Theses and Dissertations Collection

Take a moment to imagine your life in its entirety. I'm sure there is much to consider, many people have a plethora of belongings. Now take a moment to consider what your life would be like if you are homeless, where would you go? What would you do? Writing this thesis is to examine rural homelessness in northern Idaho through a national organization known as Family Promise. I specifically chose to work with the Family Promise organization due to their mission statement, to help homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence. It was my personal experience with homelessness as a child that led me to this research and drives me to advocate for families who are or have been affected by homelessness and for those individuals who are at-risk for becoming homeless. Homelessness is a complex social issue that affects thousands of men, women, and children every year in the United States of America. In this thesis I share my own personal experience with homelessness as a child living in an urban Charlotte, North Carolina. For one year I lived in the Salvation Army Center of Hope, a women and children's shelter in the city. During my time at the shelter I witnessed many families being torn apart by homelessness.. While working with this organization I hoped to better understand the homeless culture and to create programs that would benefit guests in the Family Promise organization.