On Thursday, December 1, students traveled to Lakeview to undertake an urban immersion exercise, centered on Clark & Belmont. This activity is inspired by The Night Ministry, who have found that homeless teens use this neighborhood and intersection as a frequent meeting point and try to fend for themselves from there.Students had the following information:
Your group will imagine that you together are one homeless teenager – you are roving around Lakeview by yourself, with only the clothes on your bag and $5 in your pocket (without knowing where your next money is coming from). Keep in mind that homeless people often have worn-out clothes, hygiene challenges, and dilemmas over breaking vs. following the laws.
Starting from this meeting point (Clark & Belmont), your group will explore an area of Lakeview (your adult will follow behind you and let you know if you need to turn around). You have 45 minutes to answer the following questions that face homeless teens every day:
- Where/what am I going to eat?
- Where am I going to go to the bathroom?
- Where/how am I going to warm up?
- Where/how am I going to sleep?
- Also, as you explore Lakeview, look around and take in the neighborhood: why do you think it is an attractive environment for homeless teenagers?
Emily DeMuth
On December 1st, 2016, my classmates and I went on a trip to Lakeview. This is a place where homeless teens come and meet up. While I was on this trip, I had to think about where these teens slept, used the bathroom, and ate. We split up into groups to find these different places that would help.
In my group we went to three different places. The area that we were in didn’t have many stores or facilities, but there were lots of houses. The first place that we found was one of the public libraries in the area. Here, I was able to talk to a librarian about how this place helped homeless teens. I was told that the teens that came here could have access to the drinking fountain, the bathroom, and the computers. The second place we stopped by was a learning center of a community college. Here, our group learned that anyone who came here had access to bathrooms and, if they wished, could sign up for tutoring. The education they provided there was free. The last place our group went to was the 44th Ward office. The people there said they would not let homeless teens use the bathroom, but they said that they would help send them to a shelter in the area. While I was there, I didn’t see too many homeless people at that time, and I couldn't see any obvious reason that this was happening.
From an economic point of view, I could see that larger companies had more to provide or give because of their standards. I know that from a social point of view, that the homeless are mostly ignored and are brushed aside because of the state they’re in. I think that teens that are homeless are mostly LGBTQ+ because they are either kicked out of their house or scared to return home. Lastly, from a cultural point of view, I think that the way the public or our society acts towards the homeless only makes it worse, because we are not acknowledging them enough.
I want to connect this journey with a story when the people told Jesus not to associate with sinners but he did so anyway. I think this relates to the trip because here, the people that we talked to wanted to help the homeless even when others did not want to. This could inspire others to do as he did and acknowledge the homeless more even if it is something small like a simple hello.
With what I saw and learned, I want to be honest. I feel very sad about how we are treating the homeless and I want to change that. For some reason, I feel like it’s hard to change that. Seeing someone in a state like that makes me feel unsafe for one reason or another that I don't know, and I feel awful. I don’t want to feel that. I don’t directly relate to the homeless in the fact that I’ve been without necessities, but understand what it’s like to be overlooked or ignored.
I think that we can change this by finding places that people can help in the closest way they can. If we could find shelters or organizations that people could easily provide for, we could close the gap. We could also ask how they homeless are doing. It could help make things more positive and set a good example for others.
On December 1st, 2016, my classmates and I went on a trip to Lakeview. This is a place where homeless teens come and meet up. While I was on this trip, I had to think about where these teens slept, used the bathroom, and ate. We split up into groups to find these different places that would help.
In my group we went to three different places. The area that we were in didn’t have many stores or facilities, but there were lots of houses. The first place that we found was one of the public libraries in the area. Here, I was able to talk to a librarian about how this place helped homeless teens. I was told that the teens that came here could have access to the drinking fountain, the bathroom, and the computers. The second place we stopped by was a learning center of a community college. Here, our group learned that anyone who came here had access to bathrooms and, if they wished, could sign up for tutoring. The education they provided there was free. The last place our group went to was the 44th Ward office. The people there said they would not let homeless teens use the bathroom, but they said that they would help send them to a shelter in the area. While I was there, I didn’t see too many homeless people at that time, and I couldn't see any obvious reason that this was happening.
From an economic point of view, I could see that larger companies had more to provide or give because of their standards. I know that from a social point of view, that the homeless are mostly ignored and are brushed aside because of the state they’re in. I think that teens that are homeless are mostly LGBTQ+ because they are either kicked out of their house or scared to return home. Lastly, from a cultural point of view, I think that the way the public or our society acts towards the homeless only makes it worse, because we are not acknowledging them enough.
I want to connect this journey with a story when the people told Jesus not to associate with sinners but he did so anyway. I think this relates to the trip because here, the people that we talked to wanted to help the homeless even when others did not want to. This could inspire others to do as he did and acknowledge the homeless more even if it is something small like a simple hello.
With what I saw and learned, I want to be honest. I feel very sad about how we are treating the homeless and I want to change that. For some reason, I feel like it’s hard to change that. Seeing someone in a state like that makes me feel unsafe for one reason or another that I don't know, and I feel awful. I don’t want to feel that. I don’t directly relate to the homeless in the fact that I’ve been without necessities, but understand what it’s like to be overlooked or ignored.
I think that we can change this by finding places that people can help in the closest way they can. If we could find shelters or organizations that people could easily provide for, we could close the gap. We could also ask how they homeless are doing. It could help make things more positive and set a good example for others.
Maisha Kasole
In addition to sexual discrimination, teenage homelessness is also caused by economic reasons. Whether it’s because their families refuse or are unable to support them, most homeless teenagers have no way to provide for themselves. The social stigma against the homeless makes it even harder for them to find a job and lawfully earn money. When they turn to stealing in order to survive, society punishes them through incarcerations, lead by a misguided thirst for justice, instead of trying to rehabilitate them to society. Historically speaking, our judicial system has always discriminated against the poor and vulnerable, because they couldn’t afford good lawyers to argue their innocence or a fair sentence. Homeless teenagers are thrown by our judicial system in-and-out of juvie, which just adds to the common perception that they are untrustworthy. Indeed, many of the small business owners in Boystown said that while they wished to help homeless teenagers and did so through charities, because they wanted to be sure their money went to a good cause. The cycle of distrust between those small business owners and homeless teenagers is just a symptom of the larger problem in our society, when it comes to social stigma against the poor.
As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors like ourselves, and we are expected to understand that the homeless teenager begging on the street is also our neighbor. The Parable of the Good Samaritan does a great job at illustrating how we should treat the homeless. Christ calls us to show mercy to the destitute, especially the vulnerable homeless teenager. We must act as good samaritans and honor them, perhaps not by pouring oil and wine on them, but by acknowledging them as human beings and lending them a hand. From this directive, two themes of Catholic Social Teaching come to mind: Solidarity and Preferential Option for the Marginalized and the Poor. Through these two themes, we are called to respond with love and mindfulness towards all people as our brothers and sisters, as well as to consider the poor in all the decisions we make as individuals, as a community, and as a society.
Personally, I believe that nobody should have to live on the street, if they don’t wish to. A lot of homeless teenagers are not given the choice. For my entire life, I have been granted the safety of a home. It’s my duty to not just help them, but realize that the only difference between us is that I was lucky enough to still have a home. I believe Christ calls me to respond with gratitude towards my family and love towards those who aren’t as lucky as I am. In the United States, there are 1.6 million homeless teenagers for a variety of reasons. According to the National Network for Youth, family disfunction, sexual abuse, aging out of foster care, juvenile justice system involvement, and economic hardship are the main causes of teenage homelessness. I believe that the best way to bridge the gap between social reality and what he hope for is to elect officials who actually care about the homeless. We need to create more laws in order to protect them instead of laws to ostracize them.
Stefani Tabar
Lakeview is a very popular area due to the LGBTQ community that has a very strong presence in this neighborhood and is still growing. In this area, there are many stores that are common to us like Walgreens, Starbucks, Marshalls, etc. When we did the activity, the area was under a lot of construction, and new buildings are going up that are going to house more common stores. This part of the city is open to anyone no matter what race, sexuality, or gender you are because of the LGBTQ community, but it is still difficult to live as a homeless teenager in this area. Even though there are shelters in place, teenagers most likely would not want to go and stay at a shelter. If they are in a popular neighborhood where they can try to survive, they will, yet it is a challenge. They might feel left out because they might feel different from the others since some teens could be gay, lesbian, or transgender and have no one to relate with. This could be one of the reasons why they would want to stay on the streets rather than being in the shelter.
In Matthew 25:35 it states, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” I believe this passage can relate to this situation because we see homeless people everyday and they go unnoticed. It is our duty as Catholics or believers in the faith, to help one another no matter who it may be. I believe if someone were to be walking through the Lakeview area and saw a homeless teen, they wouldn’t do anything about it. It’s times like those where someone can stand up and be a voice to all and to show everyone that it is okay to help someone who needs help. Like in the scripture passage, they were a stranger and they were welcomed; if one person were to help one teen who was struggling, that would help greatly. You don’t need to be part of a faith to help anyone who is homeless or marginalized because it should be a natural instinct as humans to help one another. It is greatly emphasized on Catholics because we are called to be good people and the littlest amount of help can go a long way.
In some research I have done, I found that 15,000 teens are homeless in Chicago and 3,000 of those are part of the LGBTQ community. One of the most difficult things to hear is that someone who is transgender is not allowed to use a restroom because of their situation. It bothers me even more to think that many of those people are homeless and aren't treated fairly. Knowing that there are that many teenagers in this city who are struggling makes me take a step back from my life and not take anything for granted. The activity really opened my eyes and now that I am aware of the situation, I can do whatever I need to do to help. I wish to sometime in the future to help those teenagers who are struggling to find a place to reside or to call home because everyone deserves a place where they feel comfortable and can be themselves no matter who they are.
One thing I think we should do as humans if we come across this is to give them guidance. Since the issue we are dealing with is directed more towards teenagers, they need nothing more than guidance. This can be by talking to them and getting to know them or helping them get back on their feet. I think a great thing for those who are in this position is to get active in a church since most churches have food pantries or give out lunches during the day or dinner at night. I also think another way to help this problem is to build a shelter exclusively for teenagers around 13 to 18 years of age. This will help because depending on your sexual orientation or what you identify as, it will eliminate the judgement that some will receive from adults in a regular shelter. They will have a judgement-free environment where everyone is accepted for who they are.
Note: Minor grammar/style edits have been made to each post not affecting the content or perspective of these students.
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