Vulnerable People and Places Blog

Nowadays, there are more and more school shootings happen over the U.S. which is becoming a biggest concerns for people to send their kids to school. School is supposed to be a safe place for kids to grow and learn without worrying about anything. Now, they have to look over their shoulders because they know things can happen to them.   Especially for those kids that have to go to school where the shooting took place, it is even harder and scarier for them to go back there and remember the tragic incident that took their friends’ lives away from them. As students returned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School today for the first time after the mass school students, they all had mix feelings about what had happened (according to ABC News). Well, they should be. They were too young to witness and become victims of that tragic event. But these young and bright kids are so brave that they are willing to face the problem and fix it. So, how about us – grown-up parents and ...

Lake Arthur Place Nursing Home in Port Arthur, TX When we talk about elderly, what do we know about them? They are like an invisible part vulnerable citizens that we sometimes forget. Of course, there are more and more organizations and groups that are helping them and make sure they are being noticed. However, it is still hard for elderly to get by with their lives. The thing I find the most concerned about the elderly is their living conditions after a disaster happens. Remember the Hurricane Harvey that happened last year in Houston, Texas? It caused a lot damages to the city and affected hundreds of lives, especially the elderly. For people who stayed in any nursing homes or assisted-living facilities, they didn't have the abilities to go anywhere after the hurricane passed by. They could be evacuated to a safe place while waiting for Harvey to be over with, but where did they go after it was all over? The answer was that they went back to their nursing homes or an...

“In simple terms, most of them were put out into the world on their own without housing, financial assistance or emotional support.” 1 Over 23,000 children a year age out of foster care in the US (nfyi.org) with the majority not having been reunited with family or put into a new permanent home. Upon turning 18, 20% will become homeless. Many won’t have employment, the ability to pay bills, or the preparation to live self-sufficiently. They are without a family, and often without the necessary skills and material support they need to not only survive, but to thrive. The harmful effects of aging out at 18 without a “family” or appropriate support are potentially numerous and can persist across a lifespan. It can affect their education, from completing high school to pursuing higher education. Evidence shows that they have less than a 3% chance in obtaining a college degree in their lifetime. Only about half will have gainful employment by the age of 24. The rates of PTS...

Last night my father called me to tell me that my mother was in the hospital. Weeks ago, my mother injured her knee after slipping on the bathroom floor, and in our phone conversations since, she mentioned how long it was taking to get better. Recently the pain and discomfort was such that she was almost incapable of standing up without assistance from my father, who is himself a disabled veteran that relies on forearm crutches in order to walk. When he went to inspect my mother's knee, he was alarmed to see that some of the surrounding flesh looked dead. After realizing that they would not be able to get to the hospital on their own, my father called an ambulance. It turns out that there was a very deep infection that required surgery to remove a good deal of affected tissue. As it stands right now, there is a chance that she may lose the leg. Both of my parents are in their mid-seventies, the knowledge of which has been prodding me to prepare for the eventuality ...

In these times it's important to know who and where to ask for help, if you or a loved one is in need. We are sometimes just a few short years, or a job loss away from becoming a member of a vulnerable population. Would you know where to go? Not everyone has access to the internet or a telephone, therefore word of mouth and the kindness of strangers is all that's needed to help someone less fortunate; vulnerable. Being of service to all people in your community keeps the community stronger and builds up those in need, which in turn allows them to pass on the kindness to others. There are many reasons and factors that can put any one person or population of people into the category of "vulnerable or special". Below is a list of various resources and information regarding this topic and ways to be of service. These are for the Portland Metro area. https://www.orpca.org/chc/operations/special-populations https://www.tprojects.org/ https://www.portlandrescuemissio...

    “The reason she didn't go to the police is because she had, in the eyes of the law, consented. Even though she had no idea what she was consenting to.” – Lauren Lovejoy (read more at The Debrief )           In light of the #metoo movement sweeping the globe, it only seems appropriate to shine some light on those in the peripheral of the conversation. The movement tends to focus primarily on “neurotypical” women and the struggles they have faced, but in truth it is far more complex with multiple intersections. For those on the autism spectrum (ASD) the risk of sexual harassment and abuse is much higher than that of their non-ASD counterparts. Alarming as this is, it shouldn’t be too surprising considering the evidence already, of the large scale neglect and abuse of adults with ASD .          However, the high level of victimization does raise the questions of what factors are contributing and how may it be med...

Imagine that one or both or your parents has been diagnosed with dementia. They have lost the ability to remember small details, their constantly depressed, they are experiencing hallucinations and they have a hard time paying attention to you.   For many of us that were raised by our parents this would be a hard reality.   The day we get a phone call from the police department identifying that they have our parent and found them wandering around unsure of what they were doing or where they were going, would be an incredibly sad moment to many of these loved ones.   Often times when you hear about mental health you hear about our young population.   Mental Health affects our emotional, psychological and social ability to function effectively in our communities and amongst people.   One of the populations that is significantly overlooked is our aging population of elders.   According to the world health organization "between 2015 and 2050 the wo...

There's nothing more promising then potential uses of new technologies all over the world.  Just as they are promising, they are equally as frightening.  In a recent article published by the New York Times, former employees from Facebook and Google, are rising up against the technology superpowers, in order to shed light on the danger of technology--more specifically, how these two companies are targeting young children, and the disturbing content they are exposed to.  A group of former employees have started a non-profit organization, Center for Humane Technology, is aimed at raising awareness for students and parents, about the dangers of constant technological use, including social media. What inspired this group of former silicon valley employees to speak out against their former employers?  The use of supercomputers pointing at children's brains.  Studies and developers have targeted children with things such as youtube kids, or even a messaging app geared ...

Everyday we live our lives among people from other generations other than ours. It is not something we necessarily think about on our daily routines, but interacting between generations can actually benefit both parties in multiple ways. In the last 20 years the number of the elderly living among us has raised by 56% and it is still rising. What can we learn from them and how can their existence enrich our lives? For starters, the elders have been living in this world long before we were born. They have lived through multiple phases in history. They know how to react to certain experiences we may not have yet experienced or even have answers to possible outcomes that could happen as sometimes “history repeats itself”. They can help us be better parents. They have raised generations & have experienced parenting through the years and we could sure benefit from their guidance in teaching the newer generations.  It has been proved that the brain improves with age when it com...

Many of my peers including myself have been talking a lot about the lack high percentage of individuals who lack the access to meals. Whether it’s talking about elderly citizens, children, or college students, they all have groups that are facing hunger which is being combated by organizations such as Meals on Wheels. But what exactly does this group do? How do they go about helping those in need? Meals on Wheels is a non-profit organization that operates on a national level, serving primarily senior citizens but also including individuals who have been hospitalized, suffered illness, or have disabilities or special circumstances that require assistance. Volunteers of all ages will help deliver the meals and provide socialization for the individuals they are assisting. These volunteers will pick up packaged hot, or frozen meals then give them to various individuals around their area. Singing up for volunteering is as simple as applying to your closet Meals on Wheels, or Salvation ...

Summer is coming, while some will be on the beach enjoying the sun, for many, there is an upcoming event that can't be missed for the world, the World Cup of Soccer. However, although it will be an event to highlight the skills of individuals as well as teamwork to compete between nations, there is an unspoken consequence of such event. FIFA, or the Federation Internationale de Football Association, has "awarded" the honor of hosting the soccer matches to Qatar, in 2010 (Conn, 2017). This off course, means for the inhabitants of Qatar that it must be able to provide a place for the matches to be held in, which means stadiums to be built. Unfortunately, Qatar is far from the summer vacation on the beach, Qatar's temperature are not sustainable to workers, where temperature can reach to 102 degree Fahrenheit, or more in a given work day(Conn, 2017). With those temperature, added with the heat generated from manual labor outdoors often under direct sunlight, the Hu...

“You can't imagine how amazing a sunflower is and how it affects people. To change the community you have to change the composition of the soil. We are the soil.” - Ron Finley At the beginning of his TED talk, Ron Finley sardonically points out that the city of Los Angeles' solution to the rampant poverty in what was known as South Central– “This is South Central: liquor stores, fast food, vacant lots”– was to rename the area South Los Angeles– “This is South Los Angeles: liquor stores, fast food, vacant lots.” Finley's delivery got a laugh, but it gets to the heart of a pervasive problem in poor urban areas, and the institutional inability, or lack of interest, to solve it. Los Angeles, along with other cities, are watching food deserts threaten to decimate many of their at-risk communities, and their official response is frequently ineffective at best. While there are many factors that contribute to the phenomenon of the food desert, generally low-incom...