Archive for May, 2009
Steve
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness
It might seem silly to you, but Steve agreed to an interview on one condition: He needed me to watch his shopping cart while he ran behind a building to relieve himself. I was honored. A homeless person’s shopping cart contains their entire world. Steve was saying he trusted me. My honor was short-lived. Homelessness [...]
Billy
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness
For the last several months, I would see a homeless man cruising the streets of Hollywood with his bicycle and attached trailer. I would try to catch up to him, but as luck and Los Angeles traffic would have it, I never did. One night recently I went for a walk and, low and behold, [...]
Plunket
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness
The second day of my trip to Sacramento’s infamous (and now non-existent) tent city began with a discovery: a bike path. But this was not just any bike path. As tent city residents flew past me, I realized this one seemed to be the thoroughfare for the homeless population. I met Plunket on that bike [...]
Ray
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness
Ray lives in a tent. He walks miles each day for food and water. His government assistance check is not enough to cover housing, never mind his other costs of living. He struggles everyday to stay safe and survive these deplorable and unsanitary living conditions. If you think this sounds like a third-world country, you’re [...]
David, Tish and Natasha
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness
Having been homeless myself (and facing the possibility again today), I still cannot fathom the challenges of raising a family in a shelter. Yet, families are the fastest growing homeless population. One of the most heartbreaking memories from my trip to the Prado Day Center was meeting David, Tish, and their 15-month old baby Natasha. [...]
James
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness
I wish I could share with you the emotion I felt the first time I walked into Sacramento’s original and now infamous Tent City. Despite all of the homeless communities I have visited and lived in, I never felt tension like this before. James was the first person I met at tent city. He was [...]
