About this site
Hi! Welcome, and thanks for visiting our website. We are two 8th grade students from Hillcrest Elementary in Oakland California. Our names are Fiona Corbett and Mia Palmore. Living in Oakland, we've grown anything but ignorant when it comes to the homeless community. Throughout the streets of the Bay Area, homeless citizens roam, and unfortunately, it's not easy. Many go through more than our minds can imagine. We've also noticed the amount of litter and unfit living conditions they have to subside to. Unfit living conditions cause an increased risk of air or food born illnesses. A lack of health care and safe and clean food adds to the risk of health issues. Our website informs the public with an elaboration on these subjects. If you want to help with this issue, scroll down to the bottom to donate to or volunteer at a bay area homeless shelter.
Homeless Awareness
Mia Palmore and Fiona Corbett
Asthma rates in homeless people
"Children who experience homelessness have elevated rates of asthma, a risk factor for other problems. Asthma rates are particularly high among children and youth staying in American emergency homeless shelters."
"The researchers propose that what sets these children apart may be stress. They cite research showing that factors like having a mother who is hospitalized or who suffers from depression is related to asthma in their children."
"Furthermore, low-income, racial minority children are more likely to be diagnosed with asthma, more likely to be diagnosed with more severe and persistent forms of asthma, less likely to have their asthma well controlled through medication use, more likely to seek emergency room (ER) treatment for asthma, have higher overnight hospitalization rates, and have higher asthma-related mortality ."
"The homeless are amongst the most vulnerable groups in developed regions, suffering from high rates of poorly controlled chronic disease, smoking, respiratory conditions, and mental illness, all of which render them vulnerable to new and resurgent disease processes."
"Asthma is on the rise nationally, and experts have long known that children in poor, urban areas are most likely to suffer from it, largely because of lung irritants like cockroach feces, secondhand smoke, diesel soot, mold and dust. Researchers have found that as many as 25 percent of children living in some of New York's poorest neighborhoods have asthma."
Illnesses threatening the homeless
West Nile Virus
West Nile Virus is an infection carried by mosquitoes that can be transferred to a person if they are bitten. Since mosquitoes travel at night, those who sleep outside are more likely to get bitten. Also, the homeless tend to have weaker immune systems becuse of their living condition and are more likely to get more seriously affected if bitten by a contaminated mosquito. They are also less likely to rescieve proper healthcare.
Diabetes
The main cause of type 2 diabetes is consuming to much sugar or unhealthy/processed foods. Since the homeless usually don't have access to healthy food, they usually have to eat cheap fast food. Because of this, the homeless population is a little less the twice as likely to get diabetes.
Heart disease
Heart disease has become the leading cause of death in homeless people because of unhealthy food stress, and a number of other things.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure can be caused by too much sodium or obesity, which is more common in the homeless because of the lack of healthy food options. It can also be caused by too much alcohol or stress, which is more common in homeless people. Overall, the homeless are 1.25 times more likely to get high blood pressure.
Heat stroke
The homeless are espessially vulnerable to heat strokes because they usually can't access air conditioned spaces during heat waves. Additionally, 91% of the homeless population lives in urban areas or big cities were there is asphalt, metal, and other materials that conduct heat, meaning cities are 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer during heat waves.
Hypothermia
Since the homeless must sleep outside at all times, they are susceptible to hypothermia during the winter. efforts to get the homeless of the street during cold times has improved but, hypothermia is still a problem. During the winter last year, 13 homeless died in New York City.
Sources
mayoclinic.org
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Food poisoning
Interview with Alemeda Food Bank Employee
Donations and Volunteering
St. Mary's Center
St. Mary's is a non-profit organization in Oakland California that serves seniors and kids in poverty. Every year, the center helps over 1,300 seniors struggling with poverty, addiction, and mental health issues. St. Mary's also provides a preschool to 48 kids every year in low-income families. Since St. Mary's center is a non-profit organization, they rely on donations to continue serving those in need. Voluteers are also needed to support this center. To donate or volunteer, refer to the links below
Contact Info:
Phone
510-923-9600
To go to the St. Mary's website, click here
Address
925 Brockhurst St Oakland, CA 94608
To donate to St. Mary's center, click here
St. Anthony's Foundation
St. Anthony's is a non-profit organization in San Francisco, California. They provide food, clothes, shelter, healthcare, and addiction recovery to homeless people in the area. 2,400 hot meals are served every day, 150 people receive clothes every day and 70 people are able to receive addiction recovery sources. They run exclusively on private donations and rely on clothing donations to run their services. To volunteer in the dining room or kitchen or to donate, refer to the below links.
Phone
415-241-2600
To go to the St. Anthony's website, click here
150 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102