HOMELESSNESS IN KENTUCKY

By: Jacob Howard, Trey Kinison, Autumn Coomes, Wade Hall

PROJECT SUMMARY

We would like to make a “Shanty Town” in a local park and spend the night in boxes

Goal: to raise awareness for the homeless community of Owensboro and take up donations/money for the Daniel Pitino Shelter

Funding requested: $495.77

WHAT IS A SHANTY TOWN?

An actual Shanty Town is a community of very poor people living in crudely built houses.

We want to replicate this community to provide a visual along with our message.

OBJECTIVE 1: HAVE THE SHANTYTOWN We will involve local citizens in our

Shantytown A suggested donation of $15 per person to

participate in the Shantytown- BOYB(Bring your own Box)

The night of the Shantytown, information will be displayed around the park to inform the public

Breakfast will be served the next morning (McDonald’s)

Target audience: All people of Owensboro

OBJECTIVE 2: DONATE SUPPLIES

All money and donations received from the public will be donated to the Daniel Pitino Shelter. Daniel Pitino Shelter- homeless shelter in Owensboro

Supplies wanted:• canned goods • diapers (all sizes) • towels and washcloths • blankets • pillows and pillowcases • sheets (twin and full) • soap • shampoo • deodorant • feminine hygiene products • laundry detergent

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORM CITIZENS

Informational Goals: Inform 100 people in Owensboro about the

homeless population Have 50 people participate in our

Shantytown We will determine how many people were informed by passing out questionnaires to people before and after attending the event

HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA

One in seven people in the United States live below the poverty line, which is $22,113 per year for a family of four (Bread of the World, 2013).

One in five children in the United States lives below the poverty line (Bread of the World, 2013).

Many of these people cannot afford housing and are forced to live out on the streets.

CHILD HOMELESSNESS IN KENTUCKY

Kentucky had the 4th largest percentage of homeless kids in America in 2007 (Examiner, 2007).

Nearly 30,000 minors are without permanent housing in Kentucky (Examiner, 2007).

HOMELESSNESS CONNECTION TO HEALTH

Homeless people are three to six times more likely to become ill than housed people. (National Health Care for the Homeless Council, 2008)

People who live on the streets or spend most of their time outside are at high risk for frostbite, immersion foot, and hypothermia, especially during the winter or rainy periods. (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2012)

As a result of these factors, homeless people are three to four times more likely to die than the general population (O’Connell, 2005). 

HOW WILL THIS HELP?

“One Night Without a Home”- nationwide program where other students and citizens raise awareness for the homeless

An example of an event similar to our Shanty Town that has proven successful in the past.

TIMELINE

March- Project approval by experts and city park, and funders

April- Advertise, start registration for Shantytown, and begin collaboration with Pitino shelter

May- Advertise, finish registration, make final adjustments, and gather supplies

POTENTIAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Daniel Pitino Shelter- they may assist by sending a representative to talk at Shantytown

Owensboro City Police- policemen may need to be present that night to keep all participants from harm

Owensboro Parks and Recreation- we must receive permission to hold event at a public park

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

We will have a group design the advertisement parts.

We will have students be in charge of registrations and all of the money.

Another group will gather all of the supplies for the project…collection tins for donations, duct tape, microphone for speakers, etc.

FUNDING Potential Funders: OMHS, Unitarian

Universalist Congregation of Owensboro, and The Kentucky Department for Public Health

The money we receive from a grant will go towards two things: advertising and breakfast

*The newspaper ad will run for 10 days

Shantytown FundingItem Cost # Source TotalBreakfast(Sausage Biscuit) $1.06 100 McDonald's $106Advertising(Newspaper Ad) $34.47 10 Messenger-Inquirer $344.70

Sub-total $450.7010% Contingency $45.07TOTAL $495.77

CONCLUSION

Our project is a Shantytown, in which we will spend the night in boxes to demonstrate the daily lives of the homeless.

The goal is to spread awareness of homelessness and assist the homeless in our community through the Daniel Pitino Shelter.

Money required: $495.77

SOURCES

National Institute on Drug Abuse. (January, 2013). Overdose Deaths Among Homeless Persons. [Accessed 1/3/2014]. Retrieved from: http://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/directors-page/messages-director/2013/01/overdose-deaths-among-homeless-persons

The Daniel Pitino Shelter. (2008- 2013). Our Current Needs. [Accessed 1/3/2014]. Retrieved from: http://www.pitinoshelter.org/current.htm

Examiner. (March 13, 2009). Kentucky’s 29,410 Homeless Kids. [Accessed 1/3/2014]. Retrieved from: http://www.examiner.com/article/kentucky-s-29-410-homeless-kids

Bread for the World. (2013). Hunger and Poverty Facts. [Accessed 1/3/2014]. Retrieved from: http://www.bread.org/hunger/us/facts.html

National Coalition for the Homeless. (February 21, 2012). Health Care and Homelessness. [Accessed 3/4/2014] Retrieved from: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/health.html

ANY QUESTIONS?