MM150 – Survey of Mathematics
Unit 4 Discussion
Percentages
A Community Program for the Kids
For the past, almost five years, my family and I have wanted to start a program that focuses on
homeless families, with special emphasis on the kids, in our neighborhood. Homelessness in Portland,
Oregon has been in crisis mode since 2015, having been declared an emergency every year since 2015
by both our Mayor and our Governor. Laws get made, budgets get adjusted, and so on, but the only real
change they’ve made is the clean-up crews that do sweeps of active campsites. The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has recently ranked Oregon with the 2 nd highest percentage of
homeless families with at least one child that is unsheltered at 68% (Hayden & Goldberg, 2023). And
due to the unsafe conditions with crime and drugs in our affordable housing buildings, most families
choose to remain in tents, secluded and away from the tent cities and shelters, in fear of potentially
having their kids taken from them. Our neighborhood (the smallest of the 92 counties Portland
recognizes) is a rare haven for these families, whether in tents, RVs, or their cars, being on the edge of a
much quieter since COVID train yard. Quiet cul-de-sac, empty warehouses, and parking lots, the
industrial area is safely tucked between my complex and the trainyard, and just two years ago was the
home of four separate homeless “cities”. My family and I have personally seen and made friends with
some of these down-on- their-luck families, that already are signed up for housing and their turn, that
are struggling with daily needs or the knowledge of the resources out there that can help them. For the
past four years, my family has taken dinner to our neighbors, making sure the kids eat and are warm
every other night if not every night. On holidays we put together something in the grassy area that runs
along our patio and the street such as an Easter Egg Hunt, Pumpkin Painting, Halloween (we decorate
the patio and dress up
ourselves), Back to School Supplies, With my son and grandsons growing so fast we always have boy
clothes for those in need, and more, even doing a small Christmas Party where we do our best to keep
the kids smiling and the parents hopeful. My family is happy with what we do, and people volunteer to
help us now and then. The homeless have a stigma about them that many in our neighborhood
stereotype as the worst. These kids already feel like outsiders and don’t understand why they are
where they are. Most are homeschooled, except for the years when they are required to take
standardized testing. Parents are ashamed of their situation and so afraid of their kids being taken, they
are essentially taking away their educations. The kids ultimately are the ones that suffer, losing social
skills, unable to develop interpersonal skills, and unable to keep up with studies for their age or grade,
they become acclimated to the lifestyle and eventually go into survival mode, and that usually leads to
legal troubles, jail time, or even death. And children that are homeless for long periods when they are
young, become more likely to fall into the Chronically Homeless category because they are used to life.
By our count of the camps in our neighborhood last year combined with those, we helped 21 families
for the 2021-2022 school year, out of the 208 reported to the HUD annual Continuum of Care report
(HUD, 2022). A mere
10% of the homeless kids got to celebrate holidays and make good memories with their families,
school supplies, some new clothes, and things that didn’t make them feel hopeless. We want to help
the other
187, not leaving anyone behind. However, we realize that it’s not feasible. So, our goal for the 2023-
2024 school year is to help 50 families.
Unit 4 Discussion
Percentages
A Community Program for the Kids
For the past, almost five years, my family and I have wanted to start a program that focuses on
homeless families, with special emphasis on the kids, in our neighborhood. Homelessness in Portland,
Oregon has been in crisis mode since 2015, having been declared an emergency every year since 2015
by both our Mayor and our Governor. Laws get made, budgets get adjusted, and so on, but the only real
change they’ve made is the clean-up crews that do sweeps of active campsites. The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has recently ranked Oregon with the 2 nd highest percentage of
homeless families with at least one child that is unsheltered at 68% (Hayden & Goldberg, 2023). And
due to the unsafe conditions with crime and drugs in our affordable housing buildings, most families
choose to remain in tents, secluded and away from the tent cities and shelters, in fear of potentially
having their kids taken from them. Our neighborhood (the smallest of the 92 counties Portland
recognizes) is a rare haven for these families, whether in tents, RVs, or their cars, being on the edge of a
much quieter since COVID train yard. Quiet cul-de-sac, empty warehouses, and parking lots, the
industrial area is safely tucked between my complex and the trainyard, and just two years ago was the
home of four separate homeless “cities”. My family and I have personally seen and made friends with
some of these down-on- their-luck families, that already are signed up for housing and their turn, that
are struggling with daily needs or the knowledge of the resources out there that can help them. For the
past four years, my family has taken dinner to our neighbors, making sure the kids eat and are warm
every other night if not every night. On holidays we put together something in the grassy area that runs
along our patio and the street such as an Easter Egg Hunt, Pumpkin Painting, Halloween (we decorate
the patio and dress up
ourselves), Back to School Supplies, With my son and grandsons growing so fast we always have boy
clothes for those in need, and more, even doing a small Christmas Party where we do our best to keep
the kids smiling and the parents hopeful. My family is happy with what we do, and people volunteer to
help us now and then. The homeless have a stigma about them that many in our neighborhood
stereotype as the worst. These kids already feel like outsiders and don’t understand why they are
where they are. Most are homeschooled, except for the years when they are required to take
standardized testing. Parents are ashamed of their situation and so afraid of their kids being taken, they
are essentially taking away their educations. The kids ultimately are the ones that suffer, losing social
skills, unable to develop interpersonal skills, and unable to keep up with studies for their age or grade,
they become acclimated to the lifestyle and eventually go into survival mode, and that usually leads to
legal troubles, jail time, or even death. And children that are homeless for long periods when they are
young, become more likely to fall into the Chronically Homeless category because they are used to life.
By our count of the camps in our neighborhood last year combined with those, we helped 21 families
for the 2021-2022 school year, out of the 208 reported to the HUD annual Continuum of Care report
(HUD, 2022). A mere
10% of the homeless kids got to celebrate holidays and make good memories with their families,
school supplies, some new clothes, and things that didn’t make them feel hopeless. We want to help
the other
187, not leaving anyone behind. However, we realize that it’s not feasible. So, our goal for the 2023-
2024 school year is to help 50 families.
