Andrew Fann Professor Arnold HONR 2750-H01 20 February 2012 Reflective Journal 2 The article The Impact of a Service-Learning

Project on Student Awareness of Homelessness, Civic Attitudes, and Stereotypes Toward the Homeless, by Kim Buch and Susan Harden is used to discuss all aspects of service learning dealing with the homeless and specifically dealing with the UNC Charlotte Urban Ministries organization, Niner Neighbors. It is said that service learning can be used as a tool to get rid of stereotypes, views, and the negative thoughts students have about the homeless. It also helps them to create a new understanding of something they didn t know or thought they knew about something, such as dealing with the homeless. A 2007 study conducted by the North Carolina Board of Governors that surveyed 28 community leaders of all kinds across the state found that 20 years from now that they want to see the 17 schools in the University of North Carolina School System become more involved in the community. The leaders suggested and want to see students at these institutions to scholarly, directly, and whole-heartedly to become involved with helping the community around them and the state as a whole. They also want the students after they are done working and helping the community to spread the news of what they have done and strive to get others to continue to better the community by service. This article was a great find for me, because it specifically and focuses mainly exactly on the organization I want to work for this semester. When we were trying to

figure out what organization we were going to work with for class, I found Niner Neighbors to be the most appealing and the one project that I think would mean the most to me. Niner Neighbors was first created in 2008 with the two main goals in mind on keeping homeless people from freezing on cold winter nights, and to provide a more personal relationship to homeless people, at least for a night, and a deeper understanding of the depth and complexity of the issue of homelessness for volunteers. To me, just reading this makes me want to get started and helping as soon as possible. This seems like an awesome community service project that will not only help the homeless, but also help myself and the rest of my classmates to become more knowledgably about the homeless, and to have that feeling of making a difference in someone else s life and actually being there to witness it. The part of the article that I found the most meaningful was the part about what the past volunteers thought about their involvement with Niner Neighbors, and how they felt after getting to experience an amazing and eye opening event dealing with the homeless. Respondents commonly made these statements to describe their involvement with Niner Neighbors: Raised my awareness about homelessness; increased my desire to help the homeless; increased my compassion and concern for the homeless; and made me feel that I can make a difference. Just to hear these statements reassures me that choosing to get involved with Niner Neighbors was the best decision I could have made for class. I want to have a better understanding about the homeless and make a difference in their life, because I will be the first to tell you that I am one of those people that has a view of homeless people as the view that has historically been the stereotype given to them. This project gives me the chance to find out more and change my view on the whole homeless people topic. Niner Neighbors has gained great influence and support from Charlotte and the

surrounding community and is viewed as a community engagement project that continues to make a huge difference in the lives of the homeless, and the students as well. If UNC Charlotte continues to grow and further its impact in the community with the homeless and poverty stricken in and around Charlotte, then we have everything to be excited for and a bright future ahead of us.

Bibliography Buch, Kim, and Susan Harden. "The Impact of a Service-Learning Project on Student Awareness of Homelessness, Civic Attitudes, and Stereotypes Toward the Homeless." Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement. 15.3 (2011): n. page. Web. 18 Feb. 2012. <http://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar?q=cache:XPJYHA7glhEJ:scholar. google.com/ Niner Neighbors&hl=en&as_sdt=0,34>.