Mayy Abdelrahim
Professor Jewell
December 04, 2019
Homeless on the street
Speech to public New Yorkers
Do you have a roof on top of your head? Do you have food available when you need it? Do you have access to water when it’s needed? And when it’s freezing outside, do you have clothes to keep you warm? If you answered yes to these questions, you’re probably not the thousands of people that are homeless and suffering on the street every day. What is like to be homeless living on the street, looking for a place to be safe. Pretending to be homeless for a day and actually being homeless are two entirely different things. I would be more impressed if the Mayor or people that worked for the government spent 30 days on the streets or experience a feeling of what’s it’s like to lose their money and house, for them to get a better idea of what it is like to be homeless. For those people that will be hearing this speech, you will still pass by the homeless like if they never existed even probably scared to have even 10 seconds to spare to hand over some pocket change that you will probably never use. Don’t think that every homeless person you see is on drugs or is alcohol. These people need help, and giving even 50 cents to someone in need can make a massive difference in that person’s day. Please, if you can help, do it. I understand that you work so hard for the money you make, but you will never know the story, the reason for them losing their home unless if you asked them. It is time for us to wake up and have some sympathy to stop the number of homelessness increases. Be thankful for what you have and share the rest to others that is desperately in need of money or food. Reminder, Would you like to take the train in the morning to go to work, school, doctor appointments, events without smelling a robust stinky smell on the transportation. Or would you like to walk down the street without someone bothering you with a disturbing sign “help i have kids to feed, help me with a spare change.” have you thought about the homeless people during wintertime.
New York is cold during winter, most likely under zero degrees in December through February. For those that are homeless, they live in the subway station or takes the train back and forth for them not to get caught by the police, but few of them have died from the cold. One thing that it is not mentioned are people who end up becoming homeless because of NATURAL DISASTERS, like Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and others. According to the article In an Era When Hurricanes and Wildfires Are Common, Homelessness Is an ‘Ongoing Disaster’ for Students Across the U.S. by Laura Fay “Hurricanes and wildfires that ravaged large portions of the U.S. in 2017 have increased the number of families experiencing homelessness and have renewed interest in the academic effects of not having stable housing…….More recently, two reports found that New York City is failing to provide homeless children with the services they need and that the number of homeless children in New York City is growing. Social workers are overwhelmed with cases, and often schools aren’t following up with parents when students are absent from their classes.” These are some of the reasons for teenage are taking drugs because of the pressure. Today let’s use social media to pass the message and keep other people aware of what’s happening on the streets of New York City. You may dream of having the best brand name of the car or an iPhone. Well, their dream is to have a roof on top of their heads. Let us not allow other people to suffer.
Letter
Dear. Mayor De Blasio,
I write this letter to you with deep concern about the homelessness happening in New York City. As the Mayor, you must fulfill your duties and responsibilities of ensuring safety and fighting for the best for the people of NYC. Homelessness in New York City is no joke, and day by day, it is getting worse. Since the great depression, homelessness has reached its highest it’s ever been in 2019. While you may seem to think that the most are done to help individuals that are homeless, you are wrong. Many things are going on in shelters and the streets that you and many of the people do not know about. Did you know that there are over 45,600 homeless children in NYC? Did you know that many individuals are women, pregnant women, elders, young, men and women are being turned away from shelters because there is not enough space? Did you know that homelessness has lead to mental illness, disorders, drug addictions, etc.?.Put yourself in any homeless person position, or imagine if your kids had to go through hardship because their parents simply can’t afford to pay for their rent or keep their house, nor can they be admitted to shelters because of “space.” I speak with great sadness, as I witness these individuals struggle every day and try to survive through freezing weather. Many of these individuals have gotten to where they are due to many reasons such as domestic violence, losing their jobs, unable to afford rent, hazardous house conditions, etc. What breaks my heart when I pass by a mother that is holding a child that is probably around six months that needs money. I recommend you to go out in the city and listen to the homeless that are suffering. Instead of providing them shelter that is full of negative influences such as drug addiction, rapists, criminals, etc. Why not offer them a home for three months, and that could give them time to look for a job and have someone that visits them for them to get an education on how to live a better style for them not to become homeless again, yet also to have someone to watch over them. That’s the benefit for the city to decrease the number of homeless and prevent them from staying on the street. Also, I would like for you to provide punishment in the shelter for these people that are messing around.
Sincerely,
Mayy Abdelrahim
- https://www.the74million.org/in-an-era-when-hurricanes-and-wildfires-are-common-homelessness-is-an-ongoing-disaster-for-students-across-the-us/
- https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/basic-facts-about-homelessness-new-york-city/
- https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-be-homeless-in-new-york-city-no-shelters-photos-2017-9#moustafas-lot-was-also-locked-up-and-so-i-called-him-to-say-i-was-outside-22
- https://www.usich.gov/homelessness-statistics/ny/
- https://www.bowery.org/homelessness/
- https://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/todays-read-city-officials-urge-mayor-to-increase-housing-for-homeless/
