Open Your Eyes
May 30th 2008 02:31
By April Simpson.
Poverty. When you hear this word, one image springs to mind. No, I’m not speaking of starving, naked children in Africa; in fact I am speaking about something closer to home. It’s scary to think that poverty is a critical issue people in our own community are facing. Homelessness is occurring in our own backyards and we continue to turn a blind eye.
Warrnambool is not as innocent as it seems on the surface. We are so proud of our home town, host of the May Racing Carnival, the Southern Right Whales, Cheese World and AFL player Jonathan Brown. But behind the happy, smiling faces and colourful displays, lies a darker and more sinister truth
According to the 2001 Census Data on Homelessness, of all homeless people recorded on Census night, 35% of homeless people lived in regional Victoria. As stated by Brophy Family and Youth Services director Francis Broekman, Warrnambool’s rate of Homelessness was well above the state average, at 48 per 10,000.
48 homeless in amongst 10,000 civilians may not sound like a lot, but that is 48 innocent people forced to live on the streets. Forced to starve and go without food for days on end. The homeless are forced to beg for money, as their grimy appearances prevent them from obtaining a decent paying occupation. All suffer needlessly.
Our Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has said that our charities, welfare and community groups will play a critical role in ensuring that whenever you find yourself down and out, help will be at hand. And yet, Brophy has had to turn around more than 50% of the 340 young people who have come to them looking for shelter during the last year, due to lack of funding and the South-west’s crippling housing shortage. Is this really how Rudd plans to help out society and those in need?
Workers in the sector are a highly qualified and skilled bunch - most hold university degrees in social work, law or psychology. However, this doesn't mean that they are paid a decent wage. According to the Australian Services Union, on average they take home less than $700 a week - that's less than what garbage collectors receive each week.
How can we possibly tackle the homelessness crisis if the very people that are paid to lend a helping hand are facing a financial crisis of their own due to low pay? Less and less people are willing to help troubled youth, and will continue to do so with daily expenses rising. At this rate, our futile efforts in helping people off the streets is going to remain unfruitful as ever.
Western Regional Alcohol and Drug Center believes that substance abuse is a huge contributor to homelessness, often ending with a criminal conviction. This makes it almost impossible to get a respectable job, which leaves you broke and struggling in society, completing the vicious cycle.
Members of the general public and our city councilors continue to do nothing and ignore our relentless homeless problem. But overlooking this won’t make it disappear. Dispossessed teens aren’t just going to resolve all issues with their parents and move back home. The unemployed aren’t miraculously going to obtain jobs and find accommodation. The world doesn’t work that way. It’s cruel and unforgiving and we need to do something about this before it slips out of our grasps and we lose all our power to fight it.
Poverty. When you hear this word, one image springs to mind. No, I’m not speaking of starving, naked children in Africa; in fact I am speaking about something closer to home. It’s scary to think that poverty is a critical issue people in our own community are facing. Homelessness is occurring in our own backyards and we continue to turn a blind eye.
Warrnambool is not as innocent as it seems on the surface. We are so proud of our home town, host of the May Racing Carnival, the Southern Right Whales, Cheese World and AFL player Jonathan Brown. But behind the happy, smiling faces and colourful displays, lies a darker and more sinister truth
According to the 2001 Census Data on Homelessness, of all homeless people recorded on Census night, 35% of homeless people lived in regional Victoria. As stated by Brophy Family and Youth Services director Francis Broekman, Warrnambool’s rate of Homelessness was well above the state average, at 48 per 10,000.
48 homeless in amongst 10,000 civilians may not sound like a lot, but that is 48 innocent people forced to live on the streets. Forced to starve and go without food for days on end. The homeless are forced to beg for money, as their grimy appearances prevent them from obtaining a decent paying occupation. All suffer needlessly.
Our Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has said that our charities, welfare and community groups will play a critical role in ensuring that whenever you find yourself down and out, help will be at hand. And yet, Brophy has had to turn around more than 50% of the 340 young people who have come to them looking for shelter during the last year, due to lack of funding and the South-west’s crippling housing shortage. Is this really how Rudd plans to help out society and those in need?
Workers in the sector are a highly qualified and skilled bunch - most hold university degrees in social work, law or psychology. However, this doesn't mean that they are paid a decent wage. According to the Australian Services Union, on average they take home less than $700 a week - that's less than what garbage collectors receive each week.
How can we possibly tackle the homelessness crisis if the very people that are paid to lend a helping hand are facing a financial crisis of their own due to low pay? Less and less people are willing to help troubled youth, and will continue to do so with daily expenses rising. At this rate, our futile efforts in helping people off the streets is going to remain unfruitful as ever.
Western Regional Alcohol and Drug Center believes that substance abuse is a huge contributor to homelessness, often ending with a criminal conviction. This makes it almost impossible to get a respectable job, which leaves you broke and struggling in society, completing the vicious cycle.
Members of the general public and our city councilors continue to do nothing and ignore our relentless homeless problem. But overlooking this won’t make it disappear. Dispossessed teens aren’t just going to resolve all issues with their parents and move back home. The unemployed aren’t miraculously going to obtain jobs and find accommodation. The world doesn’t work that way. It’s cruel and unforgiving and we need to do something about this before it slips out of our grasps and we lose all our power to fight it.
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