It's not uncommon to hear people (especially politicians) bemoan the cost or inefficiency of social services. It's also easy for people who are sympathetic to society's disfavored groups to become overwhelmed by the magnitude of social problems. I really enjoyed this article because I think it speaks to both of those issues.
In looking at the history of services for homeless youth in Seattle, it shows how a few individuals took steps to make isolated acts of compassion and kindness into a broad network of integrated support for some of society's most vulnerable people. It also belies the notion that social services are inherently inefficient as for decades many of these organizations have done more with less. Overall, I was just so impressed by the dedication of so many people to try to make this city more attuned to the needs of people who had for too long been forgotten.
"When we paid caseworkers in cookies: A brief history of serving homeless youth" by Sinan Demirel
Published in Crosscut, March 5, 2014
Eric
No comments:
Post a Comment