Overview
In this discussion you should respond to the following prompt:
- In your final project you are asked to prepare a proposal for a community grant to fund your community engagement idea. Prior to the submission of your proposal, a group of community leaders have provided you the opportunity to speak for 5 minutes in a town hall gathering of concerned citizens, community leaders and the political representatives in your area. In 400 words, present the community social issue, and the information you have gathered so far, so as to garner support for your program to address the issue. Be sure to use all the evidence you can to ensure you present a strong argument as to why the issue needs support in your community and why you are the one to provide it through your proposal.
Your initial post should be at least 400 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.
Guided Response: Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.
Respond to Blakes Post (minimum 100 words)
Good morning,
Today I will be conducting a public forum on the social issue of elder care, specifically services that provide food to those that do not have the physical and/or financial means to obtain it. This form will be a listening session, and an open discussion for those to help, identify, and solve this problem (Community Tool Box, 2016).
The total costs of informal care in the United States totals over 522 billion annually (Amalavoyal, 2014). A large portion of that are programs designed to provide at home care, self-care, and food programs.
The issue of elder care needs our support, as more people cannot afford to have their loved ones placed in a nursing home. This leads to a financial strain, and a strain on their personal lives. Both the caregiver, and the elderly. Providing more programs to assist, such as meals on wheels will be beneficial to all parties involved. A study overseas found that participants on the meals on wheels program found it reliable, not costly, and had the added benefit of social contact for the elderly (Papadaki, 2023).
We need to support those that supported us through our lives. Don’t forget that some grandparents had the duty of also being a parent, raising you from birth, or assisting in your upbringing. We didn’t know how to hold a spoon at one point! Please keep that in mind when you scoff at the fact that they may struggle with technology and social media. There are more important issues facing our elderly population. I aim to provide affordable and easy food delivery to those that need it. Not only will home food delivery benefit their stomachs, but they will also have the added benefit of social interaction, which is more important than ever with their limited mobility. In the future I will also be looking at adding more self-care initiatives such as access to haircutting and general interaction like watching films and playing games.
I end by reiterating my proposal. Our community needs to give back to our elderly population. I want to provide a meals-on-wheels like program that issues warm meals in addition to non-perishables. This will take the burden off of family members and caregivers and provide piece of mind to our elderly population. Thank you for your time.
Respond to Annabelle’s post (minimum 100 words)
Hello, my name is Annabelle Gonzalez. Through a local Government initiative, I have been offered the opportunity to fund a new community project and I’m here today to submit my proposal as well as welcome any feedback, questions, and dialogue regarding the matter.
We often take the most basic of needs being met for granted. For example, that of having a safe and affordable place to call home. As a fellow resident of Los Angeles County, I do not have to explain that homelessness is an ongoing issue, one which has significantly risen in recent years. It is evident simply by driving down the street, it is a very visible problem in most cities of the county. Homeless encampments, tents, shopping carts, people sleeping on park and bus benches, sidewalks, and forming communities in certain areas are very much normal to see almost everywhere you go. In 2022, over 65,000 people experienced homelessness each night.
We must acknowledge the stigma around homelessness and the common misconception that it is strictly a result of drug problems and laziness. We must think outside of these and see these people as people just like you and I who have fallen down on their luck for reasons such as the continued rise in cost of living, lack of affordable housing, medical problems and bills, unemployment and evictions, and mental health issues. We must put ourselves in their shoes.
The proposal is to build a new facility that provides temporary housing, mental health evaluations and treatment, and job training and placement. In addition, the facility will closely work with the city of Los Angeles in achieving affordable housing for residents once they’ve completed their stay. It may seem as though this is yet another one of the shelters and programs that already exist but at this facility, actively participating in the aid being provided would be a requirement for residency.
Homelessness is a social issue, public safety issue, inequality issue, economic issue, and a humanitarian issue, one which has quickly become a crisis. A crisis that seems to be insurmountable to resolve but for the sake of all citizens of this county, efforts must continue to be made to reduce homelessness and ideally one day eliminate it or close to it. Just as the issue snowballed into a crisis, it can slowly but surely be chipped away at; where there is a will there is a way. I think that we can all agree that homelessness is no way for anyone to live or rather survive. I thank you for your time.