VOA慢速英语: 社区活动中心帮助了贫民区的女人们
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Community Center Helps Women on Skid Row
Many homeless people live in the “Skid Row” area of Los Angeles, California.These men and women have no permanent place to live. Skid Row is a place where many social service groups can be found. They work to help the homeless find work and a place to live. One such organization works with women.
Skid Row is like no other place in Los Angeles. The homeless fill its sidewalks at all time of the day.
Yolanda Waters has a job as a barista. She prepares and sells coffee. But she was once homeless and spent time in Skid Row.
“It is the place where everybody is dumped. If you do not ask for help, youare not going to get helped. For people to be looking at you like you are nothing, treating you like you ain’t worth nothing -- that is the hard part.”
Ms. Waters received help from the Downtown Women’s Center. The center trains homeless women and helps them find work so they can live in a place of their own. It shows them how to create candles, greeting cards and other products. The program teaches the women to arrive on time, complete a project and work in a group.
Joe Altepeter is head of vocational education at the center.
“Rebuilding self esteem, developing relationships with individuals. Chronichomelessness, when you are living on the streets you become isolated. Sothis is an opportunity to really deal with those issues.”
He adds that about one-fourth of the 58,000 homeless people in Los Angelesare women. The high cost of housing is one reason they do not have a permanent place to call home.
Poor women are more at risk of being homeless. Many homeless women struggle with mental problems or have been abused.
The center gives them advice, health care and support.
“They come into the workshops, they might not have a community of friends or a support network, but they are entering this safe and the supportive environment, which offers that for them.”
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Homeless Women on LA’s 'Skid Row' Find Hopeful Future |
The things the women make are sold at the Downtown Women’s Center, and at Bloomingdale’s, a store selling high-priced goods. Each handmade craft has a sign showing where it was made.
Kathy Suto works at Bloomingdale’s. She says the store has sold many of thecrafts the women have made. She says she hopes other businesses will sellthem.
“We have been very pleasantly surprised. It is something. I am now workingto get the other five Bloomingdale’s stores in the Los Angeles market just tostart carrying it as a part of their assortment.”
Yolanda Waters did not enjoy making crafts. But she did like making drinks in a small restaurant at the Downtown Women’s Center. After training there, shegot a job. Now, she has an apartment home, and a reason to get out of bed.
“It feels unreal because sometimes I think when I wake up ‘Is it real? Do I have this real job that I really love?’”
I’m Jonathan Evans
Elizabeth Lee reported this story from Los Angeles. Christopher Jones-Cruise wrote it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
______________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
dump – v. to leave or unload (something or someone) quickly or withoutconcern
self esteem – n. a feeling of having respect for yourself and your abilities
chronic – adj. happening or existing most of the time
isolated – adj. separate from others
workshop – n. a class or series of classes in which a small group of peoplelearn the methods and skills used in doing something
carry – v. to have something in a store and ready to be sold; to keepsomething available
assortment – n. a group or collection of different things or people
How are homeless women in your country helped? We want to hear from you.Write your thoughts in the comments section.
Community Center Helps Women on Skid Row
社区活动中心帮助了贫民区的妇女
Many homeless people live in the “Skid Row” area of Los Angeles, California.These men and women have no permanent place to live. Skid Row is a place where many social service groups can be found. They work to help the homeless find work and a place to live. One such organization works with women.
许多无家可归的人生活在加利福尼亚州，洛杉矶的贫民区。这些男男女女们没有永久的居住场所。在贫民区你会发现许多的社会服务组织。他们为无家可归的人找工作以及住所。其中一个这样的组织是专门针对妇女。
Skid Row is like no other place in Los Angeles. The homeless fill its sidewalks at all time of the day.
贫民区不像洛杉矶的其他地方。那些无家可归的人总是在人行道上游荡。
Yolanda Waters has a job as a barista. She prepares and sells coffee. But she was once homeless and spent time in Skid Row.
Yolanda Waters的工作是咖啡师。她负责准备以及销售咖啡。但是以前她就整日游荡在贫民区的街道上。
“It is the place where everybody is dumped. If you do not ask for help, youare not going to get helped. For people to be looking at you like you are nothing, treating you like you ain’t worth nothing -- that is the hard part.”
那是个似乎每个人都被抛弃的地方，如果你不主动寻求帮助，你就不会得到帮助。最困难的是对于人们来说，你什么都不是，甚至不值一提。
Ms. Waters received help from the Downtown Women’s Center. The center trains homeless women and helps them find work so they can live in a place of their own. It shows them how to create candles, greeting cards and other products. The program teaches the women to arrive on time, complete a project and work in a group.
Waters女士得到市区女子中心的帮助。女子中心培训无家可归的女人，帮助她们找工作，以便于他们能自食其力。培训包括怎样制作蜡烛、贺卡以及其他的一些工艺品。告诉她们要按时上班，完成任务，在组织上工作。
Joe Altepeter is head of vocational education at the center.
Joe Altepeter是中心职业教育的负责人。
“Rebuilding self esteem, developing relationships with individuals. Chronic homelessness, when you are living on the streets you become isolated. So this is an opportunity to really deal with those issues.”
“重建自尊，发展与其他人的关系。当你生活在街道上时你会变得孤立，因此这是你真正处理那些问题的机会。”
He adds that about one-fourth of the 58,000 homeless people in Los Angeles are women. The high cost of housing is one reason they do not have a permanent place to call home.
他又说道，在洛杉矶58000无家可归的人中有四分之一是女人。住房成本高是她们没有永久居住场所的一个原因。
Poor women are more at risk of being homeless. Many homeless women struggle with mental problems or have been abused.
贫苦的女人更容易无家可归。许多女人有精神疾病或者曾经遭受虐待。
The center gives them advice, health care and support.
中心给了她们建议，医疗保险和支持。
“They come into the workshops, they might not have a community of friends or a support network, but they are entering this safe and the supportive environment, which offers that for them.”
“进入工作场所，她们可能没有朋友或者支持网，但是她们进入的这个安全，充满助人为乐氛围的环境会影响她们。”
The things the women make are sold at the Downtown Women’s Center, and at Bloomingdale’s, a store selling high-priced goods. Each handmade craft has a sign showing where it was made.
这些妇女制作的物品会在市区女子中心以及一个叫Bloomingdale’s的一个专门卖高价商品的商店进行售卖。
Kathy Suto works at Bloomingdale’s. She says the store has sold many of the rafts the women have made. She says she hopes other businesses will sell them
Kathy Suto在Bloomingdale’s工作。她说店里已经卖出去许多她们制作的商品。她希望更多的行业可以卖她们的产品。
“We have been very pleasantly surprised. It is something. I am now workingto get the other five Bloomingdale’s stores in the Los Angeles market just tostart carrying it as a part of their assortment.”
“我们感到很惊喜。真的太棒了。我现在正在准备去其他五个Bloomingdale’s商店工作。
Yolanda Waters did not enjoy making crafts. But she did like making drinks in a small restaurant at the Downtown Women’s Center. After training there, shegot a job. Now, she has an apartment home, and a reason to get out of bed.
Yolanda Waters不喜欢制作手工艺品，但是她喜欢在市区女子活动中心的一家小饭店里制作饮品。在经过培训后，她得到了一份工作。现在她有了家，也有了起床的原因。
“It feels unreal because sometimes I think when I wake up ‘Is it real? Do I have this real job that I really love?’”
感觉有点不真实，因为有时候你醒来会想“这是真的吗”?我真的有一份自己很热爱的工作吗?
I’m Jonathan Evans
我是Jonathan Evans。
Elizabeth Lee reported this story from Los Angeles. Christopher Jones-Cruise wrote it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
______________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
dump – v. to leave or unload (something or someone) quickly or withoutconcern
self esteem – n. a feeling of having respect for yourself and your abilities
chronic – adj. happening or existing most of the time
isolated – adj. separate from others
workshop – n. a class or series of classes in which a small group of peoplelearn the methods and skills used in doing something
carry – v. to have something in a store and ready to be sold; to keepsomething available
assortment – n. a group or collection of different things or people
How are homeless women in your country helped? We want to hear from you.Write your thoughts in the comments section.
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