Alexus Tomlinson Capstone Project
Abstract
The goal of my senior capstone was to give back to the community that we take from through some form of community service. But also, to understand more about a stigmatized group in America, the homeless, and educate our peers about homeless people so that we can help go against the negative stigma against them. I worked with a partner, Martha Bangura. Together, we attended two different homeless shelters on multiple occasions throughout the school year. Sometimes when we were both free and sometimes individually, we worked at Old Pine Community Center and The People’s Emergency Center to feed and help the homeless and abused women and children residing in or visiting the shelters. We talked to the administrators of these organizations to learn more about the work that goes into taking care of the homeless and we inquired about why they think so many people are homeless. The process of volunteering at these organizations and finding time to interview faculty was somewhat difficult. We had to work around our busy schedules and choose a clear way to present this project. Overall, I learned a lot about the valuableness of homeless shelters and the lack of housing provided for the homeless. I learned about how so many women and children fleeing from abusive relationships end up homeless. I learned so much more. As a result, my partner and I have created a power point presentation and PSA video to demonstrate our understanding of homeless organizations and educate our peers on homeless people as a whole.
