ck me that there are probably thousands of families in this country who wouldn’t mind sharing a room with a few chain-rattling ghosts if it meant they had a roof over their heads. We’re going into a particularly difficult time of year for folks living on the streets. The weather gets colder and wetter; “regular” people aren’t outside as much to offer a little change or even a smile of acknowledgement; and then there are all those holidays that are as hurtful to the spirit as the north wind is to the body.
This is the paragraph in which your journalism teacher tells you to insert all the data. The stats that tell you how homelessness has exploded in this country and now affects more families and children than ever before. There should be charts and graphs and percentage-filled quotes from social studies professors at esteemed universities. If you’d really like to know more, there are some links at then end of this post you should read. Or take a look at this great myth-busting article that might surprise you.
But most people’s eyes glaze over after the first PowerPoint slide goes by. It’s easy to turn away from facts and figures. But it’s harder to turn away from living, breathing, hungry, cold people. So, a few organizations are trying to address this problem in a more personal way. Homeless Tales is a blog written by homeless people from all across the country. Picture the Homeless’ slogan – Don’t talk about us; talk with us – is an open invitation we should all consider.
And then there’s Mark Horvath. Mark’s been there. He was a television executive who lost it all. He got a second chance and got off the streets, only to have the current economy deal him another bad blow. Through it all he’s had one purpose. The people. Put flesh and blood on the bones of statistics and census reports.
Watch the videos at invisiblepeople.tv. They will captivate you. And they will enrage you. There is no reason anyone should have to live in the streets. It only requires that you do something.
Mark spent a little time with WhatGives!? guy Christopher Smith during BlogWorld ’09.
Links to more info and more insight…
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
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Tags: Change.org, community, hardlynormal, homeless, Homeless Tales, invisiblepeople.tv, Mark Horvath, NAEHCY, National Alliance to End Homelessness, personal responsibility, Picture the Homeless
