Mentor A Promise

Photo Credit: BillionPhotos.com - stock.adobe.com Writers and thinkers from Yuvi Noah Harari, author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind , to Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series, have posited the theory that homo sapiens survived prehistory while other human species went extinct due to our species’ ability to tell stories and engage in other artistic forms. This blog post will discuss how Art can heal homeless New Yorkers as well as where they may express themselves.  Does Art Have Healing Properties for Homeless New Yorkers?  With all the threats facing humanity, Art can seem like a luxury. However, throughout human history, Art has brought solace, toppled tyrants and given voice to the voiceless. Free expression is every bit as critical to our survival as nourishing food, clean water, suitable clothing and a safe, reliable place to lay our heads at night. This applies even to those experiencing homelessness.  How Does Art Heal Homeless New Yorkers? Aside ...

Photo Credit: SerPhoto - stock.adobe.com For many children, summer break is a time of excitement and exploration, free from the demands of school and extracurricular activities. But for the less fortunate children of New York City and elsewhere, the summer is a period of anxiety and deprivation. Without the breakfasts and lunches provided to them by their schools, these children will experience food insecurity and, yes, even hunger. This blog post will discuss summertime hunger among homeless New York City children, its prevalence, its impact on developing minds and bodies and how we can assist this vulnerable population.  How Common Is Summertime Hunger Among Homeless Children in New York City?  Before we delve into the numbers, the authors of this blog post would like to state that hunger is not exclusive to the summer months, nor is it constrained merely to young people who lack a safe, reliable place to sleep at night. Indeed, many New Yorkers from low income families expe...

  Photo Credit: miss irine -stock.adobe.com Thanks to countless movies and TV shows, we have all seen the stereotypical image of those experiencing homelessness. However, in many instances, that image is a myth. This blog post will discuss why homeless New Yorkers are not “dirty,” how they maintain their appearances and why you should not stigmatize them.  Do Homeless New Yorkers Observe Proper Hygiene? This may surprise some folks, but not all homeless people in New York City sleep outside, in tents or in condemned buildings. Many live doubled, tripled or quadrupled up in facilities they can’t rightly call their own or in well maintained shelters.  In a previous blog post , we discussed the rising trend of those who lack permanent housing and still have to work full-time and/or part-time jobs. In order to interview for, obtain and keep gainful employment, one absolutely must bathe regularly and dress appropriately.  How Do Homeless New Yorkers Stay Clean? Many homel...

  Photo Credit: Freedom Life - stock.adobe.com It seems like the only time that the mainstream news media ever mentions New York City’s homeless population is in connection with some violent act allegedly perpetrated by a member of this unfortunate demographic. Such coverage might lead you to conclude that those experiencing homelessness pose a threat to public safety. But that is not the reality. This blog post will endeavor to explode the myth that homeless New Yorkers are inherently dangerous while also discussing how to protect them from being victims themselves. Are Homeless New Yorkers Violent?  Every population - be it stably housed or otherwise, of one ethnicity or another, rich, poor, middle class - has its share of individuals who engage in acts of violence. In many cases, this is the result of trauma and/or untreated mental illness, and heaven knows that those experiencing homelessness have experienced more than their fair share of trauma in their lives.  Howev...

  Photo Credit: guy2men - stock.adobe.com If you are at all like the authors of this blog post, your heart breaks when you see someone braving traffic just to beg a few meager dollars from indifferent passersby. You may have reached for your wallet but stopped when you remembered that old refrain, which we shall not repeat here. But is there any truth to it? This blog post will examine whether you should ever hand a homeless person money on the streets of New York City.  Is It Wrong to Give Money to a Homeless Person?  According to one school of thought, which includes the late Pope Francis, it is not wrong to give homeless people money directly and it is none of our business how it is spent. To give the other argument some credit, it is true that around 38 percent of homeless people abuse alcohol and approximately 26 percent abuse other substances. [ 1 ] These illnesses may not be readily apparent. However, the overwhelming majority of this population, which includes tho...

  Photo Credit: New Africa - stock.adobe.com Some of those reading this blog post might have been the recipients of hand-me-downs passed along from older siblings who’d outgrown them. While there is nothing wrong with frugality, giving a child clothes that are ill-fitting, uncomfortable, warped, stained or clearly used can negatively affect said child’s self-esteem and their social standing. Indeed, this is one of the ways in which homeless individuals stand out from their peers. This blog post will discuss whether good, clean clothes can help the homeless in New York City.  Do Homeless New Yorkers Benefit from Good, Clean Clothes?  Along with food, water and shelter, clothing is a basic necessity. The right clothes can keep you warm in the winter and comfortable in the summer. But the benefits go much deeper than that. Homeless people are often stigmatized for their appearance, including their worn and heavily used clothing. This is especially true of homeless children, ...

  Photo Credit: rangizzz - stock.adobe.com The official start of summer is only a few weeks away, but it’s already growing quite hot in the streets of New York City. Excessive heat, made worse by the effects of climate change, is not just uncomfortable, it can be deadly, especially for the most vulnerable members of our society. This blog post will discuss the dangers of heat on the homeless population of New York City as well as resources they may use to cool off.  Why Are Extreme Heat Events More Dangerous for Homeless New Yorkers?  Even for the healthiest New Yorkers, extreme heat events tax their physical, mental and emotional well-being. However, certain conditions place some groups in greater danger. Those experiencing homelessness are the most vulnerable, because they often experience multiple risk factors simultaneously. According to the National Integrated Heat Health Information System , these risk factors include, but are not limited to, the following:  In...