Lape 1 Christopher Lape Dr.

Karen Hartman COMM 3215 001 08 December 2013 Mini PR Plan Situational Analysis: I want to stress the ongoing issue of homelessness within our country, but within reasonable scale concerning this Mini PR Plan. However, the definition of homelessness does not identify the true issue at hand, and why it is to be considered an issue that can and should be resolved (Mitchell 933). In other words, the experience of being homeless is not the problem, but the relationship that society gives to those that are homeless (933). I can give sympathy to the many programs, charities, and opportunities that aid their living conditions, but, in the midst of this, there are many laws that go against the homeless, not to mention that our culture continues to view most of them as invisible and undeserving citizens (950). Concerning anti-homeless laws in our community, it is possible that we have inherited a similar amount of policies that many cities would normally have, as explained by Mitchell: Cities have used zoning laws, use-permit systems, and [other methods] to confine the warehousing and containment of homeless people in specific areas of the city (often away from downtown), creating service-dependent ghettos. They have further encouraged the creation of Business Improvement Districts and Clean and Safe programs to clean out the homeless and clean up after them when they have gone. Cityscapes have been remade with bum-proof benches, spiky landscaping, randomized sprinklers, CCTV

Lape 2 networks, and other environmental interventions designed to make it impossible for homeless people to linger (950). This sort of treatment renders the homeless to accept a lesser citizenship, which encourages me to bring awareness on how the system goes against the homeless if we are to do anything about this issue. Regarding our culture, the community that surrounds CSU Stanislaus is home to many students and citizens that, very likely, take no association or reverence towards the homeless. On countless occasions, I have walked past the homeless without a heart to recognize that there are citizens. They shouldnt be treated as if they are invisible, or as if they are outcasts of our society. Some of the chronically homeless, who have a disabling condition, are treated almost the same way (Moulton 600). This situation can easily be resolved if we were to reach out to them, not just to aid them, but to simply have the heart to talk to them, to understand their situation if that must be the case. Doing this could even highlight the issues described previously from an empathetic view, a view that we need to experience for ourselves.

Audience: The messages intended for creation are to be targeted to college students at CSU Stanislaus, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity. I chose this audience because I believe that I have more outreach towards them as a college student myself than any other audience that might be near me.

Lape 3 Objective #1: To bring awareness about the laws that goes against the homeless within our community in this campaign. Strategy: To create a petition and have over 500 students at CSU Stanislaus sign to oppose antihomeless laws. Tactics: Closer research must be done to identify the specific anti-homeless laws that involve the city of Turlock, CA. The petition must be created legitimately for signatures to actually count. The petition must can be hosted passively through advocating departments and/or through an active, informative campaign on the quad.

Objective #2: To contact 50 homeless people to empathize with them in this campaign Strategy: To create an outreach program for the homeless in Turlock. To create an event that allows a group of students to scavenge outside the campus in search of reaching out to the homeless in person. Tactics: The event must be assured by campus authority if it is appropriate to organize an offcampus event through on-campus advertisement.

Lape 4 Next to our awareness campaign/petition, we must let others know of an off-campus event. Letting others know of the event can also be done by posting advertisements around campus, while giving a consensus as to when the event will be organized and executed.

Evaluation: I will count up the number of signatures received from the petition. I will see how many participants showed up at the off-campus event. I will see how many homeless people we reached out to during the event. I will do a quantitative analysis of the impact others might have had during the event, and whether they might want to do it again.

Works Cited: Mitchell, D. (2011). Homelessness, american style. Urban Geography, 32(7), 933-956. DOI: 10.2747/0272-3638.32.7.933 Moulton, S. (2013). Does increased funding for homeless programs reduce chronic homelessness?. Southern Economic Journal, 79(3), 600-620. DOI: 10.4284/0038-40382010.309