Tent City Tour
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.
Real Stories: Meet John
Published September 01, 2009 @ 12:12PM PT
John lives in a small grassy area right in the middle of Downtown Atlanta. He had a rough childhood and never learned to read, which has proven to be a real roadblock in finding a job.
For the past six years, John has been in and out of homelessness. Although he has family, he says he stays on the streets by choice; although it's not uncommon for a ‘couch surfing' arrangement to go bad quickly.
Although John's situation is rough, he maintains a positive attitude. As he says in his own words, to get up out of homelessness, "You've got to want it."
Thing is, when someone is ready, we need to be there to help.
John from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Drew
Published August 27, 2009 @ 03:53PM PT
I don't know if anything can prepare you for Drew's story. Drew lost his job, then he lost his wife and daughter to a drunk driver. He is an educated man, but today he lives on leftover food he finds in dumpsters.
There's nothing you can add to a story like this, except that homelessness can happen to anyone. Please don't let Drew's story stop here. Talk about it, blog about it, email a link to everyone you know.
Drew from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Rea
Published August 24, 2009 @ 06:10PM PT
I met Rea and her husband while they were waiting in line at a mobile medical clinic in Tampa, Florida. Each night, they sleep outside on the streets of Miami. Rea hates to feel dirty, so she uses public fountains to wash up.
Rea and her husband are not homeless because of alcohol or drugs. Rea suffers from physical problems and her husband is bipolar. They came to Florida in hopes of finding a job. But today, like millions of Americans, they have not been able to find employment.
Special thanks to Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County.
Rea from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Steven
Published August 14, 2009 @ 08:40AM PT
Imagine living under a busy freeway in New Orleans. Now imagine you have to sleep in a group, because the threat of violence is never far.
When you live outside, without a door to lock or a roof over your head, you are constantly vulnerable to violence. For Steven, the fear of violence never completely goes away. He said the other night another homeless man was "bricked." (Yes, it is as horrible as it sounds.)
That all said, I'm still shocked after hearing the last job Steven held.
Steven from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet Tracy and her children
Published August 05, 2009 @ 07:01PM PT
You can have a roof over your head and still be considered homeless.
These days, a growing number of families are turning to ‘weekly rate' hotels as a way to stay off the streets. But don't let the roof fool you, many of these motels-turned-homes are shoddy, small, and unkempt. Hardly ideal living conditions for any person, nevermind young children.
Tracy and her four children are one of the thousands of families across the U.S. who call a motel "home." Although their living situation is not ideal, Tracy says it is an upgrade over the last motel room they lived in. Her husband works full-time, but Tracy cannot find a job, so the motel room is the only housing they can afford.
Seems every weekly rate hotel I have ever visited is horrible. Besides being run down, most places are filled with drug dealers, criminal activity and are unfit for children. It's easy to understand why Tracy wants a better environment for her kids.
Special thanks to Mobile Loaves and Fishes
Tracy and her children from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
Real Stories: Meet David
Published July 31, 2009 @ 06:50PM PT
For two years, David lived out of his van. But he didn't think he was homeless, he called it living "up town." But when he lost the van, everything changed. He moved into a tent. He learned how to survive with nothing. He faces cruelty from both young troublemakers and local law enforcement. He says that when the police visit, they pull up the tent stakes and let it collapse.
These days, David uses a sheet of plastic he puts on the ground underneath his bedroll and literally sleeps under the stars.
Despite his rough sleeping arrangements, David still searches for work everyday. He visits Seven Hills Center, an organization that provides homeless services in Northwest Arkansas for a daily breakfast and to use the phone to find work.
I found David's account of trying to find an apartment very interesting. Like many others on the street, David has an income, it's just not enough to afford housing.
Special thanks to The Cobblestone Project.
David from InvisiblePeople.tv on Vimeo.
