Archive for the ‘Homelessness and Housing’ Category

3 AWESOME words from Coral and Ray

July 1, 2009

Ray’s three words about how FYSOP makes him feel: Insatiable- I cannot get enough of FYSOP!  Ever since I did it my freshman year I have always just wanted to keep doing it.  It does a great job at showing everyone how much fun can be had while doing awesome service.   

jackhammer

Jackhammer-  A jackhammer breaks the old foundations that were laid in the ground, just like FYSOP breaks the preconceptions gets you ready to learn a whole lot more.  It also wakes you up and makes you think about service like a jackhammer wakes you up while there’s construction going on outside your window!  Echo – The impact that FYSOP makes does not end after the week itself is over.  The reverberations will hopefully keep getting louder and the knowledge that is gained will spread.  

 

 

And does it reverberate!  Hey peoples, its Coral!  I don’t know why Ray addressed himself in the third-person, but here are my 3 FYSOP words:

caulktastic- FYSOP seals the soul. Its like some silicone, polyurethane, polysulfide, polyurethane and/or  acrylic COSMIC sealant!

constructo

nailrrific- no, its not that 1970s band from Colorado. We are as tough as nails and as driven as hammers.  In this team, no one gets left behind.                        

plasterdinaire- FYSOP is the best way to obtain a cohesive base at BU. It provided me with a solid foundation as a freshmen and a smooth finish as a senior. 

HH FACT: Nails at least go back to the Ancient Roman period.

Mi casa es su casa

June 23, 2009

Hey! Its Coral and Ray or Coray! as we like to call ourselves.
We’ve been digging up some information about homelessness in Boston and we just want to share it with you crazy cats. President Obama has seen the extent of the housing crisis in Massachusetts, and he’s allocating $45 million dollars to the state to aid in homelessness prevention programs. Hopefully, this money will reach those who need it the most. In other Boston-related news, Governor Deval Patrick has recently partnered with the One Family organization in his mission to end family homeless. If you’re craving more info visit
http://www.onefamilyinc.org.
BUT, don’t leave all the good-doing to the politicians: Apply for FYSOP today!!!!!

Hugs and Hisses,
CoRay

HH FACT: The living wage in MA is $8.00, but the living wage is $22.65.MoneyHouse

Laying the foundation…

June 12, 2009

What a day!  We just finished building a six-story house. In a couple of days we’ll completely eradicate homelessness in Boston and have enough time to cook ourselves a delicious peanut butter and mango jelly sandwich.

giantsquidRight now the Homelessness and Housing issue area seems like a giant squid sculpture that we have to build…out of toothpicks.  Where do I even begin???!! Well, luckily, none of YOU have to worry about that!  Right now we’re both submerging ourselves in research, trying to learn as much as we possibly can about the issue area.  We have some great sites that we’re working on booking, and trying to find a good balance between learning, doing service, and having fun!  Each of the sites will be very different and have a lasting effect on the community as well as on the volunteers.

One thing we’re definitely excited about is the vote to reauthorize the McKinney-Vento Act that is before Congress right now.  The act was the first major federal legislative response to homelessness which allowed all homeless people to be eligible for federal services and housing offered by the program.  This is HUGE because the Act has not been changed since 1992, and obviously the current economic situation has.  This is just one example of help on its way, and we can’t wait to make FYSOP shine with service that will do even more.   Our FYSOPers will be helping out in ways they can’t even imagine.

H&Hugs,

Coral Salómon and Ray Curran

Mmmmm….House-less?

July 8, 2008

Hey everyone,

This is Sam and Catherine here. We hope that you are having a great summer and getting ready for an amazing week of service together. Boston is a great city for young student to spend their 4 years in, but also a city that has a lot of work to be done!

We are excited to be working with some great organizations this year such as The Boston Rescue Mission, Nuestra Comunidad, Casa Nueva Vida Shelter for Women and Children, Sojourner House- A Family Shelter, and many other places. The work we will be doing will make a great impact on a lot of peoples’ lives.

Homelessness and Affordable Housing is something that has greatly affected the Boston area in the past decade.

  • 52% of people who are homeless in Massachusetts during a year are actually parents and children –much higher than the national average.
  • In October 2006, more than 1,400 families were staying in the state’s emergency shelter system each night. This included nearly 3,000 children — half of whom were school age and half pre-school!
  • The amount of homeless families in Massachusetts has almost doubled in a decade!