COMM237SOCIALACTIONPROJECT

ExecutiveSummary
SelfEsteem&EmpowermentforWomenExperiencingHomelessness&MentalIllness
SamanthaHapp,EmmaBuchholz,JeremiahJohnson,MattiMoran,MollyTatosian,JessieStaed

Inaworldwherethemostsuccessfulandprivilegedhavelowselfesteem,
underprivilegedandunderservedwomenespeciallyfallvictim.Thereisadirect
correlationbetweenwomenwhohaveexperiencedhomelessnessand/orsufferfrom
mentalillnesswithlowselfesteem.DefinedbyUCDavisHealthSystems,
selfesteemishowwevalueourselvesitishowweperceiveourvaluetothe
worldandhowvaluablewethinkwearetoothers.Selfesteemaffectsnearly
everypartofourlives.Fromourresearchandexperiences,webelievethata
socialactionprojectthathelpsselfesteemhelpsalloftheothercomponentsofa
personslifeaswell.

TheProblem

Forthisproject,wechosetonarrowinonthepromotionofselfesteeminwomen
experiencinghomelessness,manyofwhomarealsosufferingfrommentalillness.
Ofthe46.2millionAmericanslivinginpoverty,almost25millionor55percentare
women,statesthe
ColoradoCoalitionfortheHomeless.
Researchalsostatesthat
impoverishedandhomelesswomenandwomenwithmentalillnessarehighly
susceptibletolowselfesteem(
TheHealthyPlace)
.Undertheconditionsof
homelessnesspeoplearemoresusceptibletomentalillnessorarehomelessasa
resultofmentalillness(
SunriseHouse)
.Mentalillnessesandconditionsof
homelessnessdirectlycorrelatewithselfesteembecausetheeffectsaddontoan
individualspreexistingsymptoms(
TheHealthyPlace
).Achainofreactionstake
place,becausehomelessnessleadstolowselfesteemandlowselfesteemleadsto
lowconfidencewhichpreventsindividualsfromseizingopportunitiestoremove
themselvesfromhomelessness.Theinterconnectednessofhomelessness,mental
illnessandselfesteemposessignificanthindrancestoanindividualslifeand
perpetuatesthecycleofhomelessness.However,alittlebitofhelpimproving
selfesteemgoesalongway.

TheSolution

Itshardtoimproveanindividualsselfesteemina2hourworkshop.Selfesteem
isalong,personaljourney,fullofhighsandlows.Afterchoosingtoworkwitha
populationknowntosufferfromlowselfesteemwhich,inturn,makestheirliving
situationsworse,weknewthattheimpactofourpresencewouldbeminisculeat
best.Aswesatfrustratedwiththisreality,webegantounderstandthatthisfitour
understandingofasocialactionprojectworkingoffourourconceptionofsocial
justice,which

Oursocialactionprojectwasdesignedwiththeintenttoberepeatableandtobe
usedatvariousorganizationsthroughoutthecity.Adaptabletofittheclients
needs,thisprojectaimstoempowerwomentotelltheirownstoriesusingtheirown
voice,aprivilegeoftendeniedtowomenofallbackgrounds.Thisprojectisa
twohourlongeventconsistingofthreestationsthatpromoteselfesteem,
confidence,andselfexpression.Theprojectiscateredtoademographicofwomen
fortyyearsoldandolderwhowereatonepointintheirliveschronicallyhomeless,
thoughitcouldbeadaptedtofitotherdemographicsaswell.Thepopulationserved
alsosuffersfromdisabilitiessuchasmentalillness,physicaldisabilities,learning
disabilities,andsubstanceabuse.Oftentimes,weseewomenexperiencing
homelessnessandwomensufferingfrommentalillnessastwoofthemost
dehumanizedgroupssincetheyareoverlookedandoftenforgotteninsociety,it
becomesdifficultforthemtofindvalueinthemselves,asexpressedbymanyofour
conversationswithwomenofthisdemographicandthroughourresearch.Likethe
stafffromDeborahsPlacetoldus,thisworkissoimportant.Itshowsthese
womenthatsomeoneoutsideofthesewallscarethattheyexistandwantsthemto
succeed.(DanielleDixon,DeborahsPlaceSupervisor)Oureventwashostedat
DeborahsPlace,anorganizationthatprovideshousingandsupportiveservicesto
womenwhoarehomelessinChicago.DeborahsPlaceprovidedanopenroomwith
tablesandchairsinorderfortheeventtooccur,andinvitedwomenthatliveinits
MarahsHousehousingsheltertotheevent,heldonApril14,2016.

Theeventconsistedofthreestationsincluded:aphotoboothstation,avision
boardstation,andafortunecookiestation.Thephotoboothstationmaterials
includedvariouspropsforthewomentousetodressupandexpressthemselves,a
backdrop,apolaroidcameraandfilm,andastackofconstructionpaperposters
withthewords,IAM______.ThewomenfilledouttheIAM____postersprior
totheirphotowithpositivephrasesaboutthemselves.Forexample,onewoman
wrote,IAMFierce.Thephotoboothandpositivephrasesimprovedthewomens
selfesteembecauseitempoweredthemtochoosetheiridentityandhowthey
wouldliketoexpressthemselves.Thevisionboardstationmaterialsincludedposter
boards,markers,magazines,scissors,andglue.Theobjectiveofthisstationwasto

usephotosandlettersfromthemagazinestocreateaposterexpressingthe
womanscurrentselfandfuturegoals.Selfesteemwasimprovedthroughthis
stationbecauseitallowedthewomentoaspireandhavehopefortheirfuture.The
fortunecookiestationmaterialsconsistedofmarkers,precutconstructionpaper
circleswitha3inchdiameter,andsmallwhitestripsofpaper.Atthefortunecookie
stationthewomenwroteadviceforindividualsincollegeonthesmallwhitestrips
ofpaperandproceededtouseanorigamifoldingstyletoputthewhitestripinthe
circleandfolditintotheshapeofafortunecookie(thistookalotoffacilitatorhelp,
butledtoopencommunicationandbonding).Thefortunecookiestationimproved
confidencebecausethewomenwerebeingaskedforadviceandgivenrespect,
whilealsobeingempoweredtosharetheirstoriesandhopeswithnewgraduatesof
Loyola.

AreasofImprovement

Asaresultoftheeventbeingapilotsocialactionprojectthereareacouple
ofpointsofimprovementthatwouldbenefittheprojectinthefuture.Oneofthe
mainfactorsofimprovementwouldbetodomorethoroughresearchofa
demographicwithdisabilities.Researchwasdoneprior,butpriorexperiencewith
theparticulardemographicormoreexpectationswouldmakethisprojecteven
moreofasuccesswearenotexpertsandcouldonlyaccountforsomuch.Some
ofthereactionswereceivedfromthewomenweremuchmoreexpressiveand
animatedthanweexpected,whileotherswantedtositontheoutskirtsandwatch.
Perhapsmoreknowledgeonthedisabilitiesandmentalillnessesthemselveswould
havegivenusbetterpreparationforourconversationswiththesewomen,butby
allowingthemtochoosewhattheywerecomfortablegettinginvolvedin,wealso
contributedtotheirempowerment.
Asecondimprovementwouldbemorefacilitatorsattheevent.Theevent
hadsixfacilitators(oursmallgroup)runningtheevent,howeveroneortwomore
peoplewouldbeabletogivethewomentheoneononeattentiontheydeserve.
Themorewomenthatentered,themoredifficultitwastotrulyholdengagingand
meaningfulconversationswitheachofthewomen.
Whiletheimprovementsuggestionsareminorandtheeventwasagreat
successwithoutthem,webelievethesechangeswouldbenefittheprojectoverall.

TheSuccessfulResults

Unlikeotherprojects,oursocialactionprojectfocusingonselfesteem
cannotbemeasuredbynumbersandcalculations,howeveritcanbemeasuredby
humanemotionandrelationships.Theprojectiscenteredaroundselfesteemand
happinesssoitisonlysuitablethatitssuccessbemeasuredontheemotional
impacttheeventhadonthewomenthatday,whichisalsodifficult,considering
thatselfesteemisaprocess.Despitethedifficultyofmeasuringsuccess,wehave

foundthattheprojectwassuccessfulthroughthemediumsoffilm,interviews
photographythatexpresstheemotionsofthewomenbeforeandaftertheevent.
Womenwhohavenothadeasylives,experiencedviolence,andbattlewith
disabilitiesemotionallyopeneduptocompletestrangersoverashorttwohour
period.Thestationsallowedthewomentoexpressthemselvesnotonlythroughthe
activitiesateachstation,butthroughourlisteningearsandcomfortingpresence.
Thefilmandphotographsprovethatthewomenwerehappierthanwhenthey
walkedintotheevent.Interviewscapturedonfilmallowedthewomentoexpress
themselvesinawaytheywantedtobeseen.Thefluiddesignofthestationsdid
notmakeitmandatoryforthewomentoattendeverystation,butempowered
themtomaketheirowndecisionsandindependentlychoosehowtheywouldliketo
expressthemselves.Thecalmandopenmindedatmosphereoftheroom,
facilitators,andparticipantsalsocontributedtotheprojectssuccess.
Onthesurfacetheimpactoftheprojectmayseemsmall,butultimatelyitishuge.
TheWorldHealthOrganizationcitesthat,Womenaretwotimesmorelikelythan
mentodevelopcertainhealthconditionslikedepression,eatingdisorders,and
panicdisorders.Thewomentheprojecthelpswerealreadysusceptibletomental
illnessesandlowselfesteem,butitprovidesthemwithaselfesteemboostthat
humanizesthemalittlebitmore.Everyonedeservestobelistenedtoand
appreciatedandthisprojectdoesjustthat.Theprojectisalreadyproventohelp
selfesteeminolderwomenwithdisabilitieswhohaveexperiencedhomelessness,
butitisversatileandcanbeadjustedtobenefitotherdemographicsaswell.Thisis
asimpleprojectmakesabigdifference.

WorksCited

CommonMentalHealthIssuesAmongWomen.
DualDiagnosis.
Foundations
RecoveryNetwork,2016.Web.16April2016.

EvaluatinganIndividualsTreatmentNeeds:AddictionAmongtheHomeless
Population.
SunriseHouse.A
mericanAddictionCenters,2016.Web.16April
2016.

LowSelfEsteemandMentalIllness:PartofthePackage.
HealthyPlace.
Healthy
Place,2015.Web.16April2016.

PolicyBrief:TheCharacteristicsofHomelessWomen.
ColoradoCoalitionforthe
Homeless.
ColoradoCoalitionfortheHomeless,Jan2013.Web.16April
2016.

SelfEsteem.
UCDavisHealthSystem.
TheRegentsoftheUniversityofCalifornia,
2016.Web.16April2016.