Sustainability Challenges - February
Marion County Homeless Council – need volunteers in February for Survey of Homeless
What will 3,300 chilly individuals in Marion County have in common tonight?
HOMELESSNESS
Numbers of homeless people in Marion County are increasing and resources to help them are diminishing. CF students and staff can help increase funding by helping administer the Marion County Homeless Survey.
Homelessness Facts in the United States:
- 40% of the homeless are families with children
- 42% of the children are under the age of 6
- 28% of homeless children will attend 3 or more schools in a single year and lose 4-6 weeks of instruction with each transfer
- 50 % of foster children aging out of foster care become homeless
- 25% of the homeless are veterans
CF CAN HELP!
Continuing our focus on hunger and homelessness into the spring 2009 semester, CF has agreed to work with the Marion County Homeless Council to conduct a Survey of the Homeless in Marion County, beginning in February.
Everyone at CF is invited to assist in this survey by volunteering time at a local service agency (see list below) to administer an online survey to homeless individuals and families who arrive at the agency for assistance.
This constitutes an excellent opportunity for Service Learning and Community Engagement projects among students. Students can be assigned to research homelessness, learn about the work of a service agency in Marion County, volunteer time at that agency to survey the homeless, and write or speak reflectively about their experiences. They could also investigate what more can be done to assist homeless individuals and families in our area.
David Houck, Director of Services for the Help Agency of the Forest, will make presentations to our classes about his work with the homeless. He will also allow small groups of our students to shadow him on the job, as a part of a service learning project. This would give students a unique glimpse of living conditions among the homeless in the Forest, a view that they would never otherwise see.
Training to administer the survey is mandatory; each session will take 1 hour. All training will take place in Building 41 (University Center) Room 208.
Wednesday, January 28 Noon to 1:00 PM,
Friday, January 30, 2:00 to 3:00PM
Tuesday, January 3, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Wednesday, February 11, Noon to 1:00 PM
Training sessions can be scheduled during class time, if convenient for instructors.
To learn more, to schedule a speaker, or for assistance with a project, please contact MaryEtta Fisher, Ext. 1210 – fisherm@cf.edu
Service Agencies in Marion County that will be volunteer sites: (Volunteers may choose their sites and signup will be at the training sessions.)
| The Salvation Army | Interfaith | Brother’s Keeper Soup Kitchen |
| St. Theresa Soup Kitchen | Soul Harvest | The Re-Entry Center |
| Help Agency of the Forest | Marion Co. Health Dept. | Operation Clean Start |
| One Stop Workforce | Annie Johnson Center | Action Day Labor |
