Did You Know?

According to a recent Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American adults, 70% think that the number homeless families in the country will increase, while a mere 7% think the numbers will go down. 19% believe there will be no change. (Apparently, the remaining 4% must not have had any opinion on the matter). 

83% of people in the survey consider homelessness to be "at least a somewhat serious problem" in the U.S. 

According to HUD's 2008 Annual Homeless Report to Congress (released July 9, 2009), the number of homeless families in the US rose by 9% (the rate of homeless families in rural areas jumped a whopping 56%). The point-in-time estimated increase of homeless families in the state of Oregon rose by 17.4%. (According to this report, Oregon also rates among the 3 states with the highest estimates of homeless persons proportionate to the state's total population-1 in every 200 people.) 51% of the children in homeless families are under the age of 6. Another 34% are between the ages of 6 and 12.

With the national unemployment rate currently hovering at 9.5%, and the state of Oregon's at 12.2%, it seems unlikely that the number of homeless families will decrease anytime soon if all other variables remain constant. 

To read up on the results of the Rasmussen Report, follow the link.

To read the HUD report, follow this one.

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Did You Know?

A question we are frequently asked at ShelterCare is: "Why are people homeless?" While the answer(s) to this question are quite diverse in nature (every person's story is unique), there are several common factors that can lead to a person becoming homeless. Many of these factors are related to the larger issue of poverty. Often, a person experiences a number of these factors, and they eventually lead to the experience of homelessness. The following are some of the most common factors. 

-Declining employment opportunities/and or stagnating and declining real wages. When a person is forced to live paycheck to paycheck, all it takes is an unexpected expense to get behind on the bills. 

-Job loss. Job losses happen, even if a person is a model employee. As the economy worsens, more people are experiencing job losses. If a new job cannot be found, and a person's savings dry up, homelessness can be the result.

-Lack of affordable housing. A general rule of budgeting is that you should not spend more than a third of your income on housing (rent or mortgage). Affordable housing for low-income people and housing assistance programs come nowhere near meeting the demand. Therefore, many low income families and individuals are putting half or more of their income towards housing. Once again, it is often nothing more than an unexpected expense that puts people on the brink of homelessness. 

-Lack of education/employable job skills. Many people simply don't have realistic access to higher education. Student loans and grants are growing scarcer. Even community college costs have become prohibitive for many people in the lower income brackets, and many elect to enter the workforce as soon as they are able to do so. Many jobs available to people with a high school diploma or less are low paying jobs without benefits or much chance for advancement.  

-Mental illness. A significant percentage of people experiencing homelessness are also experiencing mental illness. Many of these individuals have been unable to obtain access to supportive housing and other treatment that they may need and find themselves homeless. 

-Disability. When a person is unable to work due to disability, it can lead to financial difficulties similar to those experienced by low-income individuals. Unexpected expenses can derail even the most carefully planned budgets.

-Healthcare costs. The cost of healthcare has skyrocketed over the past several years. Many employers have cut healthcare benefits to employees as a means to cut costs, leaving employees to find their own source. For many people, the costs of private insurance are simply too high for their income and they simply go without. Therefore, an unexpected medical expense can be catastrophic, particularly for people without much of a financial safety net to begin with.

There are, of course, many other factors that can lead to a person becoming homeless. The above are simply some of the ones that are seen again and again. 

Did You Know?

-During a press conference on March 4, 2009, Brig. General Loree Sutton estimated that up to 360,000 veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan may have sustained traumatic brain injuries during service. 

-Many of these brain injuries are what is known as Blast-Induced Neurotraumas (BINT) from modern explosive devices. These injuries can occur despite little damage to the external skull. 

-For an interesting description of BINT, please see this article from the Johns Hopkins University.

Did You Know?

-This week we are continuing on with Brain Injury Awareness Month. A brain injury can be mild, moderate or severe. In the case of ShelterCare's consumers affected by brain injuries, the injuries tend towards the severe end of the spectrum. Mild brain injuries are much more common and are most often referred to as concussions. The effects of concussions are generally not permanent. However, repeated concussions experienced over time, or receiving a subsequent blow to the head before a concussion has a chance to fully heal, can result in devastating permanent damage to the brain. 

-As a mild brain injury, a concussion is often hard to detect, unlike a banged up knee or broken hand. It is essentially an injury you cannot see. Since the brain is so very complex, every brain injury is different, and some can be extremely subtle. There are some common symptoms however. These include confusion and temporary amnesia. Sometimes, a person may "black out". A person may experience a headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, or slurred speech. Sometimes there is a delayed onset of symptoms that can occur days or weeks after the initial injury. Delayed symptoms can be dramatic mood changes or cognitive and sleep disturbances. 

-While most concussions resolve themselves in time, it is important that they are addressed so that they don't become more serious. If you or those close to you experience the symptoms of a concussion, it is best to take the time to be evaluated and rest up before embarking in activities that are at elevated risk for further head trauma.

Did You Know?

-March is  Brain Injury Awareness Month. 

-Each year, 1.4 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury each year. Of these, 1.1 million are treated and released from ERs, 235,00o are hospitalized, and 50,000 die from their injuries. (Source: Centers for Disease Control). 

-Brain injury can be caused by any number of traumatic incidents that affect a person's brain. Some causes include airway obstruction, electric shock, direct trauma to the head (e.g. sports injuries or bicycle accidents), heart attack, stroke, and toxic exposures. No two brain injuries are exactly alike.

-Wear your helmet: something as simple as proper use of a bicycle helmet can reduce the risk of brain injury by as much as 88%. (Source: Palo Alto Medical Foundation)

Did You Know?

-Mental disorders are common in the United States. An estimated 1 in 4 Americans aged 18 or older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion. About 1 in 17 American adults suffer from a serious mental illness. In fact, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the United States for Americans aged 15-44 years.

(Source-National Institute of Mental Health)      

  

-Chronic homelessness is long-term or repeated homelessness

 of a person with a disability. Many chronically homeless people have a serious mental illness that they attempt to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. Most traditional shelters for this population require sobriety before a person can receive shelter. Recently, a revolutionary model known as the "Housing First" model was introduced. Housing First recognizes that it is nearly impossible for a chronically homeless individual will a mental illness to conquer addiction on their own and that by providing basic needs first, a person's chances of overcoming addiction and moving on to a successful life increase tremendously.

-In 2006, ShelterCare launched its innovative The Inside Program (TIP). TIP is based on the Housing First model and provides apartments and extensive case management to the chronically homeless in the Eugene/Springfield community. TIP currently serves up to 28 people at a time, and enjoys a tremendous level of success. 

ShelterCare staff member plays cards with a client

Did You Know?

In 2008 volunteers donated 8,209 hours to ShelterCare. The caring and committed work of volunteers helps ShelterCare provide state of the art support and treatment to our clients. Volunteer work includes office support, special events, client care, fundraising, and much, much more.

Volunteer Kimberly Almeda was recently featured in the Register Guard's Volunteer Spotlight. Kim works in the office at ShelterCare's Brethren Housing facility where she answers phones, helps clients, writes the program's newsletter, provides suport for staff. Kim volunteered 280 this past year despite going to school and working full time. Kim routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty and is always willing to help out in a pinch. Her decication is truly remarkable.


In the picture above a volunteer helps fit a bicycle helmet on a young a girl that attended ShelterCare's helmet give away in September of 2007. The event was sposnored by donor to help prevent brain injuries and raise awareness of ShelterCare's Uhlhorn Program, a facility designed to serve low income adults with aquired traumatic brain injruies.

For more information about volunteering at ShelterCare please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Gene Obersinner at 541 686 1262 or via email at gobersinner@sheltercare.org

Did You Know?

Many famous people experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. 

-Lauralee Summer, author of the critically acclaimed memoir Learning Joy From Dogs Without Collars, was often homeless as a child growing up in Oregon and Washington, and had moved 20 times by the time she was 12. 

-Ella Fitzgerald, the legendary jazz singer, was a homeless teenager in NYC before she was discovered in an amateur singing contest. 

-John Paul DeJoria, cofounder and spokesman for John Paul Mitchell Systems haircare products spent time as a homeless single dad in Los Angeles, working odd jobs and collecting cans and bottles before becoming the billionaire he is today.

As you can see, homelessness can happen to anyone, and people can rebound from it with tremendous results. From July 2007 to June 2008, ShelterCare helped 693 parents and children get back on their feet after suffering from a period of homelessness or the imminent threat of homelessness. ShelterCare provides short-term emergency housing for families with children in its Family Housing and Brethren Housing Programs. We also prevent families from becoming homeless in the first place through our innovative Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP).

Did You Know?

-Currently, the number of homeless Vietnam era veterans is greater than the number of service persons who died during that war (Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). Many of these homeless veterans suffer from mental illness.



-With appropriate medication and a wide range of services tailored to their needs, most people living with a serious mental illness can significantly reduce the impact of their illness and find a satisfying measure of achievement and independence.

-ShelterCare provided shelter and support to 741 individuals in our mental health programs from July 2007 to June 2008.