While working with YCS as a Public Health Peer Leader and as a member of Santa Clara County’s Tobacco Use and Prevention Education Council, I have been doing a lot of research a lot on substance abuse and tying it closely to homelessness, a big problem we face in the Bay Area. The two issues are very closely related and by helping one, the other will benefit also. For both organizations, I am focusing my service projects closely around these topics and want to share what I have learned in the process.
Around 150 million people in the world are homeless and 1.8 billion (22% of the globe) lack adequate housing. The biggest factor that plays a role in this in America is drug abuse. Without receiving proper help, many people facing homelessness can turn to drug abuse and the same way around. Without proper housing, those dealing with drug abuse struggle to receive proper treatment and combat this problem.
There is no easy cure for either but by helping out in little ways, it can make a big impact. One way to get involved is by volunteering at shelters near you, giving people battling with these issues something to eat and a place to stay. Things like this can help those in need in many different ways and hopefully by campaigning for this problem, we can get one step closer to fixing it.
-Iverson
Links:
Equity Over Equality: A Public Health Blog 
Leave a comment