Interviews
Real Stories: Meet Angela
Published September 08, 2009 @ 08:34PM PT
Since last year, I have been documenting the stories of the homeless. For the past months, I have traveled from coast-to-coast talking to people living in the streets, in shelters, in weekly-rate hotels, and under bridges.
Nearly one hundred interviews (and thousands of pairs of donated socks) later, my perspective on homelessness has changed dramatically. For me, Angela's story resonated. For you, it might be Willy or Drew or Donna's story that strikes a chord.
But regardless of how you get the message, I hope you get the message.
Homelessness is a complex problem. Although everyone has a different story and different reasons for being homeless, there are similarities in these stories. Although these videos are not often about solutions to homelessness, I hope one thing has become clear: if we want to solve homelessness, we need to stop focusing on band-aid solutions.
As advocates from coast to coast have screamed and shouted for years, it's okay to feed people in the park, but we have to focus on getting them out of the park and into safe, decent, and affordable housing.
Please watch this short video. If it affects you, do something. Embed it video on your blog, send a link to all your friends, do whatever it takes to help keep people like Angela from dying under a bridge in America.
Angela from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Vickie
Published September 06, 2009 @ 05:57AM PT
For four hard months, Vickie has been living under a bridge. She says that there are lots of rats and ants, yet this is where they now call home. She ended up on the streets as a direct result of the recession; Vickie's boyfriend lost his job and their ability to pay rent.
When I asked Vickie about sleeping on the rocks, she showed me how she uses her clothes as padding to make a bed. That really broke my heart. People should not have to live like this.
Vickie said she hoped she'd find a place to live this week. I hope so too. A bridge is not an appropriate roof for anyone.
Vickie from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Photo by the author.
Real Stories: Meet Vickie
Published September 04, 2009 @ 05:32PM PT
For four hard months, Vickie has been living under a bridge. She says that there are lots of rats and ants, yet this is where they now call home. She ended up on the streets as a direct result of the recession; Vickie's boyfriend lost his job and their ability to pay rent.
When I asked Vickie about sleeping on the rocks, she showed me how she uses her clothes as padding to make a bed. That really broke my heart. People should not have to live like this.
Vickie said she hoped she'd find a place to live this week. I hope so too. A bridge is not an appropriate roof for anyone.
Vickie from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Ulysses
Published September 02, 2009 @ 02:02PM PT
I met Ulysses under a bridge in Atlanta, Georgia. He was sleeping on rocks, and said it was his favorite spot. He called it "home" and said he was happy there.
But you have to wonder, how happy a person can be when thousands of cars drive by every day, seeing him live like this, and do nothing?
Where does indifference end and invisible begin?
Ulysses from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
How is Homelessness High Fashion?
Published September 02, 2009 @ 06:21AM PT
I'm confused.
Amid our worldwide economic recession, homelessness is on the rise. Domestically, with local budgets being slashed, it's not far-fetched to say we have a bona fide crisis on our hands.
So why is homelessness suddenly being dubbed "high fashion?"
To be clear, it's not that every "homeless high fashion" story is negative. Take, for example, this fantastic news: Homeless Tales contributor Bri (who happens to be homeless herself) landed a dream internship at Elle Magazine. It's a really cool story, and I encourage you to read it all here. Needless to say, this inspirational story has garnered international media attention. Which is extremely cool for Bri (whose story, by the way, you can watch here).
But, this is where the positivity stops.
Also getting attention in the world of fashion is Scott Schumann, also known as the Sartorialist. He featured a photograph of a NYC homeless man on his popular blog. He wrote, "Usually people in this man's position have given up hope. Maybe this gentleman has too, I don't know, but he hasn't given up his sense of self or his sense of expressing something about himself to the world."
Perhaps. And not to undermine the importance of self-expression, but what about his safety or basic needs? Aren't these concerns more important than how he pairs his clothes?
Finally, the cover of Italian Vogue features two models touting a look that the blogosphere has dubbed "homeless chic." (See image below.)
Is this cutting-edge, recession-inspired design? Or are fashionistas just short on ideas?
Perhaps this isn't offensive to some, but I think otherwise. As John Joel Roberts of LA's Homeless Blog rightly points out, "homeless chic" is the ultimate oxymoron, not to mention a slap in the face to those who have fallen on rough times and are struggling to get by:
Just imagine. You lose your job, and your home. You end up in a shelter or on the streets struggling to figure out how to get back into housing, or when and where your next meal might be. You take hand-me-down clothing from the local church or homeless agency, desperately trying to find something that matches.
Then some highfalutin, out-of-touch designer wants to highlight your looks like you're some high society caricature. It's a form of circuitous degradation at its worst.
Perhaps we should be asking this question: Why is the fashion world suddenly latching on to a socio-economic issue like homelessness? Is it a tribute? Mockery? Something inbetween? Or are these creative geniuses just out of ideas?
And if homelessness can be dubbed couture, where we will go next? Will future cover girls be dolled up with black eyes and bloody lips, as "domestic violence chic" takes flight? Where will we draw the line?
For the countless individuals around the world who work everyday to end homelessness, it's a slap in the face from the high fashion world to send the message that homelessness is, like, en vogue.
Lead photo from Fashion Week Daily. Photos from Modelinia and the Sartorialist.
Real Stories: Meet Juan
Published August 19, 2009 @ 06:51AM PT
Since 2007, the City of St. Petersburg, Florida has passed a number of ordinances that specifically target homeless people, including laws that outlaw panhandling, prevent sleeping on the streets in certain parts of town, and limit the number of belongings people can store on public property. Needless to say, St. Petersburg, Florida holds the dubious honor of falling in the number two spot on the list of Top 10 Meanest Cities towards the homeless.
I met Juan in a downtown St. Petersburg park that he calls home. Living homeless in St. Petersburg, he says, is not easy. In addition to the city's outrageous criminalization of homelessness, the threat of violence is constant. The night before this interview, a homeless man was stabbed. One week earlier, another homeless man was murdered in the same park. If that's not bad enough, Juan says that youngsters will regularly taunt or kick people while sleeping in the park. (Perhaps the area's youth have learned how to treat the homeless by following the lead of their city officials.)
While it's easy to focus on the difficult living conditions Juan faces in such an unfriendly city, to Juan it's about pride. He says one of the toughest things about being homeless is the way people look at him. "People look at you when you are homeless like it cannot happen to them," he said. "I've had things in my life; I've been married. I've had a home."
I hope Juan ends up in a place where he is safe from violence, criminalization, and judgement. No person should have to endure what he faces on a daily basis.
Special thanks to Pinellas County Coalition for the Homeless and Hanes.
Juan from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Sandra
Published August 15, 2009 @ 12:19PM PT
I have to warn you that this video is hard to watch. Sometimes people just ‘give up' and stop fighting. I believe that may be the case with Sandra. It's called ‘learned helplessness' and I see it in all walks of life. But under this bridge in New Orleans my heart broke.
Sandra has lived here for a year. She has made herself believe homelessness is not that bad, just a little boring.
Sandra didn't have any wishes.
Sandra from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
