Homelessness has been one of the biggest problems in the USA for the longest time. The Homeless Assessment Report made by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2018 had an estimation of 553,000 homeless people in the country.
This dire situation can be very hard to overcome because of the fact that many jobs require a permanent address for those that are willing to apply for it.
The Other Ones Foundation (OOF) is an organization that helps homeless people with employment and starter tips on how to get their feet off the ground. They guide these people on returning into society. Their main goal is to help the homeless gain back their independence by providing them with shelter, nourishment and support.
OOF mainly provides employment opportunities where having a permanent residence is not obligatory. These types of jobs are cleaning of the local environment, public art maintenance, subsidized housing improvements and taking care of sheltered animals. OOF takes care of the commute to and from the workplace, as well as a $15 payment. They also provide management services that can promote them to having permanent employment and housing. OOF also has a property called the Golden Road where facilities like food, bathrooms, laundry services and internet can be made use of.
OOF helps these homeless individuals with about $100,000 a year. So far, 24 employees have moved into their permanent homes. The Austin City Council has reported that since 2018, this program has grown over 7 times its size. It has been proven a transformational form of providing shelter to the neediest.
These people are assigned work in different sites everyday where they scrub graffiti off walls, clean camps and do other similar chores. Chris Baker, the organization’s director said that more people are willing to work those jobs which give them more dignity, worth and hope in their lives.
Austin’s mayor, Steve Adler is encouraging the Public Health and Parks and Recreation departments to work with this program. OOF now has plans to expand and spread to other cities. This move could greatly lessen poverty, homelessness and unemployment from the United States.
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