advocacy 3rd draft

7/21/2019 Advocacy 3rd Draft

1/14

Nguyen 1

Alex Nguyen

Ali M. Meghdadi

English 39C/ Section 33321

February 13 2!1"

# a$ #n%isible

&etter$ent is the action that one learns 'ro$ either their ex(eriences or other ex(eriences.

)sing the *no+ledge a ne+ action is i$(le$ented in a +ay that is better than (ast ex(eriences.

&etter$ent occurs throughout the +orld. ,ne exa$(le +ould be the urbani-ation o' os

Angeles +hich resulted 'ro$ the #ndustrial e%olution. 0he transition o' os Angeles 'ro$ a

(lace o' agriculture into industrial 'actories ex(anded to+ns and cities in order to acco$$odate

the in'lux o' $igrants 'ro$ rural areas. 0he (o(ulation increase led to a string o' conseuent

e%ents. Co$(etition 'or li$ited resources caused an increase in une$(loy$ent. 0he une$(loyed

'ell into (o%erty and could no longer a''ord the rising cost o' li%ing resulting in a high rate o'

ho$elessness. ith not enough (rogra$s and su((ort it is nearly i$(ossible to reco%er 'ro$

ho$elessness. A recession can and has ha((ened in os Angeles causing $any A$ericans to lose

their obs and beco$e ho$eless and 'or 'uture une$(loyed. #t is necessary that there are

(rogra$s and su((ort syste$s to 'ight against these (roble$s and $a*e li%ing situations better

'or the ho$eless. #t is di''icult to gather su((ort because o' $isconcei%ed ideas about

ho$elessness. &y i$(le$enting (rogra$s and using social $edia to increase a+areness these

$isconcei%ed ideas +ill gradually change through interaction and understanding.


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os Angeles is no+ the $ost urbani-ed city in A$erica

and has the highest une$(loy$ent rate and li%ing cost.

#t beca$e *no+n as the 4City in 5ecline6

because ob a%ailability has declined since the

199!s 7&lac*8. 0here are $any other causes

o' ho$elessness but the $aor (roble$ that

causes ho$elessness is the loss o' a ob. 4os

Angeles added a $illion residents bet+een 19! and 2!1!: ho+e%er

during that sa$e ti$e the city lost 1;"!!!

obs6 7&lac*8. 0hese (eo(le lost their obs and $ost beca$e ho$eless. 0hey stay ho$eless

because (eo(le treat the$ as in%isible and do not gi%e the$ any ti$e to hear the$ out or hel(

the$.


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succeeding ideals that (re%ent others 'ro$ understanding or tal*ing to ho$eless (eo(le.

4


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0he $oney that is being use to ail ho$eless (eo(le and e$ergency care can be use instead to

'ind housing 'or ho$eless (eo(le. 0hat is a 3.2 $illion dollar $ini$u$ o' sa%ing. My solution is

not ta*ing $oney 'ro$ the ailing o' ho$eless (eo(le. My $itigation is to (re%ent ho$eless

(eo(le 'ro$ going to ail and (re%ent ho$eless (eo(le 'ro$ relying on drugs. #' ho$eless (eo(le

are sheltered they +ould not ha%e to deal +ith the unsanitary streets and %iolence. 0hey +ould

not need the e$ergency care i' they are in sa'e houses. Many ho$eless slee( on the street in

4'ear o' being attac*ed abused and robbed6 7hat8. Many o' these ho$eless ha%e been

subected to (olice harass$ent such as being un'airly searched and arrested.

0he cold hunger 'ear and lac* o' (ersonal hygiene da$ages their $ental and (hysical

health. According to (sychiatrists 'ro$ the oyal College o' =sychiatrist 4E%erything is

connected: stress grie' e$(loy$ent and so on all a''ect (hysical and $ental illness6. Most

ho$eless do not sho+er or +ash their clothes because they do ha%e access to sho+ers or +ashing

$achines. 0his adds on to the $ental strain they ha%e. 0he idea that do-ens o' (eo(le not

sho+ering 'or days +ee*s $onths $aybe years is astonishing and unsanitary. 0hey are $ore

(rone to diseases and in'ection because o' the constant bacteria around the$. 0his is +hy the

transition 'ro$ unsanitary streets to sanitary roo$s reduces in'ections and diseases and thus

lo+ering the a$ount o' ho$eless (eo(le going to the hos(ital. 0ax $oney is no+ being used in a

di''erent chea(er and $ore e''icient $ethod. 0he extra tax $oney 'ro$ the ex(enses o' ailing

and e$ergency care 'or ho$eless can be (ut into better uses such as housing the ho$eless.

i%ing on the street in the cold +ith lac* o' nutrient and constant 'ear +ould cause a

(erson to be $entally unstable. According to Charles . Sch$idt an a+ard?+inning science

+riter +ho (ublished +or* 'or 5isco%er Maga-ine Science and Nature Medicine stated that

4en%iron$ental threats to $ental health include these traditional (ara$etersalong +ith


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(har$aceutical and illicit drugs inuries and nutritional de'icienciesbut also consist o'

(sychosocial conditions that relate to the indi%idual@s (erce(tions o' the social and (hysical

+orld6 7Sch$idt8. 0o $a*e the (roble$ $ore bearable the 'irst ste( is 'or the ho$eless and

e%eryone to interact and understand. #t is easier to hel( so$eone +hen there is an understanding

behind their reasoning. #t +ill ta*e ti$e because (eo(le do not ust tal* to one another but

through re(eating encounters one +ill e%entually tal* to the other. &y i$(le$enting co$$unity

gardens e%eryone can be a (art o' the co$$unity garden and (artici(ate. Send letters to

e%eryone in the area that a co$$unity garden is being de%elo(ed and ho+ it brings bene'its to

e%eryone.

A co$$unity garden brings a+areness to those in the co$$unity about ho$elessness by

$a*ing the$ in%ol%ed. 5an =allotta board o' the de%elo($entally disabled said that 4these

(eo(le +ant laughter and co$(assion and they +ant lo%e6 7=allotta8. ,ne +ay +e can (ro%ide

those as(ects 'or the ho$eless is by (ro%iding the$ a sense o' duty and co$(anionshi(. A

co$$unity garden is a great +ay +here e%eryone and anyone can hel( out +ithout being udged.

0he co$$unity garden brings (eo(le together regardless o' race age or social class. All +e

need is to (ro%ide seeds +hich are chea( and a''ordable and so$e tools. #t could be old tools or

the tools can be $ade. 0hese ite$s can be donated or bought through 'undraising and donations.

0he last thing the co$$unity garden needs is a land that e%eryone can use. #t could be a

bac*yard. #t could be (art o' a (ar*. As long as there are grass and soil it can be con%erted to a

garden.

A co$$unity garden is a good idea because it (ro%ides nutritious bene'its

(sychological social and beha%ioral bene'its. 0he ho$eless (eo(le can start gro+ing their o+n

'ood and (ro%ide the$sel%es as +ell as others nutritious nourish$ent. 0his sol%es the lac* o'


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nutrients 'or ho$eless (eo(le and increase the idea o'

'ruits and %egetables in a (erson@s diet.

0he sharing o' 'ood bet+een

ho$eless (eo(le and co$$unity

$e$bers +ill create a sense o' bond and

through bonding a sense o' understanding

starts to 'or$. According to co$$unity

gardeners 4Ex(osure to green s(ace reduces stress and

increases a sense o' +ellness and belonging6 in a co$$unity 7&ene'it8.

,%er ti$e a sense o' bond and

understanding +ill occur

regardless o' e''ort. 0hen ho$eless (eo(le +ill ha%e a sense o' belonging. 0his is a 'or$ o' lo%e

that can *ee( the ho$eless (eo(le 'ro$ relying on drugs and cri$es. 0he ho$eless +ill 'eel

con'ident about the$sel%es because they are doing so$ething that can hel( the$ and hel( others

at the sa$e ti$e. 0he 'eeling o' hel(ing others brings (ositi%e attitude to+ards their li'e

es(ecially +hen others are in%ol%ed. Slo+ly as $ore (eo(le get in%ol%ed the co$$unity +ill

understand that ho$eless (eo(le are ust a%erage (eo(le li*e e%eryone else.

0he co$$unity garden not only hel(s out the ho$eless but e%eryone in the co$$unity.

4Co$$unity gardening is recogni-ed by $any (olice de(art$ents as an e''ecti%e co$$unity

cri$e (re%ention strategy6 7&ene'its8. #t increases neighboring ci%ic (ride and it reduces cri$e

rates. Co$$unity garden (ro%ides o((ortunities to $eet neighbors and results in $ore (eo(le

outside. 0he $any (eo(le outside on the streets act as eyes *ee(ing the co$$unity a+are and

sa'e.

Figure 4: Having a community garden has manybenets. Easier access to fruits and vegetables, physicalactivity, volunteer, selfesteem and pride, socialinteraction, and community safety comes !ith having a


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Nguyen

0a*e one co$$unity in North =hiladel(hia that +as once 'ull o' %acant rundo+n

buildings and (lagued +ith cri$e drugs trash and derelict (eo(le as $uch as

derelict in'rastructure. A grou( o' +o$en decided to build the as =arcelas

Co$$unity arden and Gitchen. Not only did it i$(ro%e cri$e rates it caused

a ri((le e''ect and (eo(le started ta*ing care o' their o+n (ro(erties loo*ing out

'or one another and co$(letely trans'or$ed their neighborhood. 7Sarich8

#t is the little things that need to be done to initiate a bigger change. #t +as not until the

co$$unity garden +as i$(le$ented in =hiladel(hia that they started to care about ho+ their

houses 'ront yard and streets a((eared. &y changing the en%iron$ent children@s de%elo($ent

+ill be a''ected di''erently.

More s(eci'ically the children li%ing +ith (arents +ho are ho$eless are a''ected by the

(oor en%iron$ent they are in. 0hey are 4t+ice as li*ely as other children to lea%e school +ithout

any general certi'ication o' secondary education6 7=eer8. 0his is a (roble$ because education is

Figure 2: On the left is a before picture of Manton Street Park & Community Park. On the

right is the redeelopment of the park. !t is an e"ample of community engagement andopportunity to get inoled.


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Nguyen

one o' the solutions to end (o%erty. ith less (eo(le beco$ing educated they +ill not be able to

get higher +ages to $eet li%ing ex(enses resulting in $ore (eo(le under the (o%erty line and

e%entually beco$ing ho$eless. According to 0he ).S. 5e(art$ent o' Education 4the nu$ber o'

ho$eless students in the )nited States is on the rise and has been 'or decades. 0heir sur%ey

'ound that during the 2!12?2!13 school year there +ere 1.3 $illion ho$eless students in the

).S6 7=eer8. Education is +hat +e need in this constantly de%elo(ing +orld due to the constant

e%olution o' technology. Education hel(s de%elo( our reasoning and hel(s (eo(le understand

+hat is right and +rong and the conseuences that co$es 'ro$ their actions. ith *ids not being

able to 'ocus in school they are less li*ely to de%elo( the necessary s*ills to be success'ul in

their li'e. #$(ro%ing the en%iron$ent by incor(orating a co$$unity garden +ill not only a''ect

the (arent@s but also their *ids as +ell. #n an NEA (olicy brie's it states that 4(arent?'a$ily?

co$$unity (artnershi(s 'oster higher educational as(irations and $ore $oti%ated students6

7oec*el8. 0he (arent@s in%ol%e$ent in the co$$unity +ill be a (ositi%e role $odel 'or their

*ids. 0he *ids +ill be in%ol%ed in the co$$unity as +ell and learn res(onsibility and duty that

+ill e%entually lead the$ to great success.


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4Co$$unity gardening is a healthy

inex(ensi%e acti%ity 'or youth that can

bring the$ closer to nature and allo+ the$

to interact +ith each other in a socially

$eaning'ul and (hysically (roducti%e +ay6

7&ene'it8. 0his +ill (ro$ote children to s(end $ore

ti$e outside instead o' inside. #t

allo+s the$ to get (hysical exercise

and because o' the (hysical

exercises the li*eliness o' getting obesity is reduced. 0hese (ositi%e en%iron$ents that the *ids

are (artici(ating in (ro$ote a sense o' duty and res(onsibility that +ill hel( the$ beco$e

success'ul. 0heir sense o' duty +ill (ro$ote going to school and not ditching. 0heir

res(onsibility +ill (ro$ote doing ho$e+or* and learning in classroo$s. Figure 3 sho+s that

there is an increase in attendance i$(ro%e$ent in test scores and su((ort +ith the (resent o' a

gardening (rogra$. 0his +ill result in $ore *ids going through +ith their education. A

co$$unity garden +ill be the better choice than raising $ini$u$ +age in ho(es o' increasing

+ages 'or +or*ers to get out o' (o%erty.

aising the $ini$u$ +age +ill not sol%e (o%erty or hel( ho$eless. 4abor econo$ists

ha%e re(eatedly studied the e''ects o' $ini$u$ +age increases. 0hey 'ind no correlation

bet+een higher $ini$u$ +ages and lo+er (o%erty. aising the $ini$u$ +age to B9 an hour as

the =resident suggests si$(ly +ould not reduce (o%erty6 7Nielsen8. 0he increase in $ini$u$

+age $ight sound hel('ul 'or those +ho get the raise but as you $a*e $ore $oney you lose

'ederal bene'its. 0hat $eans +e lose 4'ood sta$(s housing Medicaid and the Earned #nco$e

Figure ": The graph depicts the many benets that arisesfrom #ommunity $ardens.


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0ax Credit. As +or*ers@ inco$e rise they uali'y 'or less and less aid? e''ecti%ely an additional

tax on their inco$e.6 As $ore +or*ers gain higher +ages their increase in +age co$es at the

ex(ense o' losing e$(loy$ent o((ortunities. 4A higher $ini$u$ +age +ould cause businesses

to lay o'' e%ery +or*er +ho does not add at least B9 an hour in %alue to their enter(rise.6 #t is the

young and lo+ s*illed +or*ers +ho are a''ected since they (ossess less ob uali'ication and

ex(erience. 40hose e$(loyees +ho recei%e a $ini$u$ +age increase $ay be better o'' but

those +ho lose their ob because theyHre no+ $ore ex(ensi%e to e$(loy are $ost certainly +orse

o''.6 0he result o' increasing $ini$u$ rage reduces young (eo(le@s o((ortunity to gain +or*

ex(erience that hel(s the$ de%elo( basic s*ills in order to earn higher le%els o' inco$e. 0he

higher the $ini$u$ +age the $ore uali'ication the e$(loyer +ill ex(ect. 0hat +ill (re%ent

anyone es(ecially ho$eless (eo(le getting obs because (eo(le udge o'' a((earance +ithout

understanding.

#t is easier to $a*e assu$(tions about a (erson then getting to *no+ the$. #t is i$(ortant

that +e change these (reconcei%ed notions o' ho$elessness. #n order to change the assu$(tion

$ade an increase in a+areness is necessary.


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&ibliogra(hy

IAbout School ardening.I About School ardening. N.(. n.d. eb. 2! Feb. 2!1".

Alchin inda. I)rbani-ation in A$erica.I For GidsJ Causes E''ects and &ene'its KKK. N.(. n.d.

eb. 1" >an. 2!1".

&lac* abriel. Iorld Socialist eb Site.I os Angeles a City o' =o%erty and )ne$(loy$ent

?. N.(. n.d. eb. 1 >an. 2!1".


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I&ene'its o' Co$$unity ardening.I &ene'its o' Co$$unity ardening. N.(. n.d. eb. 1

Feb. 2!1".

ICo$$unity ardens.I Centers 'or 5isease Control and =re%ention. Centers 'or 5isease Control

and =re%ention !3 >une 2!1!. eb. 1 Feb. 2!1".

Co%ert &ryce. I0he o%ern$ent #s =ro%ing 0hat aslo+ yan. ICo$$unity ardening Could Carry


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os Angeles. N.(.J )ni%ersity o' Southern Cali'ornia n.d. =5F.

IMental


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Sch$idt Charles . IEn%iron$ental ConnectionsJ A 5ee(er oo* into Mental

#llness.I En%iron$ental ournal. N.(. A(r. 2!12.

eb. !2 Feb. 2!1".

Sigel &ernie. I&ernie Siegel M.5.I &ernie Siegel M5. N.(. n.d. eb. 2! Feb. 2!1".

I0argets B1"/h Mini$u$ age ? &ritish Colu$bia ? C&C Ne+s.I C&Cne+s. C&C/adio

Canada 2 No%. 2!1D. eb. 2 Feb. 2!1".

I)nited States Census &ureau.I os Angeles County Quic*Facts 'ro$ the )S Census &ureau.

N.(. n.d. eb. 2 >an. 2!1".

Palle a$on. Iorld Socialist eb Site.I os AngelesJ City o' the Stars &eco$es )S

an. 2!1".

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