Homeless addicts

The topic that I chose to talk about is Homeless people in Philadelphia going through addiction. I know that not everyone thinks that homeless people are a big issue in today’s society but I do think it’s a big issue. There are lots of people that need help, who do not seek the right support they need. This topic is honestly major to me because I start to get emotional whenever I see a homeless person using any substance. After all, sometimes I feel the need to help them because I can not even imagine someone I know or a family member using substances and being homeless. It is honestly hard being in their position, even though most people did not choose to be in that position, few were either born into a family that dealt with substances of generations or had a past trauma. I think this problem is important because it could help others understand that other people have different lives and that not everything is what it seems like and to not judge. A personal connection that I have with this topic is that I live nearby people who are homeless and that are dealing with addiction. My goal in learning more about this project is to have a better understanding of how and why homeless people go through that and how hard it is that way I could teach others who are ignorant or just don’t understand how important this problem is in our community. A goal I have is to talk to some different services that help homeless people that deal with addiction and give them an idea that could help prevent people from becoming homeless addicts.

*This picture shows a group of people who went out just to feed homeless addicts and help them feel loved and comfortable. That way they are able to help them get out of addiction.( this inspires me!) *

While doing some research I saw that this issue was significant because many people in Philadelphia are homeless addicts. Although addiction isn’t always the reason why you’re homeless, It could expand the problem that led you to become a homeless person and start using substances. It is important because the population of homeless addicts is growing so much that now it’s accessible for young people to find and use and basically ruin their lives and not being able to be someone important in life. Young people like myself need to listen because this is a serious problem for whoever is living in Philadelphia. A lot of people died because of substances. Homeless people die because of substance because they either do not get the right help or need to stay away from it.

A young homeless addict girl asking for help.

Something important that you should know is that half of the people that become homeless go through things like for example being pressured into doing something, and because of that, they are later on introduced to substances while living in the streets. Now that’s not always the case some are homeless because they were introduced to substance early in there lives and then because of that became homeless but what everyone should know is that not every person who is homeless are dealing with substance they are many other different reasons why they are homeless and that is a myth that needs to stop because everyone thinks the same that every homeless person is an addict. This has impacted my understanding of homeless addicts even more because I did not know that substance could be a tool to help homeless people to help forget about past experiences and or traumas. What I’m wondering now is how people do not understand that addiction isn’t always the reason why they’re homeless. I learned so far that although addiction is either part of someone being homeless most of time people become homeless for just things that the governments does which is raise the rent to an apartment that makes it hard for that person to even pay that breaks my heart because losing a home or even a job must be really difficult and I couldn’t imagine that happening to someone I know. I read this small biography about a homeless women and she talked about how she came from a family that are addicts and how she is trying to do her best in telling other people to stop trying or even try substances because once you try you become an addict and many other people like her are trying to advise young people to follow their dreams and not become a nobody because drugs could ruin the possibility of having a great future. Like why can’t they put themselves in their position? What I’m hoping to learn later throughout this project is why certain people have a stereotype mentality of how and what a person is, by the way they physically look, and also if homeless addicts feel ashamed by the way others look at them.