To Learn & Inform

My name is Chuan-Xing Ho and I am currently serving as an AmeriCorps member at the South Oakland Shelter (SOS) in Lathrup Village, an area within Southfield of the Metro Detroit area. My experience thus far has been as varied as one could imagine. For example, serving in a small office necessitates the ability to wear many different hats depending upon the situation. Sometimes, I need to hunt down information for a client, at other times I need to provide a sympathetic ear, and on other occasions I need to reach into my bag of seemingly irrelevant tricks to teach clients new, but vital skills. While my efforts have primarily been focused on assisting clients to obtain housing, I have encountered many challenges which make the task at times feel daunting.

The most significant barrier to helping clients is the sheer lack of affordable housing. According to a report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, for every 100 extremely low income households (0 – 30% of Metropolitan Area Median Family Income), there are only 30 affordable and available units. Thus, even if the person has a modest income, it is almost impossible to find a housing option that is affordable. Even with an affordable housing option, a client may not be willing or able to accept a possible housing option due to transportation restrictions and safety concerns. With such restrictions, independently finding housing which meets all the necessary criteria feels almost impossible. As a result, collaboration with everyone else at SOS is essential in order to find and utilize any resources available in order for housing to be obtained. In a recent case, one of our clients could no longer afford the apartment she was currently renting which required collaboration on multiple fronts from finding the accommodation, volunteer mover coordination, liaising with both old and new management companies, and making sure that the client was provided with counseling during the transition. Thus, finding an individual a housing option is perhaps the easiest part of transitioning them to affordable housing – economic, emotional, and other factors often act as additional barriers to obtaining and maintaining housing.

Although many of the barriers I encounter cannot be solved in a manner timely enough to benefit those I am currently serving, I have found that simply raising awareness about the situation to those I meet can provide short and long-term benefits. One part of advocacy is making people aware that they can aid the homeless population in ways beyond to passing out food or helping to provide shelter including. Another part is recruiting individuals who can offer workshops related to basic education, computer skills, job searching, resume preparation, or simply supporting day-to-day shelter operations. Of course, the issue in greatest need of advocacy and change is the supply of afford housing.

If overall housing costs were lower, if more landlords were willing to work with less financially secure tenants, and if there were more funds available to support those in need, the homeless population would certainly benefit and the costs associated with homelessness would shrink drastically. While improving the supply of affordable housing is beyond the scope of my service, I certainly hope that my direct service experience will make me a better advocate for the needs of such a severely underserved population. Furthermore, I am encouraged and hopeful during my daily efforts by seeing so much energy from everyone else at the South Oakland Shelter and knowing that I am part of an active, broader movement that will end homelessness.

"Jumping at several small opportunities may get us there more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along." ~Hugh Allen

My name is Stacia Meerman, and I am a first year AmeriCorps member serving at Every Woman’s Place and Webster House Youth Services located in Muskegon Michigan. I have been serving at Every Woman’s Place and Webster House for about five months now. Every Woman’s Place is an organization that helps women, men, and families that have experienced domestic violence or sexual assault situations. Webster House Youth Services helps youth that are at risk of running away, homelessness, foster care, and youth that are involved in the court system.

My service position at Every Woman’s Place has given me the opportunity to wear many different hats; including working with the Transitional Supportive Housing Program, organizing the Youth Advisory Board, and assisting with Walk in Services. Taking part in different roles at this agency has given me the opportunity to gain more experience in my field and has encouraged me to further my education and hopefully receive my Masters degree in Social Work.

The Transitional Supportive Housing Program is a program for women with children who have left their abusive partners and need assistance with housing. There are many supportive services such as, financial assistance, transportation, family activities, housing advocacy and support groups. The women participating in this program are graduating out which is both very exciting for the survivors and the people who have been apart of their battles. Currently there are five active women in this program. With this being said, it has given me more time to participate in other aspects of the agency.

Some of the different activities I have been participating in are: domestic violence groups, Youth Advisory Board, Girls on the Run, and Cheers for Chocolate Event. The domestic violence groups are one of my favorite activities to participate in. It is a six week group for women that are referred by DHS/CPS/or self referral. Women in these groups are so strong and really provide a good support system for one another. Some women share their stories and some prefer just to listen. This is a very motivational part of each woman’s battle because it not only gives them information about abuse, it also gives them strength knowing that someone else left their abuser and they can do it as well!

One of my favorite posters reads: “If you want to be happy for 30 minutes, watch TV. If you want to be happy for 2 hours, go to a movie. If you want to be happy for life, learn to help others.” My service at Every Woman’s Place helping others has helped me shape the foundation of what I now consider important in life. I have found a new passion in working with survivors to become independent and hope to work with more survivors in the future.