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Name: Amanda Light
How did I get involved in IMPACT?
  • I attended my first IMPACT trip winter break of my freshman year to Nashville, TN focusing on community health and wellbeing. I really liked that this topic was broad, because it allowed us to focus on multiple social justice issues including ageism, shelter and resource access, women’s rights and equality, and disparities within the LGBTQ+ community. Last year, my second IMPACT trip was in Savannah, GA for shelter and resource access. What I love about IMPACT is not only the community work, but also being able to share these experiences with my peers. This shared experience unifies the group in a short period of time, which is why I’ve made some of my closest friends through this organization. Additionally, I love how every trip is completely different and a unique experience. 
Why am I interested in my trip focus? 
  • My trip from last year to Savannah also focused on shelter and resource access, and I really enjoyed it and wanted to continue to educate myself on this issue. Through this experience, I gained a greater appreciation for what I am privileged enough to have as well as a better understanding of the intersectionality of homelessness. I also think this topic is especially relevant due to the COVID-19 pandemic and human rights dispute that we are facing today. Many Americans have lost their jobs and face increased difficulty in acquiring other opportunities, leaving them unable to afford rent and other resources. One of the many stereotypes associated with people experiencing homelessless is that laziness is the largest contributing factor. However, homelessness is a system perpetuated by interconnected social categories including but not limited to race, gender, and socioeconomic class. Furthermore there are so many other obstacles that people face beyond their control that can lead to homelessness. I look forward to learning more about these hardships and how they exist specifically in rural communities through planning this trip. 
Fun Fact?
  • I did dance for 14 years growing up!
Contact info
she/her/hers
3rd Year Biology and Psychology Major
amandalight24@gmail.com
770-309-0250
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Contact Info: 
he/him/his
2nd Year Psychology and Sociology Major
706-428-1563
Name: Cristian Vergara
How did I get involved in IMPACT?
  • ​Arriving at UGA with no idea what to expect from my next 4 years, the word on everybody’s lips was: IMPACT. I had heard so many wonderful stories about the cherished friends and the deep, learning moments that had been made in only a week, and I knew that I needed IMPACT to be a part of my life! That following spring, I went on my first IMPACT trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where I had the opportunity to enrich my understanding of the Disabled Community through my trip’s focus on Disability Awareness. This trip had been my first encounter of what it meant to engage in sustainable service and how it looked like to bolster the voices of those society will not listen to- both core motivators that have led me to want to lead my own trip!
Why am I interested in my trip focus?
  • I believe it absolutely essential to confront ourselves with the topics that make us the most uncomfortable, vulnerable, and open to questioning in order to truly actuate change around us and within ourselves. Because of this, I want to push myself to delve deeply into the intricacies of why exactly something like “homelessness” exists and how its intertwined struggles are magnified in rural and underprivileged communities. Those experiencing homelessness and limited affordable housing face stigma and a multitude of struggles unknown to most, including issues of food insecurity, lack of access to mental health resources, and difficulty maintaining stable incomes, making it even more difficult to navigate an already tumultuous path. IMPACT has given me the critical lens necessary to approach this from a place of solidarity and understanding where learning and action are key to revealing the people and the reality that are often shrouded in ignorance. Ultimately, I want nothing more than to serve as a better ally and to use my voice to fight for a community that goes unnoticed and is misunderstood both in New River Valley and in Athens.
Fun fact?
  • I can’t tell you exactly how it happened, but my hamster melted when I was a kid. Still looking for the right Biology major to explain how it happened…


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ABOUT SHELTER AND RESOURCE ACCESS

 Shelter and Resource Access as a social justice issue broadly encompasses access to resources pertaining to socioeconomic equity, employment, food security, and access to affordable housing. 
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TERMS TO KNOW:
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  • Resource: Refers to a stock or supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function effectively.
  • Homelessness: Describes people who are living in a place not meant for human habitation, in emergency shelter, in transitional housing, or are exiting an institution where they temporarily resided.
  • Food Security: Refers to people that, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.
  • Gentrification: A process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. This can lead to long-time or original neighborhood residents being forced to move due to higher rents, mortgages, and property taxes.
  • Poverty: Refers to a person not having enough material possessions or income for their needs. Poverty may include social, economic, and political elements. Absolute poverty is the complete lack of the means necessary to meet basic personal needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter.
  • Intersectionality: A theoretical framework for understanding how aspects of a person's social and political identities combines to create unique modes of discrimination and privilege. It looks at the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group.
  • Welfare: Refers to government-sponsored assistance programs for individuals and families in need, including programs as health care assistance, food stamps, and unemployment compensation. Welfare programs are typically funded through taxation.
  • Transportation Insecurity: Describes a person who cannot regularly move from place to place in a safe and timely manner due to the lack of resources needed to travel. Low food access is also impacted by access to a vehicle and the distance to a grocery store.
  • Food Desert: An area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food, in contrast with an area with higher access to supermarkets or vegetable shops with fresh foods

MORE ABOUT SHELTER AND RESOURCE ACCESS

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