Running head: ARTIFACTS ANALYSIS CASA ESPERANZA

Styles of Writing at Casa Esperanza Homeless Center

Mzaliwa Bin Musaba
Antioch University Santa Barbara

Running head: ARTIFACTS ANALYSIS CASA ESPERANZA

Different organizations use different methods to assert their mission statement or content,
and its important that their material is suitable and comprehensive for visitors, and clients. A lot
people do not think about what kind of medium or written statements organizations use, they
only focus on their content and what they are trying to point across. We will focus some more on
the how and why, and not just the what. When focusing on specific social justice issues such as
homelessness, in this context, it would be wise to narrow down the overall picture/idea to
different aspects. In this case, that would be artifacts. An organization located in Santa Barbara
called Casa Esperanza Homeless Center, uses their artifacts to enforce their main purpose. CEHC
are using decent artifacts to bring forth their agenda; such as Facebook, newsletters, their About
us tab (which includes their mission statement, philosophy, and vision etc.). CEHCs artifacts
clearly portrays their agenda about homelessness

Artifacts is necessary when trying to carry out an agenda that involves people. It shows
very clearly that Casa Esperanza Homeless Center are trying to reach out to a broad audience
when using Facebook as a channel to shed light on their program. Their goal is to assist in
moving as many people as possible from homelessness to housing (CHEC Mission Statement)
with the help from Santa Barbara locals or anyone whos willing to address this matter. The

Running head: ARTIFACTS ANALYSIS CASA ESPERANZA

written material shows us that CHEC focuses on enforcing their pathos and ethos. Pathos
portrays an emotional or a motivational appeal, and ethos illustrates credibility, a factual
approach. Their Case Studies shows different empowering statements using people who has
suffered from homelessness to enforce their itinerary, i.e. In 2004 Ray found Casa Esperanza
and a respite from the rigors of the street but the ravages of alcoholism continued. This type of
assertion presents a form of a pathos approach, where a sense of sympathy or empathy are
manifested. Their Case Studies is definitely a channel to express their emotional aspect of the
issue; it brings relevance, admiration, and compassion.
Other artifacts used by Casa Esperanza Homeless Center are the Programs. Through this
channel we get to see variations of occurrences and possibilities. It could be updates on new
policies or reminders of different events. CHEC tend to use ethos when communicating through
their Program, they will sometime use statements that are worth acknowledging. Casa
Esperanza offers the 100-Day Program in three phases to the homeless whom seek to be sober
and are ready to move forward into a productive life. The programs consist of housing, job
development and rehab, and mental health (CHEC Program).
To get a clearer insight of CHEC writing methods, I interview J.B. Bowlin whos in
charge of the Volunteer Coordination department. We briefly discussed their mission statement
and different practices they use to fulfill their agenda. Bowlin gave me his insight of what type of
writing he does for the organization, which is practically communicating through e-mails with
volunteers. He mentions how its extremely important to be friendly, helpful, and communicate
on a comprehensible level. Bowlins argument reflects back pathos and ethos, where its
necessary to reach out with an emotional appeal while keeping it relevant and informative on a
credible basis. Bowlin stated the information that goes out on our website is usually directed

Running head: ARTIFACTS ANALYSIS CASA ESPERANZA

from our managing director and board of staff of how they want us to reach out to the
community, and most of it is thoughtful and caring messages because that is what people click on
to. Bowlins way of managing the volunteer department -having to deal with online
communication- relates back to the chapter Writing Routine and Positive Messages from
Business Communication Essentials. The chapter demonstrates its template on how to structurize
the right message for the right audience. The book broke down the necessary steps to execute a
routined, positive message, which applies for Bowlin and CHEC in general: first, analyze the
situation, making sure that your purpose is clear and that you know enough about your audience
to craft a successful message. Second, gather the information your audience needs to know.
Third, select the right medium for the message, the audience, and the particular situation at hand.
Fourth, organize your information effectively (208). Working on such a sensitive, unfortunate
matter, its only natural for CHEC to cautiously address the issue using pathos and ethos in
strategic manner.
The writing style of their artifact are somewhat persuasive, and build a sense of caring,
for the visitors. Its an informative channel, usually for active members of the organization, and
maybe even for new visitors/members who whats a little insight of what CHEC has been dealing
with. The newsletter contains of different statements with different tones, genre, and
effectiveness. Sometimes they portray slightly more passive statements, reminders or updates,
sometime powerful statements, bad or important news.
Probably one of their most important artifact would be the About us tab, where they
have written down their mission statement, philosophy, and vision. This artifact contains of
logos, pathos, and ethos, all three are necessary to get their point across. Theyve written down
logical informative statements presenting who they are, what they are doing, who and what they

Running head: ARTIFACTS ANALYSIS CASA ESPERANZA

are focusing on. They are dedicated to make sure that volunteers will be trained and supervised
by the experienced staff members and offer guidance and friendship on a daily basis to the
residents who they are mentoring. Casa Esperanza Homeless Centers mission statement is
factual, also comforting which make people feel that they have someone or something to reach
out to. CHECs philosophy raises awareness of what it means to be homeless, and also a
solution. The artifacts had an effective impact on subject matter. This organization have
deliberately chose an emotional approach in their agenda. Their method of using pathos has
become an enforcer to influence the right audience, and encourage members.
Analyzing Casa Esperanza Homeless Centers website, well see that they use some
strong colors to, most likely, strengthen their message. They use purple which symbolizes
ambition, wisdom, dignity, independence, and creativity. Yellow which represents joy, happiness,
intellect and energy. Green is the color of nature. It signifies growth, harmony, freshness, and
fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Finally, Red is the color of fire
and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as
passion, desire, and love. These colors are displayed in different categories or written material on
the website, and clearly reflects back to ethos pathos. An example of how efficiently they use the
colors is shown on their Donate tab, it asserts Casa Esperanza is in great need of financial
support in order to meet the needs of our community. Please give what you can today to help
Casa Esperanza achieve its important mission of moving people from homelessness to housing.
CHEC used the color green for this tab to subtly enforce its (green) characteristics, where growth
and harmony strongly applies. Ironically, the color green is also associated with money.
Casa Esperanza are trying to
optimize their artifacts to make it appealing and suitable for its audience. A rhetorical analysis

Running head: ARTIFACTS ANALYSIS CASA ESPERANZA

becomes relevant when analyzing how well the components of an argument work together to
persuade or move an audience. Casa Esperanza uses the necessary conventions for each written
material to build the right genre; its expressing sorrow, pain, struggle, hope, opportunities,
potential, achievements, comfort, safety, health, empathy, sustainability, and resolution. All of
these terms are key figures to set a foundation for their advertisement, mission statement, vision,
and their practical approach. Now theses conventions has been divided into different aspects of
their literature. Think of it as a puzzle, the right piece for the right message. Terms such as
suffering, struggle, health, and achievements is being portrayed in their Case Studies.
Casa Esperanza provisions are very helpful for people in great need, and therefore, it is
important that everything that evolves around their organizations remains legit and credible.
There is a lot of regulations and laws that they have to comply to, because it is a non-profit
organization dealing with people with real problems. CE want to make sure that they truly
accomplish what they set out for; not just helping homeless people find a place to sleep and eat
meals, but to actually help them get their lives together and get back into society. To execute that,
they have set a foundation for their agenda which starts with the writing material. Logos -the use
of reasoning- becomes a relevant component when trying set a firm ground. It involves ideas,
strategic planning, facts, and results. This is being portrayed mostly in their Programs tab, an
artifact that specializes on being trustworthy, feasible, and not too wishy washy. On this
particular artifact (Programs), CE demonstrates their plan through Navigator. It states Casa
Esperanza has created a navigator program to fit within the 100-Day Program. Volunteers will
work under case managers weekly to assist the clients to reach their goals. Each navigator creates
a relationship with the client to support their weekly goals made by their case manager. These
type of statement illustrates their credibility, and indicates their pragmatic standpoint.

Running head: ARTIFACTS ANALYSIS CASA ESPERANZA

As mentioned before, CE has a priority to give evidence on their itinerary, and maintain a
factual approach. Indicating evidence sets and builds their credibility, and its essential that CE
use most efficiently for their audiences. In chapter 17 Finding Evidence it declares that to be
most persuasive, evidence should match the time and place in which you make your argument.
CE are striving to optimizing the use of appropriate evidence for the right literature, which is
being shown in the Case Studies. A variation of aspects are being included in the evidence such
as pathos, ethos, and also logos. In this case, evidence is equivalent to results. Their Case Studies
mentions a female who became homeless because of the lost of her mother, and how she
managed to get back on her feet. Angela was kicked out of the Rescue Mission in June and she
showed up at a Casa Esperanza's front desk and signed up to see a provider. She was 23 weeks
pregnant and desperate. She started attending the woman's group, and her Women's Fund
Navigators. Over time she saved $ 4,000 in her Casa Esperanza savings account and found an
apartment in Lompoc. She is due any time now. She graduated the 100 day program. she was
able to get back on her feet and get herself out of homelessness. This type of evidence being
portrayed with a factual, and emotional approach enforces their credibility as a homeless center.
Theres always room for improvement, and CE could only have begun to strengthen their
approach. One of the things CE could work on to better the organization, the outreach, the
advertisement strategy, just the content in overall, is to set a firm foundation for their social
media. To manage a business in modern days, profit or non-profit, a stable social media
component(s) is a requirement. CE have a limited usage of social media; Facebook would be
their most effective social media factor. It also shows on their site that they have an instagram,
and a Yelp account, but it appears to be obsolete. In the book Business Communication
Essentials from chapter 7 Crafting Messages for Electronic Media, it indicates what social

Running head: ARTIFACTS ANALYSIS CASA ESPERANZA

media can provide and what to think about when processing it. Social media change the
relationship between the sender and receiver. Because the relationship has changed, the nature of
the messages between needs to change as well (178).
Its important to be aware of what to do and what to avoid; communication is one of the
greatest appeal when managing social media, also other factors plays a big role. A broad
interaction between people online will definitely help boost their marketing aspect, and
Facebook is good starting point, but what other channels (where literature is manifested) would
be essential? Its hard to say since CE has stay relevant to their concept, and business plan. New
social media components might be inappropriate for such an organization. So what left to do is to
reinforce their current social media status, through various of steps. CE is, or should address this
manner by creating concise, specific, and informative headlines (178). They want to avoid
clever wordplay because most people wouldnt be able to comprehend the content. Nobody
wants to invest time trying to figure out what something means, they want clarity. Get involved
and stay involved (178), maintain relevancy for the audience. CE might receive some criticism,
but they should never withdrawal from it, and instead try to correct misinformation or
misinterpretations. CE when promoting a new program, should do it indirectly. Instead of just
generating ideas and concepts, CE tells stories on how a program has changed someones life
which is more effective, and meritorious.

Running head: ARTIFACTS ANALYSIS CASA ESPERANZA

References

E, C., & Thill, J. (2004). Writing Routine and Positive Messages. In Business communication
essentials (p. 208). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
E, C., & Thill, J. (2004). Rhetorical Analysis. In Business communication essentials (p. 92).
Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Lunsford, A., & Ruszkiewicz, J. (2007). Finding Evidence. In Everything's an argument: With
readings (4th ed., p. 396). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.
E, C., & Thill, J. (2004). Crafting messages for electronic media. In Business communication
essentials (p. 178). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Artifacts
Case Studies. Casa Esperanza. http://www.casa-esperanza.org/case-studies.php Accessed on;
March 5th, 2015.
Programs. Casa Esperanza.http://www.casa-esperanza.org/programs.php Accessed on; March
5th, 2015.
Donate. Casa Esperanza.http://www.casa-esperanza.org/donate.php Accessed on; March 5th,
2015.
Volunteer. Casa Esperanza.http://www.casa-esperanza.org/volunteer.php Accessed on; March
5th, 2015.
Facebook. Casa Esperanza.https://www.facebook.com/casaesperanzasb Accessed on; March
5th, 2015.