Ron
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under canada, face and voice of homelessness
I met Ron at a homeless shelter in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. His story is far from usual.
Ron lived in Boston with his wife and kids. He ended up in the custody of Homeland Security and was deported back to Canada with only the clothes on his back. Ron admits he has a drinking problem, and the infraction was driving without a license, yet deporting a man into homelessness and not allowing him to see his family seems a little harsh!
For 20 years he cannot go back to the United States to see his family!
*** after this interview I took Ron to Walmart to buy him some clothes. The day was also documented by New Brunswick’s famous blogger Charles LeBlanc.
Special thanks to Timothy Ross
Maria
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness
Maria and her fiancee ended up losing their apartment because of a high utility bill. The day I met Maria, they had been living in a Sacramento tent city for three days. They were ‘camping’ on the streets but received a ticket for being homeless. Since this interview everyone in this tent city has been evicted.
Maria share with us what a day is like being homeless. They get up early to go to a park and get a lunch ticket. They split up to go to different homeless services for showers. Basically, their whole day is filled just trying to survive.
Maria’s 1st wish was for her unborn baby. She’s living homeless three months pregnant. She says they are moving into a new place. Knowing that Safe Ground was forced to move I pray they did find housing.
Special thanks to Safe Ground
Jeannie
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness
This past week Jeannie and Eli (watch his video here) were arrested in Sacramento for being homeless. They lived along with about 125 other homeless people in an organized tent community called Safe Ground.
Jeannie worked as an in-home nurse. She lost her job and her place to live on the same day. Since April she has been living in a tent in Sacramento.
Kind of ironic Jeannie talks about the city counsel changes needed and the prospects of Sacramento allowing the campers to have a place to live is only days before they were forced to move.
The old hippie in me loves the self-governing tent city model, but really the only reason a tent community even exists is because homeless services has failed to provide adequate support.
What are your thoughts on this controversial issue?
Special thanks to Safe Ground
Eli
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness, Sacramento
It’s really hard to explain the feeling of powerlessness I felt today. But I guarantee my feelings don’t even compare to the feelings of desperation our friends had while police were evicting them from their tents today.
Those of you who have been with me for a bit have heard me say this before, so it’s not new. Every now and then I will run into a homeless person that is so interesting to talk to, I could spend days just listening to them. Eli is one of them.
I met Eli about a week ago in a tent city in Sacramento, California. I also met Robert and shared his powerful video about not having any place to go, and Jordan, 19 years-old going to college and living homeless, and a few others you will meet soon.
Eli had his own business doing building remodeling and was an associate minister at a church for over 20 years. Because of the economy he lost everything, and when he shares about losing his books and jazz records, I can feel his pain. I hope you can, too!
“When we had jobs we were important. When we had homes we were important. When we had cars we were important. When we had bank accounts we were important” ~ Eli
Trust me, Eli’s interview is very powerful. Please watch it in it’s entirety. Near the end, when Eli talks about rest being his 3rd wish, and that police keep threatening the campers with arrests, know that Eli stood up for what he believes and went to jail today.
Eli ends the interview with an emotional remembrance of the American Dream and what it would be like if he had a home.
Special thanks to Safe Ground
Jordan
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness
Jordan is only 19 years-old and lives in a tent city in Sacramento, California. He says the only problems he has is being cold, and not being used to homelessness. Of course, there is also the eviction notice Sacramento Police left for the tent community the day I was visiting.
The good news is, Jordan is going to college. You can tell by his smile he has a bright future.
Jordan was lucky that he found Safe Ground. He feels like he has a home again. Sure wish the City of Sacramento would let them all keep their “homes”.
Interesting, Jordan’s second wish was to just understand why the police keep evicting the tent city and force them to move. I’d like to understand that too.
If you know any politicians in Sacramento please send them this video and Robert’s video. I really would like to hear from their side as to why these tent cities keep being forced to move.
Special thanks to Safe Ground
Robert
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness
“I’m not out here because this is my lifestyle, I don’t have anywhere else to go.” ~ Robert
Nearly three years ago I took a big risk and drove up to Sacramento to help empower our homeless friends after watching the circus created by Oprah. At the time, I was nineteen months unemployed. InvisiblePeople.tv just started, and driving around with a camera seemed like a dumb idea. But I took the last little bit of money I had and headed north.
Also around three years ago, homeless activists in Sacramento started a campaign to acquire “safe ground” for campers to call home. It’s been a battle, but our friends at Safe Ground have won a few court cases and they continue to fight for homeless people in Sacramento.
Today I visited Safe Ground and was walking around meeting new friends. Over the hill a man was watching us. Robert walked down the hill and asked to be interviewed. I am so honored he did.
Please watch and listen to Robert’s story. It’s very powerful, and shows the pain and frustration these gorgeous people have to face every day.
Special thanks to Safe Ground
John
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness
I was walking in a park near downtown Ottawa, Canada, and started to talk to a small group of homeless people sitting on the lawn. Everyone started to talk about the recent street violence of homeless people being attacked for no reason. John (not his real name) showed me photos he took on his cellphone of a blood stained sidewalk after a 60 year-old man was viciously beaten. Another homeless man a few years back was set on fire.
Last few years violence against homeless people has been increasing at an alarming rate in North America. Just today, I was helping one of the most gentle men I have ever met, a kind homeless man in his 60s, who told me about where he can and cannot sleep on the streets. At one point, about a year ago, I found this gentle man after he was released from the hospital. His entire body was black and blue. I have never seen anyone beat up so bad. A few kids beat him so bad he was in the hospital for four days.
We need to stop violence on homeless people. Hate crime legislation is on and off again, and I am not really sure that is the solution. I believe we need more education so today’s youth see homeless people as real people. This website helps, but there is so much more work to be done.
John is an educated man from a good family, but developed addictions. I admire the courage he has to be open and honest with himself. I sure hope John got that apartment and is working towards sobriety. I am proof that people change for the better.
Kim
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness, road trip 2011
I met Kim in Wentzville, Missouri. Since 2002, which is when they lost their home, Kim and her family have been bouncing between cheap hotels, awkward stays with friends and homeless shelters.
Kim, her husband, two daughters and a granddaughter – three generations – all live in a very small hotel room. Take a second and imagine living in that situation.
Kim is actually lucky. This hotel is one of the better ones, and a wonderful man named Paul Kruse arranges for churches to bring in food and diapers.
Many of the affordable, weekly rate hotels are run down. Most places are filled with drug dealers, criminal activity and are unfit for children. It’s a vicious cycle of homelessness because while paying to stay at these hotels it’s nearly impossible to save for first and last months rent to get out of the situation.
This is the homelessness you don’t see, but that you need to see.
Special thanks to Paul Kruse.
Ron
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness, road trip 2011
I met Ron in St Louis, Missouri. Ron was living with his nephew and then his social security disability payments were stopped. The only way he could fight to get them back was with a lawyer, and because he didn’t have money for legal help Ron ended up homeless.
Please forgive me but I am about to go into a little rant. At the time of this interview, Ron lived in a shelter that is 10 days in and 30 days out. That means after staying there 10 days you are kicked out and cannot return until after a 30 days period! THAT IS STUPID! No one can get their life back in 10 days, or 30 days even. I know of a shelter in Anchorage, Alaska, that is 30 days in and 30 days out. Imagine you lose your job and then your apartment. It’s winter time and you go into a shelter. If you cannot find a new job and come up with a months rent and security deposit within 10 days, or 30 days, you are kicked out in to the cold weather.
Shelters that run policies like this will tell you it’s to motivate people to find work and a place to stay. But the real truth is it’s money. This type shelter does little to get people out of their crisis and actually perpetuates homelessness. Although I am a big supporter of housing first model, there is still need for shelters, but this type shelter system makes no logical sense and much change if we are to have any impact on ending homelessness.
Ron is 65 years-old and is spending his retirement years homeless. Sadly, we are going to see more seniors on the streets as the ‘boomer generation’ gets older. Without savings, assets or healthcare, this will tax our social services system to the crisis level, yet no one is walking about it.
David
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under canada, face and voice of homelessness, road trip 2011
David has been homeless in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, ever since he lost his wife and his dog, and then his house.
David says Fort McMurray is the best place in Canada to be homeless. Because deposit cans are 25 cents each homeless people can make $100 a day recycling. Thing is, Fort McMurray also has the highest cost of living of any city I have visited in North America.
All David needs is a full belly and some clean clothes. David only had two wishes. He wants his wife back and his dog back.
Special thanks to Centre Of Hope
