Homeless women, ASU students collaborate in Community Action

Tom Boland (wgcp@earthlink.net)
Wed, 28 Oct 1998 06:18:32 -0400 

Sandy, can you tell us more about the course on Community Action Research
at Arizona State University, cited in the article below? -- Tom

FWD  http://www.azcentral.com/sev/news/1027asuhome.shtml


                   STUDENTS RESEARCH PLIGHT OF HOMELESS WOMEN

                   By Kathy Khoury
                   The Arizona Republic
                   Oct. 27, 1998


Students at ASU's Center for Urban Studies are learning that education and
community service can go hand in hand.

In a pioneering course called Community Action Research, undergraduate
students are conducting original research and working to ease the plight of
the homeless.

Based on their in-depth interviews with dozens of homeless women, the
students will compile a report they hope will help service providers better
meet the needs of the Valley's homeless women.

But perhaps the most unusual thing about the class is that formerly
homeless women are granted scholarships to take the class and participate
in the research.

Cory Gonzales is one of them.

Like nearly half the women on the street, Gonzales found herself homeless
after she fled an abusive marriage.

She called it quits when her husband bought a gun and threatened to kill
her. She packed up her car, her three children and $500, and headed home to
Mesa from Tennessee. But the car didn't make it and neither did the money.
Before long, she found herself on the streets.

Gonzales, who is no longer homeless, contributes her unique insight to the
project, which is in its second semester. The project is funded by a
three-year grant.

Course facilitator Andy Hall said that including formerly homeless women in
the class benefits the students as much as the women. They give students
firsthand knowledge before the students embark on interviews, he said, and
it helps to have someone who has been homeless lend a hand in designing the
interview guide.

"They know how people will be struck by the wording of a question," Hall
said, "and even what questions we should ask people about."

For Gonzales, whose eyes still well up when talking about her experience,
the class has been therapeutic.

"It builds a lot of health in me to talk about what happened with people
who don't harbor any prejudices," she said.

But even Gonzales concedes that she had prejudices of her own.

"I knew the reasons I was there (on the streets)," she said. "I thought I
had right to be, but I thought other people were there because of a fault
of their own. I see now that it happens to a lot of people for a lot of
reasons."

The project has gotten mixed reviews from service providers.

John Wall, program director for Central Arizona Shelter Services, thought
some of the criticism in last semester's report was unjustified. He he
complained that students failed to get the service providers' point of
view.

But Louisa Stark, chairwoman of the Phoenix Consortium to End Homelessness,
said the class is "doing some meaningful work."

"Many times, service providers don't really take the time to talk to
homeless people," she said. "We have set questions like, "How many children
do you have?' and, "What was your last address?'. We don't ask, "What was
it like to be homeless?'. I think it's very important knowledge to get back
to providers."

Students also disagree on whether their efforts are making a difference for
homeless women. But Gonzales said she believes, as the class builds on the
research, that it will.

Students do agree, however, that the class has changed their own
perceptions about homelessness.

Marni Guerrero, 22, a justice studies senior, said she had all the typical
stereotypes about homelessness when she began the class.

"I thought they were dirty women who didn't want to work," she said.

She was most surprised to find so many women her own age.

"It really hit home," Guerrero said. "I thought, "Gosh, that could be me.'
There are a lot of people who are closer than they think."

The course has begun to attract the attention of students from all over
ASU. Last semester's class had only six students, but the second class
filled to capacity (12), with people being placed on a waiting list.

That's good news to Hall, who would like to see the class continue beyond
the three-year grant period. He also would like to see the class do more.

"I'm not satisfied producing a report for the consortium," he said. "I'd
like to see more tangible change. I have my ideas, but I won't proscribe
them. The students have to decide what they want to do."

As for Gonzales, she'll be transferring from Mesa Community College to
attend ASU full time next spring. Her children are thriving and, most of
the time, she can put her past behind her.

"It's made me a different person," she said. "Most of the time, it's OK.
Then something strikes a nerve, and you feel it all again.

END FORWARD
** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. **

HOMELESS PEOPLE'S NETWORK  <http://aspin.asu.edu/hpn/>  Home Page
ARCHIVES  <http://aspin.asu.edu/hpn/archives.html>  read posts to HPN
TO JOIN  <http://aspin.asu.edu/hpn/join.html> or email Tom <wgcp@earthlink.net>