Document Type

Undergraduate Student Scholarship

Publication Date

5-13-2019

Instructor

George Faithful, PhD

Course Number

Hono 3190

Course Name

Honors World Religions

Abstract

Every time I pass by a man in the street holding up a piece of cardboard saying “Homeless, Will Work for Food”, a little girl standing next to her mother by the side of the road begging for money, or families sleeping in tents underneath bridges on vacant industrial property or by shopping malls, it makes me question why the US is able to spend billions to help poor countries in the world but hasn't solved its own problems. Reading Forbes magazine that ranked the 100 largest US charities in 2018, I am surprised to see many US charities such as Americares Foundation, Habitat For Humanity International, and Food For The Poor are rated as top ranking for their large revenue and high percentage of charitable commitment to support for international needs; while day by day I see more homeless people roaming around the streets, sleeping by their carts, or getting in long lines waiting for a place to stay at the homeless shelters in my community and nearby cities. Insufficient income and lack of affordable housing are the leading causes of homelessness. Homelessness not only affects those that are homeless, it affects everyone living in the community.

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