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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!
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​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.

Information about Shelter and Resource Access: (General Info)
  • The national poverty rate in 2018 was 11.8 percent, whereas the poverty rate in rural areas is 16.1 percent
  • Homeless people in rural areas tend to be homeless for shorter periods of time and are less likely to have health insurance and access to medical care
  • 20 to 40 percent: The portion of the homeless youth population who are gay or transgender, compared to only 5 to 10 percent of the overall youth population.
  • Poverty and food insecurity are intrinsically linked as poor households often lack the resources required to access sufficient nutritious food to live an active and healthy life
  • According to Feeding America, 1 in 9 Americans struggles with hunger. In 2018, 14.3 million American households were food insecure with limited or uncertain access to enough food. 
  • On average, per capita income in rural areas is $9,242 lower than the average per capita income in the United States, and rural Americans are more likely to live below the poverty level. About 25% of rural children live in poverty.
  • 57% of client households served by Feeding America food banks said 66% had to choose between medical care and food, and 69% had to choose between utilities and food.
  • In rural communities there is an average of 13.1 physicians per 10,000 people, compared to 31.2 in urban communities. 
  • Rural residents have greater transportation difficulties reaching health care providers, often traveling great distances to reach a doctor or hospital.
  • 53% of rural Americans lack access to 25 Mbps/3 Mbps of bandwidth, the benchmark for internet speed according to the Federal Communications Commission. 

New River Valley, VA
  • NRV Poverty Rate: 20.7%
  • The poverty rate in VA is 10.7% which puts NRV’s poverty rate significantly higher than the state average. 
  • Unemployment Rate (June 2020): 7.6%
  • $47,000 was the average household income of the NRV in 2016, while the VA state average was $66,149.
  • The city of Radford remains one of the top three localities in southwest Virginia with highest overall food insecurity rates
  • 37.5% or greater than 50,000 individuals who reside in Pulaski, Radford and Montgomery counties live more than 10 miles from a grocery store, supermarket or food retailer
  • 38.5% reported being overweight or obese as a problem area
  • 27.8% of survey respondents noted a time in the last 23 months that they did not have enough money to buy the food that they needed 
  • According to the 2018 NRV Community Health Assessment's residential survey, transportation was identified as the main barrier to accessing healthy food in the NRV region​

Athens, GA
  • Poverty Rate is 25.4% 
  • The poverty rate in GA is 14.3%, putting Athens significantly higher than the rest of the state. 
  • The unemployment rate in Athens, GA is 6.6%. This shows that while a larger percent of the population is working, there is still a high poverty rate likely due to low wages. 
  • The food insecurity rate in Clarke County is 20.6%, and 24.2% for children. 
  • 42 percent of occupied housing units in Athens, GA are owner-occupied while the remaining 58 percent are renter-occupied. 
  • At the lower end of household income, the proportion of households with incomes less than $20,000 for Athens-Clarke County is 37.7 percent, which is 72 percent greater than the proportion for the State of Georgia at only 21.9 percent.
  • 57.4% of African American households and 63.5% of Hispanic households do not make a living wage, leaving these children at much higher risk of struggling though their lives, and thereby creating intergenerational poverty. 
  • In 2013, 75% of children in Clarke County Public Schools were receiving free and reduced price lunch with each school having roughly 92% of students eligible for participation. 

MORE ABOUT SHELTER AND RESOURCE ACCESS

Videos: 
Articles: 
  • Unsheltered And Uncounted: Rural America's Hidden Homeless
  • Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: How the Opioid Crisis Affects Homeless Populations

Books: 
“No House to Call My Home: Love, Family, and Other Transgressions” - Ryan Berg
“Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness” - Pete Earley
“Homelessness, Health, and Human Needs” ‘ Bruce C. Valdeck
INTERSECTIONS OF SHELTER AND RESOURCE ACCESS​

Gender Awareness:
https://endhomelessness.org/resource/data-visualization-gender-disparities-in-homelessness/
On average, an overwhelming number of the people experiencing homelessness in the United States are men (70%), while women constitute 29% and those choosing not to identify as 1% , although these values do differ in certain states. 
Environmental Justice:
Socioeconomic status can have a large impact on a person or community's environmental health. People below the poverty line are most impacted by climate change and pollution compared to the general population. Many lower income neighborhoods bear the burden of toxic waste and particulate matter pollutants that affect the health of the residents, resulting in higher rates of disease and mortality. In addition, a person’s ecological footprint is directly related to their wealth, showing that lower income individuals contribute the least to climate change, but experience the worst effects. 
https://equalrightscenter.org/from-flint-to-dc-pay-attention-to-the-intersections-between-environmental-justice-and-fair-housing/\
Community Health and Wellness: 
Rural communities often lack many resources, and require people to travel long distances for food or needed services, like healthcare. Less  insurance companies also offer plans in rural communities , causing premiums to be higher due to less competition. This can severely impact low income individuals in rural communities that may not be able to afford transportation of long distances, or may be unable to receive proper specialized treatments, if they are not available options. This can have a big impact on the overall health of the community.. In addition, there are less shelters for people without housing options in rural communities. 
https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/health-disparities-affect-millions-rural-us-communities
https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/blog/housing-stability-bridging-housing-gap-rural-communities
Disability/Ability Awareness and Advocacy:
https://jphmpdirect.com/2019/07/24/homelessness-among-individuals-with-disabilities/
People with physical or mental disabilities are more likely to experience homelessness than the general population in the United States. In addition, many shelters are not accessible to people with disabilities, and these people are more likely to experience discrimination due to their disability, making finding a job or housing more difficult. They also may need certain medical care that they may be unable to either receive, due to lack of availability or proper training, or unable to afford. 
Education Access and Advocacy:
https://atlantamission.org/the-impact-of-homelessness-on-education/
The impact of homelessness on the development of people’s lives is devastating- particularly so to youth in very vulnerable positions. Homelessness and the inequitable share of resources has the potential to cause children to continuously fall behind in their education due to frequently having to move and not having a permanent place of residence. Homelessness also increases the likelihood of dropping out of high school due to the difficulty of staying in school without stable housing. These factors create a space where youth experiencing homelessness are up to four times more likely to show slow development, and two times more likely to have learning disabilities. Without exposure to consistent education, children are significantly more likely to stay in the cycle of poverty and homelessness as adults.

LBGTQ+ Advocacy and Awareness:
https://nationalhomeless.org/issues/lgbt/
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2019/01/22/lgbtq_youth/
LGBTQ+ individuals face specific hurdles in addition to the already difficult path of experiencing homelessness. LGBT individuals experiencing homelessness are often at a heightened risk of violence, abuse, and exploitation compared with their heterosexual peers while transgender inviduals are at particular physical risk due to not being accepted by people or shelters who respect them. In addition, 40% of the homeless youth served by agencies identify as LGBT and are likely to remain homeless due to overt discrimination when seeking alternative housing.