Upload
chitownladi
View
135
Download
5
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Sarah’s circle Research ProjectChi UchenduDebbie GleasonJasmyne GorrelJessica Lundgren
Background/ context-Chi Homelessness since the 1980s has been a
dominant phenomenon that has caused several individuals to be displaced, unsheltered and in need for the basic necessities of life.
Studies have shown that women are the fastest growing group of homeless people in the Americas
In effect there is a need for a proper support and advocacy system
Causes and Dangers Domestic violence Rape Financial hardships Abuse (physical, emotional, etc) Lack of affordable housingIn order to address this issue Sarah's circle combines
community action with outside partnerships and alliances to address the immediate needs of the women. Therefore in order to create a safe space for these women and empower them, the community partner plays an important role in supplying the outside resources, and funding needed to carry out the programs. Popular items are toiletries, clothing, feminine products etc.
Brief facts about Sarah’s circle Created in 1979 Formally known as Harper House Located in the Chicago institute for
cultural affairs in Uptown Chicago Offer a range of Physical Services,
Permanent supportive housing, case management services, clinical services, and community space.
Research Questions-Chi Discover how we can use this project to make a
lasting impact on the organization, the people, and the community as a whole?
Also we need to figure out the impact our research will have on the service organization? Our aim is to make a positive difference.
More importantly we need to also figure out and determine a way to effectively communicate with organizations and businesses to create lasting partnerships with Sarah’s Circle, which will be beneficial to both clients?
Data Collection
Debbie
Creating Partnerships Relevant programs for clients Data collection:
Informal interviews Research (Formal) Emails, Phone calls, Visits
Spreadsheet Created spreadsheet
Kept track of yes’s, no’s, and maybe’s Seven different categories
Data Analysis
Debbie
Unexpected Pattern Religious Organizations
Biggest Trend: can’t help everyone! Already agreed to partner with
organizations Reached seasonal quota
Loyola community Toiletry and Clothing Drive Creating new Club/Partnering with others
Reach out before the holiday season! Spread the word: Positive outcome
Presentation of DataJessica
Data
Seven spreadsheets total Six categories for potential donations:
hotels, religious organizations, department stores, dentist offices, grants and other organizations
One category for educational programs
Potential Hotels For Community Donations
Name of HotelLocation( Neighborhood) Address Phone number Willing to donate?
The Westin Michigan Avenue
Near North Side/ Streeterville
909 North Michigan Avenue(between Delaware Pl & Walton St)Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 943-7200
Yes<-- Claudia Smith & Laura Kane. [email protected]
Hard Rock Hotel The Loop
230 N Michigan Ave(between Lake St & Wacker Pl)Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 345-1000
Unable to donate toilitries at the moment, but can help with fundraising efforts. Onya Chesser. [email protected]
Example of Data
Results & Findings Hotels
56 Contacted. One official partnership & one hotel willing to help with fundraising efforts
Most hotels prefer requests in writing as opposed to phone calls for tax purposes
Obstacles: Some hotels gave us invalid e-mail addresses to contact or take a long time to respond to letters
Religious Organizations 12 Contacted. One official partnership Mostly “maybe” answers due to unanswered
calls or the uncertainty of starting a collection.
Results & Findings Cont. Department Stores
Two contacted; no potential partnerships as of this moment Seemed more willing to help out since a group member
went and spoke with them in person Dentist Offices
One contacted; one willing to donate A group member asked their own dentist and she was
interested in the cause Other Organizations
Eight contacted; two official partnerships Obstacles: Mostly paper or online applications, so it takes
awhile to respond Some organizations only donate to affiliates , had to read
fine print of website
Results & Findings Cont. Grants
Unable to contact due to time constraints A list of recommended organizations that can
hopefully benefit Sarah’s Circle in the future
Educational Programs Unable to contact due to time constraints A list of topics that affect homeless women greatly(
suggested by community partner) due to the lack of feedback on educational programs by women
Did find that women would enjoy more recreational activities
What We Learned Harder to obtain donations than we
expected Easy to obtain personal donations from
friends or family as well as through the Loyola community
Some organizations do not place a great deal of emphasis on helping non-profits or take on more than they can handle
ImplicationsJasmyne
Implications Only 5% of those we
contacted are willing to help. Why?
The Earlier the Better. “We need the same type of
assistance.” Larger Corps only offer
assistance to organizations in the community of their headquarters. Or they give to orgs on a
National (NOT Local) Level. Current State of the
Economy Tourism is down. Church attendance is down.
Willing Not No Reply
Suggestions For Further Research Whole Foods Offers two programs to
Local organization:o One Dime at a Time
• Donates 10 cents each time a customer brings one bag back to the store.
o Community 5% Days• The store donates 5% of its
revenues on a designated day.
Possible partnership could be beneficial, especially with Fruits and Veggies Project.
Suggestions for Further Research Cont. Overall the women are satisfied
with the programs… However, more interactive
programs are requested. Future possible programs:
o Physical Fitness • Kickboxing• Zumba• Yoga
→ Improve physical and mental health→ Build self esteem→ Increase social and team building
activities Journal and/or Poetry Writing
• Increase creativity and individuality
• Build social skills• Helps written and verbal
communication skills.
Conclusion Women are the fastest growing group of
homeless individuals in the United States. Sarah’s Circle helps the women rebuild
themselves physically and emotionally. Our initial strategy was to contact religious
organization and hotels.• We reformed our initial strategy
Too much to accomplish in just one semester. Reaching out and/or implementing the
physical programs, educational wellness and corporations will see a positive response.