific

Main page: Homeless veterans in the United States

There are a number of homeless organizations that support homeless veterans, an issue most commonly seen in the United States.

Non-governmental organizations house or redirect homeless veterans to care facilities. Social Security Income/Social Security Disability Income, Access, Outreach, Recovery Program (SOAR) is a national project. It is designed to increase access to SSI/SSDI for eligible adults who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and have a mental illness or a co-occurring substance use disorder. Using a three-pronged approach of Strategic Planning, Training, and Technical Assistance (TA), the SOAR TA Center coordinates this effort at the state and community level.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Administration have a special Section 8 housing voucher program called VASH (Veterans Administration Supported Housing), or HUD-VASH, which gives out a certain number of Section 8 subsidized housing vouchers to eligible homeless and otherwise vulnerable US armed forces veterans. The HUD-VASH program has shown success in housing many homeless veterans. The support available to homeless veterans varies internationally, however. For example, in England, where there is a national right to housing, veterans are only prioritized by local authority homelessness teams if they are found to be vulnerable due to having served in the Armed Forces.

Under the Department of Labor, the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) offers a variety of programs targeted at ending homelessness among veterans. The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) is the only national program that is exclusively focused on assisting veterans as they reenter the workforce. The VETS program also has an Incarcerated Veterans' Transition Program, as well as services that are unique to female Veterans. Mainstream programs initiated by the Department of Labor have included the Workforce Investment Act, One-Stop Career Centers, and a Community Voice Mail system that helps to connect homeless individuals around the United States with local resources. Targeted labor programs have included the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Project, the Disability Program Navigator Initiative, efforts to end chronic homelessness through providing employment and housing projects, Job Corps, and the Veterans Workforce Investment Program (VWIP).

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