Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64DAY-TO-DAY DISAGREEMENT ON MORAL ISSUES Percentage saying each is “morally acceptable,” according to a Gallup Values and Beliefs Polls: No religion Jewish Catholic Protestant Mormon Abortion 73 76 38 33 18 Doctor-assisted suicide 77 73 47 43 30 Cloning animals 50 50 33 28 33 Gay-lesbian relations 83 85 62 41 28 Having a baby outside of marriage 80 68 59 47 25 EVERY VOTE COUNTS “[Voting] is a fundamental right, and that should not be taken away just because one doesn’t have an address,” says Maria Foscarinis, the founder and executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. “It’s especially important for homeless people [to vote] because this is a group of people that is especially marginalized and really needs to have a say in the political process.” Low-income people are often significantly affected by changes in the law, yet they as a group have very low voter turnout rates. Many people assume that homeless people can’t vote because they don’t have a permanent address, but all 50 states allow people who are experiencing homelessness to register and vote. The best source of informa- tion and regulations is your state or county election office, but the following are some general guidelines. Most states have some residency length requirements for voter registration, often needing to have resided in the same place for 30 days or more before Election Day. Contact your local election officials to find out what the rules are in your state. It is recommended that homeless registrants list an address where they regularly find accommodations as their voting address where they could receive mail. Alternatively, homeless registrants may denote a street corner or a park as their residence, in lieu of a traditional home address. The federal voter registration form and many state forms provide a space for this purpose. Not having proper identification can be a barrier to voting, so work with interested residents to secure ID before Election Day. Being able to vote gives homeless people a way to feel connected to their community. Other ways you can help your guests participate: • Educate your guests that their votes matter. • Call your county elections office and find out if your facility can serve as a polling site on Election Day. • Provide transportation to a polling site on Election Day. • Organize a candidates’ forum and ask the candidates to address your issues. • Help clients to organize a candidates’ forum in your community. • Provide education or written materials on the voting process and the candidates/issues that will be on the ballot. • Talk to your peers in other nonprofits, and encourage them to involve their clients in the democratic process. Source: The National Coalition for the Homeless, “You Don’t Need a Home to Vote Project” UNDERSTANDING PAIN David Biro, author of The Language of Pain, suggests these three tips for helping people find effective ways to communicate their pain. They could help your staff as you talk to guests about both physical and emotional pain, and help them feel heard. 1. Use a scale to convey intensity. Rate your pain on a scale of 1–10 (10 being the most intense). 2. Explain specific ways the pain affects your life. What does it make you do or keep you from doing? 3. Use metaphors and similes. Find broad or universal experiences to explain your individual pain, such as, “It feels like my skin is on fire,” or “The anxiety is an ocean wave that drowns me.” 52 WWW.AGRM.ORG JULY/AUGUST 2016