-

 


Understanding Homelessness: 

Embracing Empathy and Humanity


Imagine for a moment that your daily life suddenly changes overnight. The stability you once took for granted—your home, your job, your safety—is gone. This is the reality for many people experiencing homelessness. They are not defined by their lack of a home but by the same hopes, dreams, and struggles that we all share. It’s important to remember that behind every story of homelessness is a person with a past, a present, and a future.


Homelessness can happen to anyone. Economic hardships, medical emergencies, or even the loss of a loved one can push people to the brink. It’s easy to see someone on the street and assume they are “different” from us, but the truth is that their circumstances could befall any of us. When we approach the issue with empathy, we start to see that the person standing on the corner is not just a statistic but someone who has faced extraordinary challenges.


Empathy invites us to look beyond stereotypes and judgments. It encourages us to ask ourselves how we would want to be treated if we were in their shoes. Small acts of kindness, whether it's offering a meal, a listening ear, or supporting local initiatives that help those in need, can make a significant difference. By engaging with the issue of homelessness from a place of compassion, we contribute to a society that values every individual, no matter their current circumstances.


Understanding homelessness through empathy helps to build bridges between communities and fosters a more inclusive world. Let’s strive to see each person for who they truly are—a fellow human deserving of dignity, respect, and support. In doing so, we not only help those in need but also enrich our own humanity.


For a deeper understanding of the human side of homelessness, check out this insightful article by Carly Newberg: The Human Side of Homelessness and Lessons Learned from Untold Stories | by Carly Newberg | Age of Empathy | Medium


Attention: The Portland State University senior capstone for multimedia would love to hear from you. If you have the time, please click here to fill out a survey about your experience with housing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community

-
Image
  Domestic Violence within the Homeless Community Source: Unsplash The Facts                                                                                          According to  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 233,832 are people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the United States. Of the 233,832, 50,767 are families with children.  Currently, 30% of homeless people are adult women.  (portlandoregon.gov)   Bradley Angle , which works to support survivors of  domestic violence , reported that 70% of domestic violence reports are from homeless women. ( www.kgw.com)  Homeless women are 1/3 of the fastest growing populations HUD homeless populations. ( portlandoregon.gov)   Specifically, in Por...
Read more

Understanding Homelessness

-
Image
  Source (American Addiction Centers)      Homelessness has a myriad of different reasons it can happen. The similarity between all scenarios in which a person is experiencing homelessness is that each person is human. A popular belief is that homelessness is a choice. People believe there is a set amount of circumstances that cause homelessness and that it is a choice not to fight to get out of those problems. The problems can range from mental health issues to drug addiction. There is no one size fits all, and it is not a choice.  Over the last few weeks, I have learned that there are many factors that can lead to homelessness. One big one that focuses on our class is how affordable housing, or the lack thereof, is a significant contributor to people not getting back on their feet. If you want to learn more about that subject and if affordable housing can help, click here.   This lack of affordable housing is a big roadblock for those trying to ove...
Read more

Air pollution caused by wildfires may increase risk of dementia

-
Image
  There are already more than 57 million dementia sufferers in the world, and by 2050, that figure is predicted to rise to 153 million. It is estimated that risk factors like exposure to air pollution account for up to 40% of these instances. Even when annual exposure was lower than the current EPA annual threshold of 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air (g/m3), the researchers discovered continuous evidence of a relationship between PM2.5 and dementia. The researchers discovered a 17% increase in risk for dementia for every 2 g/m3 increase in average yearly exposure to PM2.5, specifically among the studies using active case ascertainment. Despite the fact that the data was more sparse, they also discovered evidence supporting links between dementia and nitrogen oxide (5% increase in risk for every 10 g/m3 increase in yearly exposure) and nitrogen dioxide (2% increase in risk for every 10 g/m3 increase in annual exposure). According to a recent University of Michigan study, wildfi...
Read more