FAQs
Research
Throughout the school year of 2015-2016, the team has researched about the homeless people in Northwest Arkansas. They have gone to 7Hills Homeless Day Center and to the Bentonville Salvation Army Shelter to get more information about how homeless shelters work and how the homeless benefit from these shelters. They have also talked with Mrs. Melissa Moon, the director of the 7Hills Day Center, Dr. Kevin Fitzpatrick, who has been appointed to the Bernice Jones Chair in Community, and shelter director of the Salvation Army in Bentonville, Mr. Danny Camarillo. By communicating with their community partners, they learned more about the daily lives of the homeless, and together developed ideas on how to help them.
Through research, they have answered the following questions:
Questions & Answers
1. How many people are homeless in Northwest Arkansas?
There are about 2, 462 people who are homeless in Northwest Arkansas.
2. How do people become homeless?
Many people become homeless because of a loss of a job, natural disasters, low job opportunities, mental difficulties, or family problems.
3. Do homeless people have a lack of motivation in the work field?
Homeless people have a lot of motivation to get a job, however, many employers don't hire them because they are homeless.
4. Do the homeless depend on shelters to give them their basic needs?
No, many homeless people have jobs and sustain themselves through their salary. They sometimes go to shelters to sleep overnight and go to day centers to have a place to do their daily tasks.
5. How does the daily life a homeless work?
A homeless person's day may start off in a shelter, under a bridge, or outside a store. To get from place to place, most homeless walk and only some ride a bus or taxi if they have enough money to pay for it. Some eat breakfast and lunch at a day center and later go to a shelter to rest and start off another day.
6. Are all people who stay at a shelter homeless?
Not all people in a shelter are homeless. Some of the people at a shelter do own a home, but are not able to pay for the utilities or for food. That is why they go to a shelter to eat or to get clothing.
7. What is the definition of homeless?
Someone who is unable to afford a home.
8. Why is homelessness still a problem in the United States?
Homelessness is still a problem in the United States because the homeless population number keeps rising more and more per year, and many people don't have the desire to help those who are homeless.