Activists discuss the homeless

Philadelphia area college students gathered Monday night in Civic House to try to grapple with the considerably daunting issue of homelessness. In a presentation and discussion on student responses to homelessness in Philadelphia, co-sponsored by Civic House and the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development, community members pointed out the disturbing fact that the city has many more homeless people than spaces in shelters. About 30 students and 10 faculty and staff members filled the living room at Civic House, Penn's community service hub, located at 3914 Locust Walk in Hamilton Village. Roosevelt Darby, a client services coordinator from the Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness --commonly known as "802" after its address at 802 N. Broad Street -- began the event. He outlined the goals of 802, an outreach program to service homeless men, whom he calls "the population least likely to be served." The committee, founded in 1982, encourages the homeless to find jobs and gives them access to showers, a change of clothes, telephones and counseling services. Darby emphasized the need to help the homeless benefit from government programs, which he claims is no small feat, as there are twice the number of homeless as can be provided for by city shelters. Ben Mitchel, a resident of Project Home -- a local outreach organization -- spoke next before the group. He discussed his past as a homeless man, when he was an alcoholic and a drug addict and resorted to prostitution. But 802 helped Mitchel get off the streets. At Project Home, he participates in self government, therapy and outreach. Mitchel, along with Jennine Miller, from Election '99: Leadership to End Homelessness -- a city-wide outreach and education program -- hopes to bring homelessness into the public light. They urged the students at the dialogue to attend the "Turn Out the Vote Rally" at City Hall next week, which was formed to emphasize the issue of homelessness in the coming mayoral election. A discussion involving the students, faculty, staff and speakers followed the presentations. While most of the students present were from Penn, about 10 hailed from La Salle and St. Joseph's universities. The common link among the students from different schools was the desire to help the homeless. Students from La Salle and St. Joe's regularly help in outreach programs and soup kitchens. Meanwhile, at Penn, the University's chapter of Habitat for Humanity -- one of several community service organizations on campus -- helps to restore houses in the area. Additionally, Hillel has a soup kitchen in its facility, which commonly draws many student volunteers. And more service groups could be in the works. Just ask College senior Bela Verma, who said he plans to "create an organization to increase the awareness of homelessness on Penn's campus."