Archive for December, 2009
Mark
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness, road trip
Tweet I met Mark in the suburbs–another victim of the Detroit economy. With a checkered past, Mark is unable to find employment, and he spends most of his time looking to shelter himself from the weather, from snow to sun. Asked why he stays in Michigan, he explains that it’s because “it’s where he was [...]
Karen
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness, road trip
Tweet Karen is waiting for a Section 8 inspection to move into a new residence. Unfortunately, in the mean time, she’s staying on the streets. And it’s been three weeks so far. She’s feeling the pain and frustration of living amongst drug-users and drug-dealers as she tries to enter into a new phase of her [...]
James
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness, road trip
Tweet From $90,000 a year to the streets, James is a story of American heartbreak. Working in the auto industry and as an electrician, he seemed on top of the world. He accepted an early buyout, took the chance to go back to college, and graduated to find no opportunities. Shelters and abandoned buildings became [...]
Dawn and Ryle
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness, road trip
Tweet The first time I ever heard the term “families downsizing” was this past July during an interview with the Nevada Partnership Of Homeless Youth (watch the interview here). Larry Lovelett, Homeless Youth Transition Specialist, said this was currently their biggest challenge. He explained that since Nevada has been hit hard by the failing economy, [...]
Leon
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness, road trip
Tweet Leon is a Vietnam veteran who has been homeless for six years. After serving “the greatest country in the world,” he is lost somewhere in the pile of Veteran’s Administration disability claims. While he waits for assistance from the VA, he is not receiving veterans benefits or assistance. He is on his own. Leon [...]
Tami
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness, road trip
Tweet As Detroit is wrecked by recession and economic difficulty, a new face of homelessness is emerging. You likely wouldn’t identify Tami as being homeless should you pass her on the street, but her story says otherwise. Luckily, her experience in a homeless shelter has been an unlikely one as well. She’s a mother of [...]
Steve
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness, road trip
Tweett> I met Steve in Detroit. He is going through the system waiting for his turn to get housing. He says it’s a process and it takes time. Steve spent 16 years in prison. He came home and started to educate himself. He now has a real estate license and is going to college to [...]
Carol
Posted by invisiblepeople | Filed under face and voice of homelessness, road trip
Tweet The first time I saw Carol, I almost didn’t talk to her. I assumed she was a volunteer helping the homeless in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Turns out, she was homeless. Carol says sh is homeless because of the economy. She had a stable job in a restaurant, but when the economy went sour, her hours [...]
