University of Denver News Releases
Monday, April 28, 2008
University of Denver hosts one-stop shop for resources for the homeless
DU professors research the benefits for homeless population, volunteers and city
If you believe homeless people are drug addicts and lazy, your belief may change if you volunteer to help them for a day. That’s the finding of University of Denver political science assistant professor Tom Knecht and sociology professor Lisa Martinez, who learned in a recent research project that volunteering can change attitudes.
On Friday, May 9, more than 800 University of Denver students, faculty and staff will put that finding to the test when they work one-on-one with homeless individuals at Project Homeless Connect 6 (PHC 6), a one-day event at DU’s Ritchie Center.
PHC 6, a partnership between DU, Denver’s Road Home and the Mile High United Way, serves as a one-stop shop connecting homeless individuals to needed services, including employment, housing, healthcare, legal resources, IDs, Social Security and food-stamp benefits. More than 60 organizations from the Denver area will be present to provide these services.
Project Homeless Connect is just one facet of the City of Denver’s 10 year plan to end homelessness. Denver’s Road Home began in October 2003 in response to an increasing rise in homeless persons in Denver and a mounting increase in public safety concerns.
According to Denver’s Road Home, Denver is home to more 3,900 homeless men, women and children, and the city spends more than $70 million annually on shelter, healthcare and other stop-gap services. Many are members of families with children and many who are homeless for the first time may not be aware of the network of local services available to them. Project Homeless Connect serves as a comprehensive resource for helping the homeless find jobs, and acts as the entry point for other critical services.
Last April, DU hosted Project Homeless Connect 4 (PHC4), the first such event on a college campus anywhere in the United States. With the support of 755 volunteers the day of the event and another 250 who helped with planning efforts leading up to the event, 525 homeless clients received a wide range of services that day.
Knecht and Martinez surveyed volunteers about their thoughts and feelings toward people who are homeless before and after volunteering for PHC 4. Knecht says volunteering changed attitudes for the better.
“Our study shows volunteering strongly shaped how people view the homeless,” he says. “After Project Homeless Connect, volunteers were less likely to say that homelessness was the result of substance abuse, mental illness or a personal choice.”
One volunteer told researchers the experience made her realize that homeless people “were not that different” from her.
The study also showed that spending time with a homeless person or family usually erodes stereotypes.
In the months leading up to the 2008 event, DU faculty have once again undertaken projects that will utilize PHC as a research opportunity and continue to contribute to Denver’s Road Home for several months.
“Our community is working hard to end homelessness,” says Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. “Denver’s Road Home is succeeding thanks to the hard work and generous support of partners like the University of Denver. We are grateful to DU for opening their doors once again to support the efforts of Denver's Road Home. We’re especially grateful to the hundreds of students, staff and faculty volunteering their time and energy to serve our community’s homeless.”
The event will be held from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Friday, May 9 in the Ritchie Center on the University of Denver campus, 2240 E. Buchtel Blvd. For more information, visit www.du.edu/homelessness.
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The University of Denver (www.du.edu), the oldest private university in the Rocky Mountain region, enrolls approximately 11,117 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Denver as a Research University with high research activity.
Total undergraduate enrollment for fall 2007 is 5,311, including 1,140 first-time, first-year students, compared to 1,142 last year. Graduate enrollment is 5,806.
Contact: Jordan Ames
Telephone: (303) 871-2781
E-mail: jorames@du.edu