Twisted Thursdays were created with the intent of getting students together to engage in a substance-free Thursday night. On Sept. 28, the Center for Student Engagement, Leadership and Orientation (CSELO) hosted the night with the University of New Haven’s branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
The NAACP is an organization that strives to educate students around campus on social and political issues such as equality of rights and to eliminate racial hatred and discrimination towards any person. In past years, they have hosted events that do just that, while also getting students engaged.
This past Thursday in the Alumni Lounge, they were making necessity bags for homeless people. Even those that do have homes are just getting started and often do not have enough money to pay for their basic needs, so bags like these act as a helpful starting point. Alicia Lind-Windham, the NAACP co-director of public relations, felt as if calling them homeless was a derogatory way of categorizing these groups of people.
The four main reasons why people end up homeless are poverty, redlining, incarceration and access to healthcare. Lind-Windham continued by saying that “people when passing by unhoused people always ask the question, ‘Why don’t they just get a job? Maybe they’ll get somewhere to live,’ but what people never take into account is the reason they are unhoused.”
The night began with Lind-Windham telling the group what they researched and how people should take into consideration the living conditions of others. The rest of the presentation included statistics, such as one that found that in the state of Connecticut, 3,015 adults ended up homeless, resulting in a 2.90% increase compared to last year. There was also a 7.06% increase in youth homelessness.
There was also information highlighting a discrepancy between rates of homelessness amongst different races, with Black and Indigenous people found to be homeless at higher rates than white counterparts.
After the presentation, those in attendance grabbed gloves and started packing the bags, which included items such as lotion, water, toothpaste and toothbrushes, sun protectant and deodorant. All of these items selected are ones that can be used daily.
The bags will be delivered to the Columbus House Inc. in New Haven, which “serves people experiencing homelessness or imminent risk by providing life-saving outreach, shelter and housing by fostering their personal growth and independence,” as stated on their website. They pride themselves in being able to provide and guide homeless people into a better life.
