Homelessness in Raleigh, North Carolina
Amanda Smith
June 06, 2017
“ I wish there were more homeless shelters for women without children,” said Jackie as she sat in a park, located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Currently, there is only one homeless shelter for women that provides housing to women without kids in the Raleigh area. The Helen Wright Center currently accommodates twenty-four women at a time, for up to fourteen nights. One essential component of the Helen Wright Program is to provide women with opportunities to find a home and skills to be self-sufficient. Further, there are approximately thirty-four homeless shelters in Raleigh, N.C. that help men, women, and children during their time of need – all of which provide an array of services, such as medical care, Section 8 vouchers for affordable housing, food assistance, and employment services.
As I canvassed through downtown Raleigh, I saw a combination of men and women of all ethnic backgrounds who were homeless – many of which, who spent the majority of their time hanging in, and around the Moore Square Park. The seriousness of this subject can be explained through the series of photos that I produced during the course of a day. The second photo illustrates men and women gathering outside of one of the Salvation Army locations during lunch time – this image conveys the will to survive by any means necessary, even if that does entail having to stand outside in the hot sun for hours to ensure that you receive something to eat. The third photo focuses on a homeless man who is taking a nap on a bench in the middle of the day, in downtown Raleigh. Although this man appears to be sleeping peacefully, this photo in no way reflects upon his emotional state and feeling of helplessness.
As a result of this experience, I am hoping to spread awareness to homelessness throughout Raleigh, North Carolina – to address the needs of the men and women who are unemployed, homeless, suffer from mental illnesses, struggling to find his/her next meal, etc. Through this short documentary, which includes a selection of images, I am also hoping that the public will have compassion and sympathy for those that are less fortunate and will find it in their hearts to want to help.