Models for doing Literacy and Homelessness Work

"In challenging normal models and methodologies of literacy work, literacy and homelessness work is an "incubator for fresh ideas about literacy education. "

This section will outline several models for doing literacy work with homeless people and offer some practical examples. These models can be changed, built on, or rejected based on your experiences, programs, and the needs of people that you work with.

Getting Started

Start with the immediate needs of the individuals that you're working with. People don't often directly ask for help with "literacy". Instead, they may ask for help in completing a task. Do they want help with a resume or filling out a form? Do they want to start a cooking group in the drop-in? Listen to and respond to their individual needs. Each individual is best able to determine what they want to learn and how they want to learn it.

Using Community Resources

Remember, there is literacy help available in the community.

• If you need training or support around meeting people's literacy needs, talk to your local literacy program. You may also want to educate your literacy program around the needs of learners who are transient and homeless.
  
  
• Your local library may lend adult literacy materials. As well, they may be able to arrange donations of books or a deposit collection of library books.
  
  
• If you need information about literacy resources in Metro Toronto, call the Literacy Access Network at (416) 961-5557. Elsewhere, look under LEARN in the yellow pages. Also check the resources section at the back of this book.