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"Directions"
Directions is a project that began during the fall
semester of 2004. What began as a class project for some Human Relations
students from the University of Oklahoma has now developed into what we hope
will be a useful tool for homeless persons in our community who do not know how
to get to essential services - food and shelter.
When the students working on the project contacted our agency,
they asked if they could talk with someone who had been homeless and recovering
from mental illness. Steve volunteered to talk with the students.
During their conversation, when asked what would have helped when Steve first
became homeless in Norman - he said he needed directions to get to food and
shelter. From that first conversation, the project began.
 Since
the beginning of the project, Steve has spoken with a class at OU about his
experiences with homelessness. He has also acted as consultant and
community guide for the students working on this project. Steve has kept
the students informed as to what the needs are, what is the best way to present
the information, and where are the locations to put the brochures with the maps
so that homeless people can get the information.
The students currently working on this project come from three
different schools at OU - Human Relations, School of Social Work, and Education
and Community Renewal. Sarah Brown and Nduta Ahmad from Human Relations,
Leaster Lenard from School of Social Work, and John Koons and Megan Sherrer from
Education and Community Renewal have been working during the spring semester of
2005 on Directions.
The brochure is simple - on the outside is written information
on the primary agencies in Norman that provide food, shelter, and referral
information to homeless persons. On the inside, there is a map that
provides directions to get from places frequented by homeless persons to the
agencies that provide assistance. Care was taken in ensuring that the
print was large and easily read, graphics were used if someone had difficulty
reading, and the map itself will have arrows and provide simple directions to
the agencies.
The project has started small - maps will be developed to
direct people from Andrew's Park and the Norman Library to Food and Shelter for
Friends and Salvation Army. We hope the project will develop to target
other "starting points" with maps to those agencies. Another
part of this project will involve distributing the brochures to businesses in
the community. This will provide them with tools that they can give to
homeless people looking for assistance.
Special thanks to OG&E for donating the printing of the
brochures. And thanks to Nancy Hogue with Don Cies Real Estate for
donating brochure holders.
If you'd like more information on the project, you can contact
Bonnie Dunn at 360-7926 or e-mail transitionhouse@coxinet.net.
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