Our Crowdfunding Groups
Hello! My name is Kira Deerman, and I am a fourth-year student here at The Ohio State University. I am majoring in Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) with minors in American Sign Language and Global Public Health. Along with being a student, I am also involved in student organizations such as the Undergraduate Student Government, the Morrill Scholars Program, the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega and the Human Development and Family Science Club.
This is my third-year as an executive member of the Human Development and Family Science Club, a student organization dedicated to bettering our community through volunteer opportunities. Through this organization, I have been able to lead donation drives for supplies needed by homeless youth in Columbus, such as blankets and hygiene kits. I have also been able to volunteer with local food pantries that serve lower-income communities through my time in Alpha Phi Omega. Through my research for these philanthropic efforts, I became more aware of the unknown, and often uncared for, hardships that unhoused Americans are subjected to. Between my HDFS major and my Public Health minor, I have been able to explore these difficulties and how homelessness has such severe long-term effects. Homelessness is deadly; Americans who experience homelessness die an average of 27 years earlier than people who consistently have access to housing. This means that the average lifespan of an unhoused person is just 50 years - that’s the average age that Americans died in 1900!
Professionally, I have also been able to play a role in helping this underserved community. One of my current projects as a Research Assistant has been examining different pathways to homelessness across various demographics. Through determining the reasons that cause people to become unhoused, methods for support can be developed to help prevent it. Similarly, I have also worked as a Teaching Assistant for the “Families & Stress” course offered by my department. One of the overarching topics of the course is how your access to resources plays a major role in predicting outcomes. These resources are rarely available for homeless populations, and those that are available often are overwhelmed and have long wait times.
I am honored to serve on the 2024 Ohio State Homecoming Court and want to use my platform to support the Homeless Youth Research Fund. Homelessness is extremely difficult for all ages, and young homeless people don't often have their own records or forms of identification. With your support, I believe that we can make a tangible difference in the lives of unhoused youth and connecting all unhoused people with the resources they deserve.
