With 7,000 homeless people here in Washington, D.C., the city has only one multi-cultural program and eight day programs. During the winter months and hotter months these programs provide critical, vital care and services that the homeless need to survive. Eleven-hour, multicultural day programs provide a three-fold benefit for a diverse homeless population and reduce the need for additional financial support.
Successful programs have a low-barrier to entry, enabling people to come as they are. They should offer coed services and a bilingual staff. They should also be able to provide referral services for other programs and substance abuse classes, as well as help the homeless obtain proper identification, permanent housing assistance, work referrals, hygiene services, transportation assistance and counseling.
These programs offer year-round respite from exposure to extreme temperatures. Exposure to those temperatures 24-hours a day with no reprieve, whether it is too cold or too hot, causes escalating mortality among homeless. The average homeless person lives 62 years, due to exposure to the elements.
Providing on-site hygiene care for the homeless is also important, as it reduces a financial burden that can often exceed health care costs and reduces health risk factors.
Providing three hot meals during the winter months and cool meals during the summer months is paramount for preventing heat exhaustion during the summer and hypothermia during the winter. It enables homeless people to withstand the elements and it helps prevent long-term illness and death.
Bilingual counselors would help break language barriers and provide a sense of familiarity for people that do not speak English. Homelessness creates a sense of hopelessness, and non- English speaking individuals face an even higher burden.
Social activities are critical in maintaining healthy attitudes and social skills, and they give a sense of comfort, healing and relaxation. These services are crucial in coping and redirecting negative energy appropriately.
Programs such as substance abuse counseling are important, as these problems are extenuated by current circumstances and a homeless individual’s lack of ability to minimize and cope with their conditions. Also, having licensed staff that can provide referral services is a critical part of the assessment process, helping identify when homeless individuals need additional care, whether it is medical or sociological.
Obtaining proper identification is also essential, since without proper identification it’s impossible to get any assistance from the government. So is transportation assistance, as it enables homeless people to reach their goals.
When all of these services are incorporated into multicultural day programs or any day program for the homeless, they can help make people who are experiencing homelessness more self-sufficient. They would address the total well-being of homeless individuals locally as well as nationally.
