Since formation of project 325 in 320 in 2014, collaboration between social work students of St. Cloud State and the United Way, the homeless people have been enjoying secure food, housing and other basic needs. Professor Sheila Moriarty has asserted that homelessness existed in this community and as a result, students have been contributing a lot of their time, energy and resources to help the needy people. With every story that the homeless people have been telling, there have been several growing problems and needs which have been identified Kurth, A. (2015). As such, there has been the need for the social worker students to come up with proactive measures for dealing with the emerging challenges in provision social amenities for the homeless people.

For this project to be successful, we cannot discredit the fact that progressive financial support should be the centerpiece of its operational objectives. Besides the public awareness campaign that opened an opportunity for collecting donations, students can also open other entries through which well wishers can make their contributions. For example, the organization can open an online donation or funding website whereby people can donate for the homeless people who do not have a job, a bed or even a shelter (Ryan & Kelley, 2012).

There has also been a challenge to convince some homeless persons to leave the streets and accept transitional housing or emergency shelters. As a result, there has been the need to make them develop trust with the center staffs. Our organization can build drop-in centers where adults and homeless youths can leave the streets and live in a temporary safe haven as the organization looks for permanent housing for them (Ryan & Kelley, 2012).

Most importantly, how the social workers interact with the homeless people influences their attitudes against going back to the street life. Every situation that led to them becoming homeless is unique and requires special attention. As a result, the United Way members and student workers should show high level of kindness such as volunteering their hobbies. Each one of us has useful skills and opportunities that they can give to the homeless persons such as arranging avocations. Avocations can help the homeless people by perhaps, pointing them to new directions and perspectives about life. For those of us who are good in tutoring children, they can spur them to do their best by starting tutor volunteer corps at the local shelters (Ryan & Kelley, 2012).

As mentioned above, homeless people live in the streets for different reasons. In particular, there are women who live in the streets because they have been battered by their husbands and left destitute and, in other cases, with their children. As a result, these women lack resources and are worried that their abusers will find them in the streets. Since many have no recourse other than to live in the street with their children, our organization can handle shelter hotlines. These hotlines will enable the organization to pick up children and abused women when they call. In addition, the shelter hotlines will be offering counseling to them so that they can overcome psychological problems such as stress. Notably, the only life homeless children know is the streets and other transitory housing; however, many have little exposure and often do not have fun compared to most kids. The organization can volunteer by taking the homeless children on trips such as taking them to an aquarium on a weekend (Ryan & Kelley, 2012).

Project 325 has been successful in helping the homeless persons in Central Minnesota by showing care and love to them. As part of the ongoing commitment of the organization, there is the need to identify the challenges that the homeless persons have been facing and find ways of solving them. As a result, social worker students and United Way members should continue to support the emerging needs of the homeless people, both in terms of psychological needs and social amenities.

References

Kurth, A. (2015). Students fight homelessness in Central Minnesota. St. Cloud State Today. Retrieved from: http://outlook.stcloudstate.edu/students-fight-homelessness-in-central-minnesota/

Ryan, K., & Kelley, T. (2012). Almost home: Helping kids move from homelessness to hope. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons

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