Walking down Golden Gate Avenue, I felt the cold San Francisco air hit me as I stepped into the Tenderloin for one of the first times in my life. I noticed groups of homeless people huddled in tents and sleeping bags as far as the eye could see. Up to this point, all of my preconceived notions about this area of the city seemed true, the drug paraphernalia, the homeless people, and the surplus of liquor stores. By walking into the front doors at St. Anthony’s Dining Room, I would never look at that neighborhood with the same condescending attitude. I was greeted by a longtime volunteer coordinator, Barbara. Her no-nonsense attitude was there from the beginning and she expected me to give my all to help the “guests”. By referring to the people eating as guests, we were giving them a restaurant experience. My first day started by folding napkins and utensils with long time volunteers. Learning about their stories and interactions with guests were truly inspiring. I was still uneasy and anxious as the day had not truly begun yet. For my first shift, I was in charge of pushing the cart around to pick up the finished trays of the guests. My lack of experience with the guests …show more content…
There I was shy, as it was my first day but the occasional greeting was exchanged. After I quickly ate an apple and glanced at my phone, it was time for my second shift. This time I was moving up to the big leagues, the food line. This is where thousands of trays were created one part of a meal at a time for the guests. I was in charge of placing the salad, and after the first dozen trays I was in a groove. As the hungry guests walked past they made me feel important with the occasional “God bless you” or even just a thank you. Just as the tray count hit over 3,000, it was closing time. After saying goodbye to my fellow volunteers for the day, I walked outside with the sun gleaming, with a new outlook on
Several works we have read thus far have criticized the prosperity of American suburbia. Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums, Philip Roth's Goodbye, Columbus, and an excerpt from Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem "A Coney Island of the Mind" all pass judgement on the denizens of the middle-class and the materialism in which they surround themselves. However, each work does not make the same analysis, as the stories are told from different viewpoints.
Today's world is filled with both great tragedy and abundant joy. In a densely populated metropolis like New York City, on a quick walk down a street you encounter homeless people walking among the most prosperous. Unfortunately, nine times out of ten the prosperous person will trudge straight past the one in need without a second thought. A serious problem arises when this happens continually. The problem worsens when you enter a different neighborhood and the well-to-do are far from sight. Many neighborhoods are inhabited only by the most hopeless of poverty - ridden people while others downtown or across the park do not care, or are glad to be separated from them. Such is the problem in New York City today and in Mott Haven in Jonathan Kozol's Amazing Grace. I have lived in New York City all my life and I had no idea that these problems were going on so close to home. If I live about three miles away from Mott Haven and I am not aware of the situation there, then who is?
Mark Peterson’s 1994 photograph, Image of Homelessness, compares the everyday life of the working class to the forgotten life of the lowest class in society. In the image, the viewer can see a troubled homeless man wrapped in a cocoon of standard manipulated 12in by 12in cardboard boxes and yarn. The yarn is what is keeping the man and box tied to the red bench. This bench has chipped paint and is right in front of a black fence. Underneath the bench is dirt and debris from the dead fall leaves. The center focal point is the homeless man on the bench. He is the focal point because he is the greatest outsider known to man. Behind this man is vibrant life. There is pulsating people crossing the clean street, signs of life from all the advertising on store windows, families walking and blurred cars filled with
The Torment of Saint Anthony The Torment of Saint Anthony (c. 1487-88), an oil and tempera on a panel, is believed to be the first painting by Michelangelo inspired by an engraving by Martin Schongauer (c. 1470-75) when Michelangelo was 12 or 13 years old (Vogel. 2009). The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Second It is one of the four surviving panel paintings by Michelangelo, who, according to one biographer, had spoken with disdain of oil painting in later life. It was purchased by an American art dealer at a Sotheby’s auction in July 2008 for $2MM. It was brought to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where it was cleaned of grime, overpainting and discoloration.
Camouflaged within the restless streets in New York, a homeless man stood, staring at those who passed by. His eyes were beating and weary, irises staring out in the distance. The man’s appearance was repulsing to many. After forty minutes, thousands passed the man, but not a single glance was given in his direction. To the onlookers, the homeless man had no name or value, undeserving of their attention.
...on the homeless community. I previously held preconceived notions that the homeless consisted of people who were either unable to connect and form relationships with others or didn’t desire to do so. Yet, I observed most everyone greeting one another and reminiscing with those who have been absent from the community for a while, as well as, expressing concern for those missing. I recognized that the homeless may live in a non-traditional way, but they have established their own communities and are successful in forming and maintaining cohesive relationships.
Los Angeles, California, a beautiful city known for its glamourous celebrities, lovely palm trees, huge Hollywood sign and luxury homes. California is home to millions of people and has many tourist attractions. Los Angeles is known for its scenic beaches along the Pacific Ocean, but it is not known for having poverty and homeless roaming around. The city that is home to the iconic “Hollywood” is filled with glamour; the glamourous nature of this city does very little to cover the dark side of poverty. Poverty is a great issue in California that people seem to overlook because of this it is a serious problem. Instead of fixing poverty, the Los Angeles Police Department tries to contain the homeless population to fifty blocks of poverty, a neighborhood known as Skid Row. Los Angeles, California, the place many people call home; this is the place many people live out on the streets. Poverty may be in every state, but there is no poverty like Skid Row.
With so much of the city destroyed, San Franciscans were left to deal with the social consequences. Around 200,000 people were left homeless. Many of those people were immigrants due...
This paper will discuss the many unique aspects of Oakland, California. Divided into five major parts, Oakland is a very diverse city. The five major parts include: Downtown Oakland which is located in the heart of the city, East Oakland which consists of the majority of the city, West Oakland, North Oakland, and the Oakland hills where the terrain is quite different from other parts of the city. While many may perceive the population to mainly consist of African Americans and Whites, there is a significant growing population of Latinos, and Asians. The topics covered in this paper will shed light on the city of Oakland itself, and discuss the unique city that it is. I will also give my personal experience and perception on the city, after living there for 16 years of my life.
Gilded age San Francisco stood as a beacon for travelers bound for the western coast of the United States. The most prominent city in the developing west during the latter parts of the nineteenth century and the opening of the twentieth, San Francisco encompassed a range of conflicting identities. This time period marked a transitory stage in the development of San Francisco, evolving from a booming “frontier town” to a “civilized metropolis,” the emerging San Franciscan identity retained qualities from both poles of this spectrum. Chinatown, existing as a city within the city, shared this relationship of extremes with San Francisco. To travelers visiting San Francisco, Chinatown was a necessary stop. The writings in travelogues published during this period describe Chinatown through a mix of revulsion and curiosity, its inhabitants virtuous and sub-human. In short, within the developing city of San Francisco, an expedition into Chinatown remained a visceral exploration of a foreign and exciting environment.
...e homeless was undeserving. The public also witnessed police regulation of drug use among the homeless, building stereotypical views that the homeless were criminals. Making the public weary of helping the homeless, government involvement soon became a necessary action. Programs and grants were soon implemented to assist in housing and substance abuse assistance for the homeless population. Housing was proposed to be built for the homeless population, but the projects weren’t completed. Among the government projects that included housing, there were other projects that introduced aid to the homeless, including food and water. The homeless population is seen as a major problem, but it is not without a solution. There are many plans in effect that would help stop or slow down the current homeless population, but with the general goal set, a solution can be found.
On the first evening of service, I was prepared, yet scared that I would say something wrong or the children there would not accept my ideas. When I arrived, the group was small, as promised since it was a Saturday and many of the hospital guests were out with their parents or home for a fun weekend of activities. The children and youth who were there, however, gathered 'round for some of the activities I had planned. First, I made it a point to learn everyone's name which meant that I p...
Poverty and homelessness are often, intertwined with the idea of gross mentality. illness and innate evil. In urban areas all across the United States, just like that of Seattle. in Sherman Alexie’s New Yorker piece, What You Pawn I Will Redeem, the downtrodden. are stereotyped as vicious addicts who would rob a child of its last penny if it meant a bottle of whiskey.
It is this commercial movie industry that the city leaders of San Jose seem most intent on protecting. Our city has experienced profound growing pains as we've made the transition from agricultural area, to bedroom community and finally to the bustling metropolis known as Silicon Valley. How cherry orchards birthed Pentium chips is a story for another day . . . but in the process they have brought disparate social classes together in a way that leaves everyone struggling for some sort of cultural base. In the 90's we've seen downtown San Jose develop into a thriving urban area. But in the twenty years of redevelopment San Jose has been forced to deal with urban decay that has jeopardized the city and many of its core institutions. Urban anthropologist, Bob Beauregard, paints a bleak picture of the American city in his book, Voices of Decline, saying America's cities, large and small, are sta...
The Hosea House provides food for people who have fallen on hard times. Many cannot afford to buy food, so they come to the Hosea House where we helped serve food to them. The meal was spaghetti and meatballs. Just by looking at the faces of the people, I could tell that they were extremely thankful. I don’t know if I have ever felt so good as when I was one of the people responsible for helping put a smile on their faces. My entire family and I did this together, and I was a great experience. I got to see what it was like to be homeless, or starving, or just really poor. Honestly, I was a bit life changing. I almost wanted to cry because I felt pity for these people and also seeing how happy the were despite their current condition. Sadly, I have only been able to serve at the Hosea House once. I want to do it