For over a decade David Wagner has been involved with the poor and homeless.
Last summer the social work professor invited people who have experienced homelessness to join his fall class, “Homelessness: Life and Culture of the Streets.”
Wagner’s course is offered to criminology, sociology, and social work majors. The class consists of a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students. It dives into learning the political economics and culture, as well as the causes of homelessness.
There are 23 members of Wagner’s class, six of whom are homeless or have been homeless at some time.
Those six people now serve as advocates to the Preble Street Resource Center, one of Portland’s agencies dedicated to working with the homeless.
Every week the advocates attend class. They sit among registered students. They read the assigned readings and write papers. They express themselves as eagerly as any student would through poetry and by contributing to discussions.
“They are very articulate and committed to coming to class,” said Wagner. “Many want to start or go back to college.”
More importantly their personal experiences bring a dynamic to the class. They are cultured in an area that cannot be fully imagined simply by reading essays and writing papers.
Although it is an experimental class, Wagner knows when his students and the advocates mingle they are erasing the homeless stereotypes and discovering a common ground, which is ultimately the task of the class.
“I didn’t want to mandate the interacting between students and the advocates,” said Wagner.
However, the students have many options to volunteer at the Preble Street Resource Center or become politically active in city groups, such as POWER, the Portland Organization to Win Economic Rights. POWER is a fairly new organization started by the Preble Street Resource Center.
The students agree it has been an eye-opening experience. Many take time out of their hectic schedules to volunteer.
Wendy Fitzgerald, a freshman social work major, volunteers at the Preble Street Learning Center, where she looks after the children of the homeless while their parents are searching for jobs.
“It definitely is an advantage,” said Fitzgerald. “It’s a much different perspectives than having books.” Fitzgerald said she learns different viewpoints about why a person becomes homeless and the class helps her understand their insights.
“It is very meaningful for the Preble Street advocates to share their experiences,” said Wagner.
Wagner has been an advocate, a friend and a political spokesperson to the homeless in the greater Portland area. He realized how wonderful the learning and discovery experience would be if he incorporated and invited a compelling homeless advocate group into this class.
“Students are learning from the advocates and at the same time the advocates are getting connected to the University,” said Wagner.
Wagner has witnessed a variety of aspects within the social and political welfare systems. Homelessness is something that gets pushed aside, he said.
Homelessness isn’t as unlikely as one might think, according to Wagner. He said just losing a job, not being able to pay rent and having no support system makes any person a candidate for being homeless.
“We must look beyond the labels. Whatever people are, they have strength and many moments are heartening,” said Wagner.
Staff Writer Erin Zwirn can be contacted at: [email protected].