The Importance of Community and Mentorship

 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201212/our-hierarchy-needs

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs argues that an individual cannot begin to prioritize their social needs before feeling secure in their ability to procure the basics of survival. Without base of sustenance, shelter, and safety, it is not impossible but very difficult to to work on fully making the connections that humans need in order to maintain their mental health. Furthermore, these relationships are incredibly important to the development of young people both to aid their brains in socially maturing as well to model healthy relationships in the future. However, if an individual—or family unit—is preoccupied with taking care of their physiological and safety needs, then they may have less energy to put towards taking part in a community. This can take a toll on long-term mental health. 

This demonstrates the importance of programs that emphasize in community building and establishing meaningful relationships among houseless youth. Providing an area where there is access to resources such as food and hygienic products(addressing the first tier of the hierarchy) coupled with an understanding team and opportunity to interact with their peers(second and third tier) is a crucial combination in creating a ‘safe space’. 

One of these programs offered in Portland, Oregon is Friends of the Children. Full time employed staff, known as “friends” are assigned to individual children and meet with them on a regular basis to aid in their education as well as establishing a mentor connection with them. As long as the youth is enrolled in the program, they are guaranteed their “friend” for 12.5 years (the duration of the K-12 education track). They have a fantastic success rate and have been established for around 25 years. Programs such as Friends of the Children are a great example of acknowledging the importance of basic needs when also working on community building.

Learn more about Friends of the Children

More PDX youth programs and shelters

Providing a Space for the Arts

https://www.facebook.com/artworksgallerypdx/photos/a.108810844084295/130047691960610

At this point it is a fairly well-known concept ago introduce avenues for creative work early in youth education. Providing classes and in class time for artistic learning from Pre-K all the way through high school has a great deal of benefits to students who are able to participate. Early involvement in the arts is a fantastic source of creative expression for young people, but it also can help with self-confidence, stress relief, and overall problem solving. 

However, many public schools suffer lack of funding that result in under-funded arts programs, and at times classes may require fees from their students for supplies. Some programs even require time to meet outside of school. While these obstacles aren’t put in place specifically to make students lives particularly difficult, they can prevent opportunities to those who might not be in the position to pay fees or coordinate transportation despite their interest in the program. In fact, the ability to make it to school for access to such programs might not even be attainable in some cases. 

Creative expression is too often an unattainable privilege for houseless youth because of these barriers. This demonstrates the importance of projects like p:ear, who hold classes and workshops in the arts specifically for houseless youth. Some of their subjects include graphic design and screen printing. Participants also have the chance to display and sell their completed work in p:ear’s own gallery, which is refreshed every month for Portland’s monthly art walk. P:ear does not require fees of their students; instead they rely on donations from the public (this includes art supplies, but ranges from snacks to hygienic products as well). 

Donate supplies to p:ear here

See artwork at the p:ear gallery

More about p:ear

Portland homelessness - what can WE do to help?

Springwater Corridor, Portland Business Journal, 2016

All you need to do is walk around Portland to see that we've got an issue we need to fix. The Springwater Corridor in East Portland is the largest homeless camp in the US, with around 200 tents housing upwards of 500 people. There have been steps taken to address the issue of homelessness, such as the Affordable Housing Bond, but because mental illness plays such a large role, we can't address homelessness without first addressing mental illness.

According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, in January 2018 Oregon had over 14,000 people experiencing homelessness. Furthermore, Oregon also ranks worst for mental illness, with 35-40% of the homeless population being mentally ill. During the 1990's many of the mental hospitals were closed due to harsh conditions and treatment of patients. While this was planned with good intentions, there was no follow up and now many of the patients are homeless and living in worse conditions than before. Coupled with the huge heroin and meth usage, it's a vicious cycle that many people can't get out of.

So what do can we do to help? A great first step is to volunteer at a non-profit such as Transition Projects. Companies like this help those in need to get out of a bad situation and into somewhere stable and safe. The city needs to put more money into places like Transition Projects so they can be better equipped to help. But it all starts with the individual, taking a small step to make a difference.