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The Hidden Population

I was twelve years old when I wandered around Malaysias local train station for the first
time. Feeling scared, I grabbed onto my mothers familiar hand for comfort. Around me were
dirty floors, unfamiliar faces, and thick, humid air. Little did I know the worst was yet to come.
As I continued walking, a man appeared in front of me, his head hanging down. As I glanced
again, I was shocked to see that he had no legs. He was sitting on the dirty floor, and had an old
paper cup that he used to beg for spare coins. This was not the first time I saw a homeless
person, nor was this the first time I saw a person with no legs; this situation was more severe. He
appeared as if he had not showered in months, as if he had not moved from his spot in at least a
week, and his legs appeared like they were not amputated by a medically qualified professional.
I could not help but feel terrible for this homeless, hungry, and desperate man who was simply
trying to survive. At the time, all I could think to do was ask my mother for money to give the
man. Scared, I hesitantly walked to the man and put the money in his cup. He did not look up,
but gratefully bowed his head down with little energy. I never forgot this moment, and it has
continued to influence my behavior as I have grown older.
A few years later, I moved back from Malaysia to Walnut Creek, California. I was
seventeen years old when my sociology teacher, Mrs. Reimer, showed my class a video about the
people in our society turning their heads away from the issues of hunger and homelessness
around them. Suddenly, I remembered the homeless man from the train station. I soon realized
that poverty was not only confined to third world countries, but was also prevalent in California.
Inspired, I began to volunteer at Monument Crisis Center. After volunteering for a few months, I
was shocked to see the amount of men, women, and children coming for food; these individuals
needed food to feed their families. All types of people came for different reasons, some more

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desperate than others. I realized that just fifteen minutes away from my home, countless people
came to the Crisis Center in need of help. Meanwhile, all I was capable of doing was checking
each person in. I soon realized how truly fortunate I am to have a caring family who provides
me with three meals a day and a roof over my head. While I am lucky, others are not; I wanted
to do something more than just checking people into the Crisis Center. My desire to help those
who are less fortunate sparked my curiosity on the effects of underprivileged children in areas
around me, who will become the future work force in this nation. This led me to my question:
What are the different impacts of being a homeless child or adolescent in California?
In order to understand the impacts of the homeless youth in California, one must
understand who they are and how or why they became homeless. According to the California
Homeless Youth Project, a homeless youth is commonly known as minors ages twelve to
seventeen who are not living with their legal guardians, and young adults ages eighteen to
twenty-four who are detached from families with unstable housing (Bernstein). The common
perception of this group of people is that they are trouble making kids that do drugs, are lazy,
who are worthless, and who chose to run away (Bernstein and Foster). However, a survey in
2007 by the California Research Bureau proves that these stereotypes are false. This study
interviewed homeless youth aged thirteen to twenty-five who lived in either a shelter, on the
streets, in abandoned buildings, and couch surfers who moved from house to house. Almost
thirty percent of the people in this study claimed that they were forced out of their house. One
twenty year old female from San Francisco told her interviewer why she was forced to leave, I
was raped by four different family members and they didnt believe me so I got kicked out of the
house (Bernstein). This young woman was being sexually abused at home, and after trying to
stick up for herself, was forced to live on the streets. Who is one to claim that she is lazy and

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worthless? This females situation falls into the category of homeless youth that did not choose
to leave home. In another study by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, researchers
discovered that around forty to sixty percent of the youth in unstable housing were there due to
physical or sexual abuse (Child). While minors and young adults had to leave home due to
physical and sexual abuse, their situation is also worsened by being abused and stereotyped
while living on the streets. Society has a negative connotation of the homeless youth, yet most
people have little knowledge of the truth as to why each person is there, and the negative impacts
that come with it. The hidden population in California is the homeless youth, all of whom have a
reason for being a part of it, and are each negatively impacted by the street life, and need the help
of their communities to escape the vicious cycle of poverty.
Before doing thorough research on the impacts of being homeless, I first wanted to aid
my understanding of homelessness in communities around me, so I decided to have my interview
at Monument Crisis Center, located in Concord, California. After parking near the building, I
began walking towards the front door, where I saw a line of individuals, families, and children. I
then stepped inside, where I saw dozens of workers in blue shirts, rushing around to ensure
everything was set-up to open the doors for the people outside. The bright blue on the workers
and volunteers shirts represented the constant bustle of the Crisis Center. Hesitantly, I began
walking towards the food area in the back of the Crisis Center to find Antonio Hurtado for my
interview. I walked past the white walls where I found the food area. Immediately, I could sense
a lot of action as I saw men and women walking from one place to another with quick, hasty
steps. As my eyes scanned the food storage section of the Crisis Center, many workers and
volunteers rushed around me. People were moving food, breaking up boxes, and putting food
together. The fast-paced movement of each worker was difficult to ignore. I then met with

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Hurtado, an intern/staff worker, who seemed energetic and thrilled to be discussing the Crisis
Center. I knew I chose the right person to interview, by seeing his constant energy, wide awake
eyes, and clear passion in his voice about the topic. The passion revealed itself when Hurtado
happily spoke, Ive had many moments where when you help someone, you can see the tears
forming in their eyes and the smile on their face. Immediately, the use of the words tears
forming made me smile. While these two words often describe a time of sadness, this truly
reminded me to why I chose to do my project and paper about homelessness; I want to help them
for moments like these. Actions such as small acts of kindness mean so much to those who truly
need it, and it brings me joy giving what I can to them, so they can have tears forming of
happiness. We discussed several things about the Crisis Center, such as how the center works,
who goes there, what services the center provides, and education. I listened to stories about how
Monument Crisis Center helped homeless individuals, and about the various education programs
for children and teens with schoolwork.
Education is one of the most valued and important aspect of society that parents want
their child to succeed in, as little or no education can impede on ones ability to gain a higher
socioeconomic status in the United States. A lack of education can put people on the streets, and
will keep the homeless in a cycle of poverty. This vicious cycle simply means that poverty
only traps people into more poverty (The Cycle). Many of the homeless youth throughout the
nation have learning problems, low literacy, and have not completed high school Thus, it hinders
their ability to get a job. According to a study by Patricia F. Julianelle, around 75% of
Californias homeless youth did not attend school. However, the study also claims that the
majority of them wanted to return (Julianelle). The author of the study also interviewed a former
homeless youth student named Carrie:

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Through it all, school is probably the only thing that has kept me going. I know that
every day that I walk in those doors, I can stop thinking about my problems for the next
six hours and concentrate on what is most important to me. Without the support of my
school system, I would not be as well off as I am today. School keeps me motivated to
move on, and encourages me to find a better life for myself. (Julianelle)
For Carrie, school served as a place where she could forget about her homeless situation, as she
focused on completing high school to increase her chances for getting a job to support herself.
At school, homeless students have a sense of security and support, and resources to help them
out. This usually includes school meals, laundry, clothes, bus passes, nurses, counselors, and
more (Julianelle). Many of the homeless youth are aware of these benefits, but often feel
unwelcome and feel like they stand out when and if they attend a public school. Other minors
who are couch jumpers, or move around a lot, are unable to keep up with schoolwork and are
transferring schools when they are in a new area. They also do not have transportation resources
to take them to school. Its harder to pass school, when basic needs such as housing, food, and
clothing, are not being provided (Winne). Schools in California are not the only resources for
people to gain an education. As mentioned earlier, the interview with Hurtado explained support
systems for the homeless in California. With years of experience working at Monument Crisis
Center, Hurtado confidently explained how the center helps children with school. On
Wednesdays and Thursdays, there is a tutoring program for elementary school students. In the
summer, there are educational summer camps. For teens, there is a program where they have
tutoring. For some, this provides help for those who are homeless or who cannot pay to get extra
help with school. Overall, school and other programs provide help to the homeless youth
attempting to earn their high school degree. While there are benefits for students at an
educational facility, impacts from being homeless such as physical and mental health severely
affect a students ability to attend school, or to pass school.
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Without the money for basic necessities for survival, a homeless child or adolescent is
pressured to make choices that hurts their physical health, in order to survive. One of the
increasing problems that homeless youth must face, is the higher risk of contracting HIV. This
all stems from the homeless youths lack of adequate housing and lack of basic necessities,
including access to health care and money. As they do not have access to health care, they do
not know if they have contracted HIV, nor can they receive treatment if they are aware. Studies
show that sixty percent of the homeless youth who have HIV do not know they have it, making it
easier to spread the disease. Another factor that increases this group of people is survival sex.
According to the California Homeless Youth Project, survival sex is a method to get food,
shelter, and money. They get into prostitution, pornography, or stripping simply because they
dont have a home, have a history of child abuse, or cannot make enough money (California).
Many homeless youths also use alcohol as a tool for coping. They abuse this substance as it
helps them deal with living on the street, so they can stay awake through the night when people
attempt to victimize them or rob them. However, alcohol and substance abuse leads to riskier
activity that may lead to contracting HIV (California). While homeless youth have the choice of
whether or not to drink alcohol, do drugs, and have unprotected sex, their lack of health care,
housing, and income make them more vulnerable to these activities. Throughout the United
States, the minors and young adults without stable housing have several other health conditions
such as asthma, tuberculosis, diabetes, and AIDS (Youth). With bad physical health, their health
care bills impede on their ability to pay for stable housing. Along with limited amount of shelter
as well as fear of shelters, these aspects are more barriers keeping these people in the cycle of
poverty. In order to maintain their health, they must pay for it. To pay for it, means that it is
unlikely that they can buy stable housing. Without stable housing, they are still part of the

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invisible population that is susceptible to having more chronic health conditions. In another
interview with Danny Scherer, a logistics manager at Monument Crisis Center, he told a story
about a homeless adult who was in the situation because he had to pay for his mothers health
care bill. Her situation only got worse as he did not have health insurance. Thus, he ended up on
the streets. Overall, being a homeless youth in California pressures them to make poor decisions
that will affect their physical health as well as keeps them in the vicious cycle of poverty;
moreover, physical health is not their only health issue.
In the study Voices from the Street mentioned before, an eighteen year old female from
Salinas described having good mental health as, Being stable and being happy (Bernstein).
Being happy however, is not the case for most of the street youth. According to the National
Child Traumatic Stress Network, around 19 to 50 percent of homeless youth have a mental
disorder. Most of these mental disorders are depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance
abuse disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD (The National). These
disorders may be the reason the young person is on the street, as many of these people became
homeless from abuse. At the same time, mental illnesses have an impact on the harsh life of
surviving on the streets, which make it difficult to get better. A twenty year old homeless female
living in Sacramento, CA, claimed that homelessness took away her identity, Id say the worst
thing about being homeless is pretty much losing yourself.You want to go to work, and you do
not always function well because your are tired - you didnt get very much sleep last night...You
find yourself being on more of an automatic mode (Bernstein). The girls automatic mode
was her stating that there was nothing much in her life except survival; she was suffering from
depression. After three years on the street, it was hard to keep her hope alive for a better life.
She could not sleep, because she wanted to survive the night. She could not work, because she

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didnt get any sleep. How is she to gain an income when surviving the street life impedes on her
work productivity? This is not uncommon for most homeless youth, and is only one of the many
problems they must face in order to survive; they ultimately feel stuck in their situation.
Often times, action through the government creates barriers for a young homeless person
to leave the cycle of poverty. Among the most common challenges is the ability to buy
affordable housing in California. Ninety percent of those who were interviewed in a study
claimed that they were trying to change their housing situation. With low income and high rent
prices, finding affordable housing is a challenge to most, particularly in California. California is
one of the least affordable state throughout the United States, making it difficult for the homeless
youth to find housing (Bernstein). Locally, Monument Crisis Center acknowledges this issue.
Hurtado, the intern and staff worker explained that they provide homeless people food two weeks
at a time. If they give the homeless a months worth of food, it would be too much to carry
around each day. For others who are struggling with paying high rent in California, Hurtado
said, We try to help families get through the month by giving food so the family can use that
money towards bills or other payments. With free food, these families are able to save hundreds
of dollars in order to keep their housing. Without housing, they would be pulled into the cycle of
poverty, and also live on the streets. Another barrier that is through government officials is the
challenge with authorities. Scherer, the logistics coordinator at Monument Crisis Center as
mentioned earlier, claimed that numerous homeless people come in each day, looking for a place
to stay. It gets desperate in the winter, he said. They need a roof over their heads so they do
not get sick. However, the center is only able to refer them to shelters, but has no way of helping
them find a stable housing situation. In addition, shelters become full in the winter, and do not
have enough money to help everyone. In addition, criminalization of homeless youth simply

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adds to the cycle of poverty. In The Reproach of Hunger, David Rieff, the author, explains that
the homeless youth have nowhere to go, so when the police kick them off the streets, its only a
matter of time before they get in trouble with police enforcement again. Often times, they will
get a ticket that they are, for clear reasons, unable to pay (Rieff). In the study by Nell Bernstein
and Lisa K. Foster, twenty one percent of those interviewed were harassed or hassled by law
enforcement officials. In addition, they found a person who had gotten a job and saved almost
$1000 towards getting an apartment. However, he had to pay tickets due to sleeping on the
street, and his savings were ruined. As the police officials seem to be attempting to help the
public get rid of homeless strays, they are just adding to the problem. Its hard enough to find
affordable housing, to work without having somewhere to sleep, and to have to be humiliated by
officials and the public. These homeless youth are attempting to find stable housing and a wellpaying job, but the system they live in is preventing them from doing so.
The hidden population known as the homeless youth are caught in the vicious cycle of
poverty, constantly seeking a way to get out of it. However, most of these minors and young
adults end up back in the cycle, and continue with their lives merely trying to survive. The harsh
impacts on the homeless youth in California often goes unrecognized. From lack of education,
poor physical and mental health, and their challenges, they need the help of others to stabilize
their life. With that, we should help those who cannot help themselves. Methods such as
volunteering at Monument Crisis Center, donating to homeless centers online, or simply being
aware of the homeless youth will provide help. Living in Walnut Creek, most citizens who live
here do not see homeless people due to the affluence of this city. When one visits San Francisco,
he or she can count at least ten homeless people on the streets during the day, but will forget the
desperate faces when returning to the comfort of their home. However, one in five children in

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the Contra Costa County and Solano is food insecure (Help). The future work force needs the
help of the communities around them. We can no longer turn our heads away from the problem;
we should face it head on to help others.

Megan Ikeda
Reed 5
English IV
Reflection
Writing my senior paper, and applying my knowledge into creating the project, truly
taught me a lot about the real world. The truth is, for many students in high school, we learn
how to do well on tests, then we learn how to re-memorize the material for the final. However, I
never found this process enjoyable. Id ask myself, why am I doing this, just so I can forget it
later? This project was the first academic opportunity I have had in a long time, that allowed me
to apply my knowledge and gain something out of it from the real world. It is refreshing to know
that I am capable of applying my knowledge in order to better the community around me. Not

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only this, but the project itself was satisfying. Growing up with three older brothers, I was
always called the princess and spoiled child of the family. While I accepted this, I also have
been seeking a way to prove that I am grateful for everything my parents have provided me.
Through this, I was able to show my family that I do know how lucky I am, and how much
worse my situation could be. I wanted to help others who could not help themselves, because
they were not given the same opportunities as my family, my friends and I. As I take lunch every
day for granted, others on the street are begging for spare change, just to have one meal. After
collecting money and food, I found myself surprised at the products in front of me. I had a check
with a large amount of money, and numerous food cans ready to be donated. I couldnt believe
how simple and easy it was to collect items and money to donate. Finally, after completing my
paper and project, I learned that it makes me happy to help others.

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Works Cited
Books:
Rieff, David. The Reproach of Hunger: Food, Justice, and Money in the Twenty-first Century.
N.p.: Simon & Shuster, 2015. Print.
Winne, Mark. Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty. Boston: Beacon,
2009. Print.
Electronic Sources:
Bernstein, Nell, and Lisa K. Foster. Voices from the Street: A Survey of Homeless Youth by
Their Peers. Mar. 2008. PDF file.
Child Welfare Committee. "National Child Traumatic Stress Network [CWC/NCTSN]. (2008)."
Child welfare trauma training tool kit: Comprehensive guide 2.
California Homeless Youth Project. HIV & Youth Homelessness: Housing as Health Care.
Feb. 2014. PDF file.
"Help the Food Bank Provide Holiday Meals." Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Food
Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
Julianelle, Patricia. The Educational Success of Homeless Youth in California: Challenges and
Solutions. Oct. 2007. PDF file.
"The Cycle of Poverty." ESchoolToday. ESchoolToday, 2010. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Trauma Among Homeless Youth. Nov. 2007.
PDF file.
Youth Homelessness Series. Fundamental Issues to Prevent and End Youth Homelessness.
May. 2009. PDF file.
Primary Sources:

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Hurtado, Antonio. Food Bank Worker, Monument Crisis Center, Concord CA. Personal
Interview. 1 March 2016.
Scherer, Danny. Food Bank Worker, Monument Crisis Center, Concord CA. Email Interview. 10
March 2016.

Works Consulted
Casualties of Class Warfare. World Socialist Website. ICFI, 15 Feb. 2014. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
"Effects of Poverty, Hunger, and Homelessness." American Psychological Association. Apa, n.d.
Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Facts and Information. Evas Village. Evas Village, 2005. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.
Homeless Facts. Future in Humanity. Urban Institute, 2001. Web. Mar. 2016.
Homeless Public School Students. Kidsdata. Homeless Education Program, 2015. Web. Mar.
2016.
"Hunger and Poverty Facts." Feeding America. Feeding America, 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Mclean, Adam. "World Socialist Web Site." Half a Million California. WSWS, 27 Aug. 2015.
Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
Varney, Darcy, and Willem Van Vliet. Homelessness, Children, and Youth. American

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Behavioral Scientist. Sage Journals, Feb. 2008. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.

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