Opportunity, Values, and a Tangible Reality
This spring, I had the opportunity be an intern with the Greenville Homeless Alliance. I was drawn to their organization because of my passion to advocate for better physical and mental health for individuals and communities. Seeing how the Greenville Homeless Alliance is committed to advocacy, collaboration, and education to create change is why I invested my time with the organization. I have truly enjoyed learning from the Greenville Homeless Alliance as a whole and from the backbone staff.
Two key issues opened my eyes over the past few months. The first was the extra challenges youth experiencing homelessness face. The second was the need for a Greenville Homeless Alliance wallet size information card for any resident to utilize to help connect individuals experiencing homelessness to the resources in Greenville County.
The challenges youth experiencing homelessness face came to my attention during the stakeholder meeting in early February. Youth have a smaller response system and fewer resources than their adult counterparts. I learned that youth homelessness is an age range of 17 to 24 years old and that this is one of the fastest growing populations of people experiencing homelessness. The meeting emphasized that increased collaboration amongst federal, state, and local partners is required to enhance the response of the community to this issue. This collaboration can create equitable care for youth experiencing homelessness.
The second key issue was the need for creating a single source of information in a wallet sized card for individuals experiencing homelessness to know what resources are available. The Greenville Homeless Alliance Collaborate Working Group identified this priority. From my own personal experience talking with individuals, many are unaware of the resources available or are burnt out from getting turned away based on qualifications that are often dictated by an organization’s funding. Through this project I had the opportunity to be part of the solution. This project aims to increase collaboration between agencies, identify the needs of frontline service organizations and increase access of resources for all residents in Greenville County. I learned that this type of work can shift the power dynamics (in the form of knowledge of resources) to a larger group, individuals experiencing homelessness, frontline service providers, and individuals like you and me who want to know how to truly help people we meet.
The Collaborate Working Group is mapping resources for different groups experiencing homelessness (singles, couples, families, and youth) to simplify the process. One of the keys to accomplishing community change is through empowering all residents of Greenville County with the knowledge and resources to enjoy the best physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. I have been truly blessed by these learning opportunities and getting to work with many wonderful individuals, organizations, and non-profits in the Greenville area.
As a 2022 graduate of Bob Jones University with a Bachelor of Science in Public and Global Health, I am incredibly grateful for this experience. I have become more engaged in the community and have learned about resources available for people experiencing homelessness. I recently started a job with New Horizon Family Health Services as an Outreach Specialist. I am passionate about ensuring everyone I meet is valued and receives access to equitable care. I am thankful for how being a part of the Greenville Homeless Alliance gave me the opportunity to see these values being carried out as a tangible reality.
Sarah Ritter
Greenville Homeless Alliance
Spring 2022 Intern