Homelessness Today: Aided or Avoided?

Kaleigh Ligon

Dr. Abood

LU 1103: Building Bridges

11/5/2014

Homelessness Today: Aided or Avoided?

Homelessness is a very real thing all over our world. People in our country often take for granted having a roof over their head or having heat and running water. There are homeless people all over every city in our nation. The question is, is there enough being done to help them, or do the homeless already have all the adequate help they need? Though there are organizations and big names bringing attention to homelessness, is that enough? But what if these organizations are designed to work, and the people are just being lazy? What it boils down to is, are we providing enough aid for those who cannot provide for themselves, or is our country merely too demanding for anyone to ever get off the streets once they have been on the streets?

Are the homeless truly getting the help they need to survive in our world today? The answer is, yes. There are numerous things being done all over our country to help those who are extremely unfortunate enough to be living on the streets. In our day and age, people have started to notice the homeless population. When I am driving, I rarely make a trip without seeing someone standing on a street corner with either a sign asking for money or trying to sell a newspaper. Our homeless population is generously taken care of through the help of many factors in the world we live in.

When people who are viewed as high in our society take a stand against something they find important, it brings ample attention to the matter at hand. A prime example of someone caring and bringing a great deal of attention to homeslessness is Miley Cyrus. Just a few months ago, she won a VMA for her music video “Wrecking Ball.” For as long as I can remember, the celebrity who won an award would go up on stage, accept the award, and give a short speech. This year, however, Cyrus had a homeless boy, Jesse, go up on stage for her. She had him dressed up to a ten. He accepted the award and used her speech to bring attention to how viewers could donate to a program to help the homeless. The shelter is called “My Friend’s Place”, and it is located in Hollywood, California. Jesse touched the hearts of many viewers watching that night, and the hearts of the people who would later look up the video. Miley Cyrus did an incredible thing for this boy. She used a situation that would normally be all about her to bring attention to how real homelessness is. Jesse not only touched on homelessness in Los Angeles, but how this is also an issue all over our country. By doing this, Cyrus raised great amounts of money for shelters all over the United States. MTV covered the story on Miley’s bold move so well. They showed her as the true hero she was to that young man. Cyrus brought together a force to provide financial stability for the shelters and organizations helping our homeless population. Another example of a celebrity bringing attention to this problem is Jon Bon Jovi. This man has created his own foundation to help those with monetary issues. In the article posted by Look to the Stars, it says, “it is the organization’s goal to recognize and maximize the human potential in those affected by poverty and homelessness by offering assistance in establishing programs that provide for permanent, affordable housing while supporting social services and job training programs” (1). This program is marvelous, and people like Bon Jovi and Cyrus are creating an outstanding example for other citizens of our country. When awareness is drawn to a subject due to a higher power’s passion, much more gets accomplished.