Angello Nava
November 4,2019
Miracle Careers
For many years now the homeless population has been criminalized and partially attacked by the Los Angeles police force simply because they have nowhere to live. From throwing away their belongings to literally loading vans with homeless individuals and taking them and leaving them in different shelters or cities, the criminalization of the homeless population has made their already difficult lives that much harder (Culhane, Dennis P. “Tackling Homelessness in Los Angeles’ Skid Row.” Criminology & Public Policy 9.4 (2010): 851–857. Web.). The form in which the homeless population has been removed forcibly from their encampment areas is terrible, and the fact that the reason they are being removed because they have nowhere else to go is even more tragic. Because of these removal methods, many homeless individuals feel like they are not part of society.
When the students of WRIT 150 had the opportunity to choose a community partner I immediately chose Miracle Messages as my first choice since I truly believe in the work they were doing. The issue of homeless and the work Miracle Messages does resonated with me because of my previous experience with homeless individuals in San Diego. All my life my father has made homeless people be seen as people you should be scared, or you should hate. But going to school in Downtown San Diego I always encountered homeless individuals, but they weren’t the “scary people” my dad had mentioned. They were nice and very talkative, much like any other person I met. So the day I found out that my community partner would be Miracle Messages I was so excited and couldn’t wait to begin my service work. Seeing all those people and how they lived and how they interact with one another made me realize that they were not any different from anyone at USC. They had simply been in a difficult situation in their life and were now struggling to get back to something of a “normal life”.
My first event that I attended was pretty late into the semester and I took full advantage of the day and attended both events: the Cardinal Manning Center and the Source. At the Cardinal Manning Center we pass out food and drinks and have a chance to interact with people and see if they are interested in reconnecting with any of their loved ones. It’s a great chance to learn about different people’s stories and see what their life is like. At the Source event we saw many people, both homeless and housed, looking for services from legal support to health insurance to Miracle Messages. We sat for a few hours and helped people find their loved ones.
After having many conversations that morning at the Cardinal Manning Center I realized that quite a few of them did have a job, however, they didn’t have a place to stay. So that got me thinking why are their jobs not getting them enough money to get their lives back on track? This question was quickly answered by one of the individuals I met that morning. He said that many of them worked at places where, through their labor, they would be allowed to stay and live at the church or certain centers. But to me that does not make sense — to be working for so long and not be able to have enough money for basic necessities like food or to even be able to go back to a place where you can be alone and have all the privacy you want. Following into the Source event I met several people who had once been very qualified members of society working at places like a law firm. People who were just like us, filled with laughter and joy but sometimes they needed a little help. For example, a woman who was absolutely amazed at the work we were doing and a man who was joking and hoping we could give him that help he needed. But now, because of their situations (unemployment, homelessness, familial disagreements), they were not able to get a job that could lead them to a stable lifestyle.
It was not until I saw the true power of Miracle Messages that I had an idea. At the Source event I witnessed a man be reconnected with his son in about 15 minutes and he was so excited and went to his son’s house after getting his address and talking to him. That’s when I realized what could be done in addition to helping people reconnect with their loved ones?
Based on my experiences from that day I realized that much more could be done. Perhaps one can actually sit down and listen to what they have to say and start from there. I think one of the main problems these individuals have is obtaining a job that will supply them with what they need and help them start a life of success. But what can be done to help them in that aspect? Well, in my opinion I believe that there is a way to set up programs much like the programs that attend the Cardinal Manning Center that will help these individuals find job opportunities around them and help them with things such as interview skills that would help them move forward in a job. Given this type of help, they would be able to not only build a relationship with someone but also be given the opportunity to make their lives much easier and happier. A job would ultimately take more of these individuals off the streets and give them a chance at a better life.
