The Homeless World Cup Foundation - Text 5

The Homeless World Cup Foundation

A The Homeless World Cup Foundation is a charity set up to support the local grass roots football projects based around the highly successful annual, international football tournament. The Homeless World Cup has triggered grass roots football projects in over 70 nations working with over 40,000 players all year round. The Foundation exists to nurture and grow these projects with the ambition to reach one million players in 75 nations with the benefits of football.

B Today, there are an estimated 1 billion homeless people worldwide. Homeless is not merely a problem in Third World countries, but is global, affecting even in developed nations. The Homeless World Cup has a vision to beat homelessness through football, aiming to provide a most basic need – a home. The 8th Homeless World Cup is set to start in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From September 19 – September 26 2010, 64 national homeless teams from around the world unite at Copacabana Beach, the home of street soccer.

C Street soccer is a bit different from the traditional game, but contains many of the same elements. For starters, the pitch is much smaller (22m by 16m), and there is no grass to be found. Teams have 8 members, however, only 4 are allowed on the court at a time. There are also no gender boundaries within the Homeless World Cup, as teams can be comprised of all men, all women, or mixed.

D The Homeless World Cup was started to give hope and make an impact. In their research, the Homeless World Cup has found that the organization has significantly changed the lives of the players for the better and nearly all players have a new motivation for life. Just ask Bebe, Portugal’s Homeless World Cup star who made history when Manchester United picked him up in August for £7.4 million. Research consistently demonstrates that over 70 per cent of players have come off drugs and alcohol, move into homes, jobs, education and training, repair relationships and even become coaches and players.

E The Homeless World Cup was founded by world-leading social entrepreneur Mel Young and is supported by UEFA, Nike, Vodafone Group Foundation, Global Ambassador Eric Cantona and international footballers Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand because The Homeless World Cup vision is for a healthy, abundant, confident world where everyone has a home, a basic human need.

estimated – odhadovaný

merely – pouze

nurture – živit, pečovat

significantly – značně

trigger – spustit

1) Read the article and match each of the headings to a paragraph.

1 Street soccer rules

2 The Homeless World Cup – global activity

3 Why to support The Homeless World Cup?

4 Introduction

5 The Homeless World Cup changes lives

2) Read the article and answer the questions.

       1 What is the article about?

2 Why does The Homeless World Cup take place?

3 What are street soccer rules?

4 How does it change lives?

5 Who and why supports The Homeless World Cup?

3) Explain the following words.

1 gender boundaries

2 motivation for life

3 research

4 drugs

5 relationship

4) Answer the following questions.

What are types of homelessness? What activities are prepared for the homeless by organizations and foundations? How does Charity help the homeless?

Adjusted to:

http://blog.footbalistic.com/?p=1508

http://www.homelessworldcup.org

The Big Issue - Text 4

The Big Issue

A The Big Issue is one of the UK’s leading social businesses, which continues to offer homeless and vulnerably housed people the opportunity to earn a legitimate income. The organisation is made up of two parts; a limited company which produces and distributes a magazine to a network of street vendors, and a registered charity which exists to help those vendors gain control of their lives by addressing the issues which have contributed to their homelessness.

B The Big Issue Company publishes a weekly entertainment and current affairs magazine, which Big Issue sellers (or vendors) buy for 85p and sell for £1.70, thereby earning 85p per copy. Any profit generated through the sale of the magazine is passed on to our charity, The Big Issue Foundation. The Foundation is also reliant upon donations from the public to fund its crucial work with vendors. The organisation currently supports over 2900 homeless and vulnerably housed people across the country. The magazine is read by over 670,000 people every week throughout the UK. John Duffy is one of the vendors.

C My name is John Duffy and I’ve been involved with The Big Issue in one way or the other over the last 10 years. I was born in Manchester but by adulthood I was living in London where I married. Like many who find themselves thrust into a life on the streets, the catalyst for my spiral into homelessness was the break-up of my marriage. It hit me hard. I started drinking - drinking heavily on the streets of London.

D My first experience of The Big Issue was when I initially wanted to try and get myself together and away from my life where drink was an everyday scenario. I started selling the magazine and after 6 months had got myself together enough to take a job abroad as a bricklayer. A few jobs here and there, in between which time I returned to sell The Big Issue for the stability it gave to me, and I was in a position to consider setting up my own business.

E I proudly set up a book franchise company in 2003. Maybe success came too quickly as I took more people on and got a friend involved as a partner in a matter of months. Things were going so well that I took a holiday... When I came back my world had fallen apart again. My business partner had built up a huge amount of debt and had also ran off with my money. I was bankrupt and back on the streets within days. But The Big Issue was still there for me.

F Most recently I have got myself a new job within The Big Issue Foundation. I am now a Service Support Broker, which allows me to directly help individual vendors and homeless people access the support and services they desperately need.

broker - jednatel

catalyst – katalyzátor

reliant upon – závislý na

1) Read the article and match each of the headings to a paragraph.

1 John became a vendor

2 Information about The Big Issue

3 John’s business problems

4 Introduction

5 Why did John become a homeless?

6 John’s life today

2) Read the article and answer the questions.

       1 What is the article about?

2 What is the basic information about The Big Issue?

3 Who is John Duffy? What jobs has he performed?

4 What problems has he had in his life?

5 What does he do nowadays?

3) Explain the following words.

1 foundation

2 donation

3 break-up of marriage

4 debt

5 support

4) Answer the following questions.

What are other magazines sold by the homeless? Where can homeless find a shelter and help? What are major reasons and causes for homelessness?

Adjusted to:

http://www.bigissue.com/Introduction_2.php

Squatters out in the cold - Text 3

Squatters out in the cold

A Residents of the Ladronka squat had been living in the building for the past seven years. But city authorities gave them a rude awakening in the early morning of November 9. Police kicked down the door of the century-old farm complex in Prague 6 and ordered the 15 people living there to leave immediately. Five arrests resulted when police learned the squat had been tapping the city’s electric lines.

B City council member Filip Dvořák, who ordered the eviction, cited a July petition calling for the removal of the squatters and a recent call from Senator Jan Ruml urging action. “There was concern among citizens that the city wasn’t doing enough to protect their rights,” said Dvořák. “We’ve had numerous complaints over the years of vandalism and noise in the area of Ladronka; of things being stolen from peoples’ gardens.”

C The squat had gained international renown over the years, hosting guests from across Europe and serving as an occasional venue for punk concerts and house parties. “This was our home,” said a 21-year-old resident who identified herself only as Gabina. “We really did a lot of work on this place over the years. We’re all homeless now, freezing out here. Why couldn’t they have done this in the summer?” Asked why the squatters weren’t warned, Dvořák replied tersely, “This was a normal working day. Does the postman warn you before he delivers a letter?”

D Violence erupted the same afternoon as squatters formed a human roadblock to stop a moving van filled with their belongings from leaving the premises. The scene turned almost comical as the van repeatedly turned around and the squatters scrambled to stop it – until riot police put a stop to their efforts with clubs, routing the squatters and allowing the van to make a speedy escape. “They took everything,” said Petr Dydovič, a six-year resident of the squat. “Food, clothes, and furniture – they even took our dogs to the pound. Luckily, two got away.” Police gave residents a week to reclaim their belongings.

E As the weak afternoon light began to wane, the squatters gathered on the grass around a tub of soup and an iron pot filled with tea. Lines of police monitored the building, and three defiant youths looked down from the rooftop – Ladronka’s last residents. They held out against the cold until 8 p.m. “We lived here as part of an ideology,” Gabina said. “To live communally, to build our own culture. That’s definitely over now.”

defiant – vzdorující

premises – prostory

renown – renomé

riot – výtržnost

roadblock – zátaras, bariéra

to reclaim – opět nabýt

to rout – rozprášit

to wane – slábnout

tub – nádoba

1) Read the article and match each of the headings to a paragraph.

1 Concert and parties organizers have become homeless

2 Ladronka’s last residents

3 Rude awakening of Ladronka’s residents

4 Introduction

5 Fighting with the police

2) Read the article and answer the questions.

       1 What is the article about?

2 What is Ladronka? Describe the residents and their life there.

3 Who is Filip Dvořák? What is his opinion?

4 What happened on November 9?

5 Describe the present situation in Ladronka.

3) Explain the following words.

1 squat

2 arrest

3 belongings

4 iron pot

5 to live communally

4) Answer the following questions.

Who are squatters? What is their lifestyle like? What kind of people become squatters? What problems do they have with police? What are typical places to squat?

Adjusted to:

http://www.praguepost.com/archivescontent/32971-squatters-out-in-the-cold.html

Nový Prostor - Text 2

Nový Prostor

A Nový Prostor, a weekly street magazine sold by the homeless, focuses on controversial issues which are often overlooked by other publications. But Nový Prostor attempts to be more than just a magazine.

B The name "Nový Prostor" translates as 'New Space' which suggests the goal of the publication: to provide a new platform to everything in society which isn't normally accepted. So it is referring to issues that are often sidelined in the mainstream media: such as minorities, racism, feminism and homosexuality. But of particular interest would be issues such as poverty, unemployment, and social welfare which deal directly with the lives of people most affected by Nový Prostor: the homeless.

C This counter-culture magazine is unique because it's run as a non-profit organisation to help provide an income to the unemployed and homeless. I caught up with two Nový Prostor vendors at Muzeum Metro Station in Prague... "Every day we sell about 25 to 30 copies each, from which we earn about 300 Czech crowns a day; that pays just enough for food and rent. Currently, where we live it costs about 110 crowns per day for rent... but we have to make sure we have enough for the weekend or else we'll end up on the street. I'm still waiting for the construction company that I used to work for to pay me... they owe me money and that's how I ended up on the street...."

D Although many marginalised people in the Czech Republic end up in Prague, Nový Prostor is also sold in smaller quantities in Brno, Plzen and Ostrava. Nový Prostor's Project Co-ordinator, Robert Sztarovics, is the man who initially brought the idea from Great Britain to Eastern Europe. He stressed his hopes that Nový Prostor will be able to use its resources to benefit the marginalised groups which it originally intended to help, beyond simply providing jobs.

E "The first social event we co-ordinated was the Christmas gathering where about 40 of our one hundred vendors showed up, which is quite promising. We hope that this clubroom will become their own. We want to offer these people an opportunity to engage in a lifestyle similar to the average citizen. We are hoping to provide them with an opportunity to become involved in social functions that may by be otherwise out of their reach, in an attempt to return their sense of being part of greater society. Some of the activities we're hoping to start up here are a drama club, a writing club, and a soccer team. These may not seem like common activities for a social organisation which deals with the marginalised in society, but we're reacting to the great deal of interest that was shown in these areas when they were proposed to our vendors.

gathering – shromáždění

marginalised – opomíjený

platform – stupínek

to sideline – postavit na vedlejší kolej

vendor – prodejce

1) Read the article and match each of the headings to a paragraph.

1 Questioning two vendors

2 Topics of articles in Nový Prostor magazine

3 Other activities for magazine vendors

4 Introduction

5 Where is Nový Prostor sold?

2) Read the article and answer the questions.

       1 What is the article about?

2 What are the magazine articles about?

3 Where is the magazine sold?

4 How much do the vendors earn? How much money do they need for everyday life?

5 What other activities are provided by Nový Prostor?

3) Explain the following words.

1 unemployment

2 poverty

3 rent

4 to owe

5 provide a job

4) Answer the following questions.

Where do the majority of homeless people in the Czech Republic live? Where do they sleep? What are their main problems? What are conditions for selling Nový Prostor?

Adjusted to:

http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/novy-prostor-street-magazine-marks-10th-anniversary

An unusual shelter for the homeless - Text 1

An unusual shelter for the homeless

A A few nights ago, as I was walking by Narodní Třída in the centre of the city, which is a popular hang-out spot for the homeless, a loud conversation caught my attention. The couple had made themselves comfortable on the floor close to the entrance of the metro and was fighting over a blanket, or some kind of a rug. The fight began to escalate, swear words filled the air. Then, the woman got up and screamed: "You know what, with people like you among us, it's no wonder that City Hall wants to ship us all away overnight."

B I stopped and was tempted to ask the woman what she was referring to. But I was already late for a meeting and - I'm embarrassed to admit - didn't really have the courage to approach the two. After all, this was the place where a man was recently found on the floor with blood oozing out of his stab wounds. But that sentence stuck in my mind all night and it was not until I woke up the next morning that I realised what it was all about.

C There are an estimated five to six thousand homeless people in the capital, of whom only several hundred have access to free or cheap accommodation. Even in winter, when charities and humanitarian organisations try to offer a warm place for the night, many have nowhere to go. They take refuge in train stations or heated night trams in order to battle the cold winter months. In late January, a tent city was set up in Prague by the army for another 100-200 people. But the 3-week camp cost the city over 30,000 dollars and could only be a temporary solution.

D Facing a barrage of criticism from humanitarian organisations every winter, the City of Prague defends itself with the argument that it is hard to acquire buildings for homeless shelters as the city's districts don't want them there. But this week, City Hall announced that it has a new plan. Its Council, on Tuesday, decided to approach the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry with the request for a grant to acquire a ship, which could then be reconstructed and turned into a shelter on the Vltava River that runs through the city. The estimated 21 million crown project would offer 250 beds and a canteen with some 175 seats.

E Hopefully not all of the city's homeless are as distrusting of the authorities as the woman I overheard the other night. If the rumour should go around that the city's actual motive is to ship its homeless population elsewhere, City Hall would have to take an unusual step - ask for another grant to hold a campaign to persuade the homeless that it will be safe to use the services of its 21 million crown "boatel".

barrage – palba

hang-out – kvartýr, skrýš

sentence – trest

stab wound – bodná rána

swear word – nadávka

to ship away – odvézt lodí

to tempt – lákat

1) Read the article and match each of the headings to a paragraph.

1 Shelters in Prague

2 Fight over a blanket

3 A new plan of the City of Prague

4 I wanted to talk to the homeless but was afraid

5 Boatel

2) Read the article and answer the questions.

       1 What is the article about?

2 Why did the homeless fight?

3 What was the misunderstanding of the woman over a new plan of the City of Prague?

4 What is the new plan of the City of Prague?

5 How much does the boatel cost?

3) Explain the following words.

1 accommodation

2 charity

3 refuge

4 shelter

5 boatel

4) Answer the following questions.

What organizations help the homeless? Why do people become homeless? What are conditions for staying in the boatel? What services does it offer?

Adjusted to:

http://www.radio.cz/en/section/letter/an-unusual-shelter-for-the-homeless

What do You know about homelessness? 2

Explain the following words.

1. accommodation
2. boatel
3. break-up of marriage
4. debt
5. donation
6. drugs
7. foundation
8. gender boundaries
9. hostility
10. marginalised
11. motivation for life
12. poverty
13. provide a job
14. refuge
15. relationship
16. rent
17. research
18. shelter
19. support
20. to owe
21. unemployment
22. vendor
23. violence
24. squat
25. arrest
26. belongings
27. iron pot
28. to live communally
29. riot

What do You know about homelessness? 1

Answer the following questions.

1. Where do the majority of homeless people in the Czech Republic live?
2. Where do they sleep?
3. Where can homeless find a shelter and help?
4. What are their main problems?
5. What are conditions for selling Nový Prostor?
6. What are other magazines sold by the homeless?
7. What organizations help the homeless?
8. Why do people become homeless?
9. What are conditions for staying in the boatel? What services does it offer?
10. What are major reasons and causes for homelessness?
11. What are types of homelessness?
12. What activities are prepared for the homeless by organizations and foundations?
13. How does Charity help the homeless?
14. Who are squatters? What is their lifestyle like?
15. What kind of people become squatters?
16. What problems do they have with police?
17. What are typical places to squat?

Homelessness – Study material

Homelessness – Study material

Homelessness is the condition and social category of people without a regular house or dwelling because they cannot afford, or are otherwise unable to maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing. Street people are the segment of the homeless who spend time on the streets in urban areas.

The term homelessness may also include people whose primary residence is in a homeless shelter, in an institution that provides food a home to support the homeless so that they can live with temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or in a public or private place not designed for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.

The major reasons and causes for homelessness as documented by many reports and studies include:

• Unavailability of employment opportunities.
• Poverty, caused by many factors including unemployment and underemployment.
• Lack of affordable healthcare.
• War or armed conflict.
• Mental disorder, where mental health services are unavailable or difficult to access.
• Disability, especially where disability services are nonexistent or poor performing.
• Substance abuse.
• Lack of affordable housing.
• Domestic violence.
• Relationship breakdown, particularly in relation to young people and their parents.
• Prison release and re-entry into society.
• Natural disaster, including but not limited to earthquakes and hurricanes.

Types of homelessness:

• Short-Term Houselessness: When a traumatic event occurs such as a house fire or natural disaster, people with positive relational resources, solid inner resources & sufficient physical resources are able to recover in a short period of time, usually within 30 days.
• Long-Term Houselessness: Much like Short-Term Houselessness, the loss of a house is the result of an unforeseen event, except in this situation the people who are affected have modest physical resources which lengthens the amount of time it takes to recover, sometimes up to 120 days. 
• Permanently Supported Homelessness: The Permanently-Supported Homeless population lacks both relational & inner resources due to mental or physical disability & must rely upon outside resources to provide the goods & services needed to sustain life. 
• Near Homelessness: Those in the Near Homeless category have overextended their personal support systems, which keeps them on the brink of homelessness. Literally “one paycheck away from homelessness,” these folks cannot withstand any type of setback. The loss of a job, roommate, or vehicle can easily push them over the edge. 
• Self-Induced Homelessness: Self-induced homeless persons reject their relational resources by refusing to cooperate or submit to any form of authority. As a result, they are unable to maintain housing, employment or any type of productive relationship. 
• Environmentally Dysfunctional Homelessness: This segment of the homeless population has experienced a series of traumatic events, often a result of the toxic environment in which they were exposed. Broken, dysfunctional or non-existent relational resources have severely weakened their inner resources making it almost impossible for them to sustain the physical resources needed for stability. War Veterans can fall into this type of homelessness when their inner resources are unable to withstand the traumatic events of war.

Supportive housing is a combination of housing and services intended as a cost-effective way to help people live more stable lives. Supportive housing works well for those who face the most complex challenges—individuals and families confronted with homelessness and who also have very low incomes and/or serious, persistent issues that may include substance abuse, addiction or alcoholism, mental illness, HIV/AIDS, or other serious challenges to a successful life.

Problems faced by people who are homeless:

• Discrimination against the homeless
• Need for personal shelter, warmth and safety.
• Personal security, quiet, and privacy.
• Safekeeping of bedding, clothing and possessions, which may have to be carried at all times.
• Hygiene and sanitary facilities.
• Cleaning and drying of clothes.
• Obtaining, preparing and storing food in quantities.
• Keeping contacts, without a permanent location or mailing address.
• Hostility and legal powers against urban vagrancy.
• Reduced access to health care and dental services.
• Limited access to education.
• Increased risk of suffering from violence and abuse.
• Loss of usual relationships with the mainstream.
• Not being seen as suitable for employment.
• Reduced access to banking services.
• Reduced access to communication technology. 

There are many places where a homeless person might seek refuge: 

• Outdoors: On the ground or in a sleeping bag, tent, or improvised shelter, such as a large cardboard box, dumpster, in a park or vacant lot.
• Shantytowns: Ad hoc campsites of improvised shelters and shack.
• Derelict structures: abandoned or condemned buildings.
• Squatting in an unoccupied house where a homeless person may live without payment and without the owner's knowledge or permission.
• Vehicles: cars or trucks are used as a temporary or sometimes long-term living refuge, for example by those recently evicted from a home. Some people live in vans, sport utility vehicles, covered pick-up trucks, station wagons, sedans, or hatchbacks .
• Public places: Parks, bus or train stations, public libraries, airports, public transportation vehicles, hospital lobbies or waiting areas, college campuses, and 24-hour businesses such as coffee shops.
• Homeless shelters.
• Inexpensive boarding houses: Also called flophouses, they offer cheap, low-quality temporary lodging.
• Residential hotels, where a bed as opposed to an entire room can be rented cheaply in a dorm-like environment.
• Inexpensive motels also offer cheap, low-quality temporary lodging.

Adjusted to: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness
http://www.innercitymission.net/AboutHomelessness/TypesofHomelessness/tabid/120/Default.aspx