Advocate for the Homeless Advocacy is about assisting people in speaking up for themselves and making sure that their ideas and opinions are heard and understood. An advocate should avoid conflicts of interests with the people who give services to the person that he is assisting. The advocate should stand up for the person as if he is standing up for himself. The group of people for who I would advocate for are the homeless. It's estimated that approximately 3.5 million people in the United States, 1.35 million of them children (nearly 40%), are likely to experience homelessness this year. In addition, incidence of homelessness has increased over the past 20 years, and these numbers are only going to get larger as time goes on when economic pressure, job loss, and the rising cost of living are factored in. People experiencing homelessness need a voice. In Washington State there are many organizations that work with and help the homeless population. There are many services provided by the different organizations. Shelters provide homeless people with a valuable place to sleep advocacy coalition’s work behind the scenes to fight civil rights abuses and hate crimes committed against homeless people. Advocates are the voice of homeless people, they routinely meet with homeless individuals to find out what the most pressing needs in the community are and then work on finding solutions to those problems. Activists advocate for homeless people in many ways. Some hold sit-ins when homeless people are facing eviction from a public space, others work or volunteer with homeless advocacy coalitions. Advocates often hold teach-ins, work with shelters to improve their conditions, or register homeless people to vote. Some advocates have never been homeless and others have been or currently are without stable housing. Many types of homeless advocacy coalitions exist, focusing on everything from homeless health care to legal aid and housing. Some coalitions focus solely on veterans or victims of domestic violence. The ultimate goal of homeless advocates and coalitions is to end homelessness altogether. In the mean time, they want to register homeless people to vote and get legislation passed that makes it a hate crime to attack a person who's homeless. In some cities, homeless people are holding grassroots meetings where they discuss and search for solutions to major issues affecting them in their community. Homeless advocacy coalitions bring homelessness to the forefront of conversation. They also offer a variety of resources, such as a free voicemail service, legal aid, help with housing, medical assistance, grievance forms and a street newspaper service. Street newspapers give homeless people an outlet for expression and a way to make money by selling the paper. Many coalitions hold meetings with local nonprofit organizations and members of city hall. Most advocacy coalitions don't offer direct service, like shelter or meals. Coalitions are usually nonprofit organizations that rely on a few staff and plenty of volunteers to work effectively. The coalition is usually managed by an executive director and overseen by a board. Funding likely comes from individuals, grants from area foundations, and government assistance.