Perfect Gift for Teachers! Inside Story of Homeless Children and Youth

Pardon the self-serving nature of this post, but as a former teacher and a former shelter director, I feel

qualified to offer this suggestion. And I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is...*

Instead of giving your kid's favorite teacher a coffee mug or McDonald's gift certificate, how about a gift that will not only be useful, but might just help homeless kids in your community? (This suggestion works for others on your gift list, too!)

My Own Four Walls is a collection of heart-touching short documentaries that focus on children and youth experiencing homelessness. (Watch the 4-min trailer.)

Based on hundreds of film screenings I've conducted over the years, MOFW touches hearts and opens minds better than anyone can imagine. It's a myth-buster. It lets audiences hear from kids who know what homelessness is like because they live it.

With all the attention given to the surging increase of homelessness among children and youth lately, it might be good for schools to have a versatile, effective video tool to help staff and students better understand what "being homeless" means to kids.

* In the spirit of Christmas, HEAR US is offering the DVD at half-price, $20 plus $6 shipping/handling. It means that much to get these award-winning DVDs seen by as many eyes as possible.

There. Short. Sweet. To the point. Now order the DVD so I can get it to you in time for the holidays.

Connecting the Dots: Homelessness of Families and Youth Needs Attention

Lynne Weise, Anne Arundel School District (MD) homeless
 liaison, welcomes the audience at Abundant Life
Church.

My audience last night in Glen Burnie, MD (on the outskirts of Baltimore) was a mixture of seasoned veterans who've worked with families and youth experiencing homelessness for years and newbies, the kind-hearted folks disturbed by knowing that thousands of kids and their parents in their community "have no fixed, adequate place of abode," i.e. are homeless.

I'd suspect, having done sessions like this all over the country for decades, that the group suffered from a massive guilt, how could we let this happen in our relatively affluent community?

My first task was to assuage their guilt. In virtually every community across this country, you'd find families and youth without homes. The latest stats from the US Department of Education points to a record-breaking dire reality: over 1.1 million students have been identified as homeless. That, by no means, is a complete number, with many districts failing to identify their homeless students, and families/youth in homeless situations failing to self-identify. Almost 1,000 students are identified as  homeless in this district, a steady increase from previous years.

My second task is to introduce the courageous kids who share their stories of homelessness in my award-winning, highly-acclaimed documentary, My Own Four Walls. Any audience watching this 20-minute film can't hold onto ignorance or callousness. And they didn't.

Our discussion, I believe, was fruitful. People wanted to help. And a ton of help is needed. Practical things, diapers, clothing, food, etc.; the vital extras, band instruments, prom dresses, and baseball cleats, etc.; and the underlying essential, raising awareness so that a compassion epidemic can spread.

What I think astounded/vexed them the most is that so many families and youth are still unsheltered in their communities, causing all sorts of logistical nightmares for the unhoused and for those responding to the inevitable emergencies related to being unhoused.

Yeah, it's pretty dismaying to know that for decades our nation, and communities within, have pretty well ignored the basic human needs of vulnerable families and youth. And our federal government, despite what they say, continues to under-fund and under-serve this growing population, at a great cost to taxpayers as well as the beleaguered families/youths.

It would be nice if local communities could muster the compassion needed to solve the problem in their borders, but that's not how it works. They can do great things, but if we don't ramp up the basics: affordable housing, support services, educational opportunities, health care, child care, etc., those teetering on the edge of homelessness will fall hard. That requires pulling in (reluctant) elected officials on all levels.

I'll continue doing gigs like this as long as I get the support (check our our time-limited -3/31/14 matching grant), but I've got to say it's daunting. This crisis isn't easing. And the do-gooders might start feeling like their Uncle Sam has deserted them. At this point, I'd have a hard time arguing.

A Worthwhile Journey

The ICPH map showing the dearth of family
shelters across the country hung proudly
from Tillie at our Arkansas launching spot--
the Clinton Presidential Library in
Little Rock, AR.

Another cross-country trip--I don't take them lightly. But this one was special. Dubbed Babes of Wrath, my esteemed friend Pat LaMarche and I, supported by our techie Mary Parks, threw everything we had at our EPIC (Everyday People In Crisis) Journey 2013. 6,500 miles (trip map) later, phew, we know it was quite worth it.

The awareness factor of homeless families and kids is dismayingly low--on all levels: elected officials, school personnel, and community members. As Babes of Wrath, we set out to change that in a swath of states from AR to CA, from Pacific to Atlantic coasts.

Tillie, my tin can on wheels, served as our traveling home-office, albeit a tad crowded. We contacted our network--Pat's Green Party and my HEAR US McKinney-Vento and shelter friends--and set up events. The tremendous cooperation we received made our trip extremely worthwhile and satisfying! We cannot thank our friends enough for their efforts, support and hospitality!

In addition to events, Pat and I blogged. She writes for HuffPo and New Clear Vision. I write for AlterNet, as well as my (neglected) invisible homeless kids and Wanderers. 

We received some incredible media interest, including the prestigious cable news show, The Young Turks.

Social media proved to be our super-tool, with our EPIC Journey FB page becoming quite the hotspot of cyberspace.

The crux of our journey--and the reason we did this crazy marathon trip--consists of 2 groups:

• university students and audience members who attended our events; and,
• the people experiencing homelessness who shared their stories with us.

We're excited that the stories and support have lead to a bodacious plot. More on that soon!

We took this journey for each of you--those experiencing homelessness and those working to ease the crisis of homelessness. We're not done yet, so we urge you to join our EPIC Journey family because we've got some exciting news round the corner! 

Knowing your time is limited, unlike our blogs and stories, I'm listing my favorites below. 

Blogs:

• Pat called me a "daft knight" and a middle-age broad, and I'm delighted!
• My double-double-dog dare to 2016 Prez candidates
• An in depth, and disturbing look at Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County's legendary lawless-lawman. Sheriff Joe, Whatta Ya Know? (includes blog and links to transcript and photos)

News stories:

• Focus on the film stars--the kids of My Own Four Walls--People's Tribune
• Flagstaff, AZ covered our event
• The Young Turks news show

Far from feeling all news is bad news, this trip restored my faith in good people doing good things. After 8 years, 166,000 miles, that's the kind of tune-up this gal needed! Happy to share a burst of good news, knowing we all need to hunker down to overpower the naysayers. Count on this "daft knight" to continue my humble efforts. Stick around!

Time 4 Compassion Epidemic In Your Community

The swirl of concern inspired by the latest shooting tragedy, snuffing the lives of 20 innocent little kids and 7 adults in the path of senseless bullets, will likely dwindle in our ADD/ADHD collective psyche. In the dust, if anyone cares to look, are millions of kids clamoring for adult attention and action.

Look in the eyes of this child and make a silent promise to do SOMETHING to make life better for kids in your community. 

HEAR US Inc.  strives to create a compassion epidemic for homeless children/youth in every community. You are cordially invited to learn more and do more.

As we near the end of 2012, and I'm rolling in my 8th year of a challenging but rewarding cross-country sojourn, here are some important observations from my travels....

First:

• Homelessness among families/youth is soaring. Despite the hugely questionable data being touted by HUD and a national homelessness group, showing homelessness going down (based on dubious survey methods and an even worse definition of homelessness), every indication shows millions of invisible families and youth bearing the brunt of this brutally unequal economy.
• Efforts to help homeless families and youth are severely strained. I've yet to hear one organization say anything like--we've got it under control, we have lots of resources, our numbers are dropping, our donations are soaring.
• The safety net does not exist in any meaningful way in any community. That's right. The myth that we have a safety net is a myth. 
• Babies and toddlers are the upcoming homeless student population. By the hundreds of thousands (I fear even more), the Littlest Nomads are being neglect in the prime of their development cycle. They'll show up at school doors unprepared and unable to succeed. 
• Record numbers of homeless kids are moving into adulthood. Sure, some kids will succeed and be independent and productive, but the odds are perilously stacked against them. 

Second:

• A different paradigm is needed. Communities are dutifully dusting off the old tried and failed version of HUD's 10 year plan to end homelessness for round 2. They have to, in order to get HUD funding, but it's far past time for a new approach that doesn't ignore/discount/dismiss the needs of the majority of the homeless population--families and youth.
• Thinking that homeless families and youth can make it on their own is hogwash. Not to dismiss the gallant efforts and stellar abilities of an untold number of house-less parents and kids, but the deck is so significantly stacked against them that it's an unfair fight. Housing assistance wait lists, debt and police record barriers, skyrocketing unemployment, shrinking health services, and diminishing child care are just a few obstacles to success.

Most important (ACTION!), third: 

This is no time to wimp out. The old adage, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" needs to kick into gear big time. 

• Newly (re)elected members of Congress need serious work to do. These homeless families and youth are their constituents, albeit a tad powerless. Local efforts can change that. Involve their local office in this unaddressed issue.
• Legislators are clueless as to the scope of homelessness in their communities. 
• Give them a copy of My Own Four Walls (dvd), on the edge: Family Homelessness in America (dvd), or host a screening in your community and make sure they're in the audience. (preview short trailers on our website, http://hearus.us) Anyone in the audience--from parents without homes to parents with more than adequate homes-- can benefit.
• Let them know you think this issue is vital. Invite them to visit and volunteer at local shelters, if your community has them.
• We can all do something to help. See above. 

It's time for a compassion epidemic in every community across this great land. The only thing stopping us is us.

• Check the discussion guides on the HEAR US website. All designed to inform and inspire. 
• Kids experience trauma all the time. It's up to the rest of us to help them cope with the hand they've been dealt. Here's one resource. But remember, it's how we treat the kids around us that can create a ripple effect of compassion.

Whatever fuels your determination to make a difference in your community, thereby creating a ripple of compassion, joining with like-minded persons across the land...well, it's time. Compassion epidemic, catch it!

Clash of the Egg-Heads and the Enlightened

I can't resist a fight. Especially when it comes to underdogs, or under-people, in this case, homeless families.

The US Interagency Council on Homelessness , the federal agency charged with spearheading our nation's efforts to alleviate homelessness, just posted a blog, astonishingly called "Taking Risks..." when addressing family homelessness. Read it, or at least skim it. You'll see what I mean, even if you're not from this wonky world of bureaucratic bullshit.

I picture these securely-housed, well-dressed women and men standing on the ledge of the U.S. Capitol, peering down, realizing how dangerous their position is. Then I picture the families I've known over the years, and the compounded risks they encounter every day. Who's in a riskier situation? Those who risk a "mistake" by thinking outside the tattered boxes that we've used as a pathetic national response to homelessness, or the families contemplating how to get a box to live in because their community lacks any kind of help for those without a place to live?

Ironically, or maybe not, my friend Ralph da Costa Nunez has a HufPo column today (11/7/12) too. He talks about a riskier solution, based on the abysmal reality of a dearth of affordable housing in this country. He thinks some families might be better off if they could stay in some sort of shelter environment--admittedly not the stark, in-at-night out-in-the-morning shelters in many communities. I agree with him, for reasons too numerous to list here and now.

Another friend of mine, Mattie Lord, with years of experience working with systems and shelters, recently shared with me a powerful testament to the absurdity, in some cases, of the federal approach to homelessness--something developed and promoted by the likes of the USICH. The staff at UMOM, a respected shelter/service provider in Phoenix, looked at the barriers that the hardest to serve families faced.

Let me tell you, the USICH approach to their theoretical path to end homelessness would be a big FAIL when it comes to the reality of many homeless families. USICH and friends are the same folks who have vigorously fought to restrict the definition of homelessness, eliminating the scores of families in motels and/or staying with others in precarious situations. I dunno, it's hard to trust their judgment when it comes to families/youth.

For me, the most powerful reality check when it comes to homelessness are the people experiencing it.

(Watch the 4-minute clip of My Own Four Walls, our acclaimed documentary. Purchase this $40 DVD and share it in your community.) 

They'll tell you that one-size-fits-all solutions don't fit. They'll put the URGENT in your thinking. They'll move you to take risks, because every day we diddle around and debate approaches means a baby sleeps in the cold, a toddler goes without cuddling, a student sits outside school doors, a youth contemplates grim possibilities, a parent fears failure, and we as a nation lose. What's risky?

HEAR US is willing to fight for those kids and families who've been ignored. Reality trumps ivory-tower-theories every time.

Join us on Facebook to keep up with our efforts and to offer encouragement! We need you!

The Numbers Game

Former Boone, NC mansion sitting empty

I hate numbers. Well, not all numbers, just the kind that people chase when trying to make a point. Well, not even those numbers. I guess it boils down to disliking when people make you chase numbers for N O T H I N G.

Take, for example, the recent U.S. Dept. of Education report showing homelessness among school students has soared over the 1 million mark. These numbers have been gathered each year since the latest version of the McKinney-Vento homeless education act passed in 2002. Districts have been improving at their identifying homeless kids, I'd like to think in part because of efforts of HEAR US Inc. and our amazing documentary (My Own Four Walls) and other efforts. (Check out this latest HufPo article that mentions the work of HEAR US!)

Each year, as Congress contemplates budgetary decisions, do they actually consider the numbers of homeless students? Um, nope. The chump change tossed at this issue to help schools help homeless kids has remained pretty static and severely inadequate, about $70 million. About 3,500 school districts (out of approximately 10,000 nationally) receive funding, a mere dusting. And many have been cut out of this funding dribble.

Ever since the beginning of the federal involvement in homelessness (solution-wise), back in 1987 under the guise of the McKinney Act, advocates have tried to squeeze money for the issue of homelessness. The response has always been "show us the numbers; document the need." So good lil' doo-bees that we are, we'd go out and gather numbers, dutifully turning them in at the end of the year. For what? We're about to commemorate the McKinney-Vento Act anniversary. Has our nation made progress on homelessness? Not from the perspective of homeless people, with their numbers soaring upwards.

Some would argue that these numbers have helped generate resources. Pardon my scoffing. Have they helped to the extent that homelessness has been significantly reduced? No!

We're playing a game with feds who have no intention of providing real solutions to address homelessness. These same policymakers deftly toss billions to banks, the institutions who hang onto a bunch of housing stock that sits empty while families and youth (and single men and women) stumble about on our streets seeking shelter.

School districts decry the money they have to spend on busing and other services for homeless kids. I say, smarten up! Get some leaders in your community to figure out how to utilize abandoned housing to reduce family and youth homelessness, thus making transportation costs moot.

It's cheaper. Do the math. Let me show you the numbers.

Mother's Day PBS Attention to Homeless Moms

Another long shot, even more challenging than our CITGO Fueling Good win last November: to get our documentary on the edge: Family Homelessness in America shown on PBS affiliates across the country for Mother's Day. Another long shot, another success for HEAR US supporters!

By surprise (OK, I confess to being slightly skeptical of our PBS chances), I saw a Facebook message on our on the edge page saying "I caught the documentary on PBS tonight - thank you. Thank you for bringing awareness to the plight of women and their families as they face the reality of homelessness. I'll be sure to share!" from Cynthia.


What?!! Really? So I did a quick Google search of "on the edge: Family Homelessness in America, PBS" and wahoo! Lots of stations are running it, from Alaska to New Hampshire and points in-between. 


Should I be surprised? Nope, but I was. I keep forgetting the power of social media and how dedicated the supportive band of HEAR US believers are. Besides winning several prestigious film festivals, OTE received a great review from the American Library Association.


If your station, as did WTTW-11 in Chicago, says they're not members of NETA (the PBS-pipeline for this film) but they're willing to review the film, let me know and I'll send one out right away! 


Getting these stories out to as many people as possible will be one significant way to change stereotypes about homelessness. My friend and film-guru director, Laura Vazquez, professor at Northern Illinois University, and I know these 7 women's stories have unlimited power to open minds and hearts. It's just a matter of getting in front of eyeballs. That's where you can help! 


The DVD, a slightly re-formatted version of our original 2010 release, includes the 58-min. closed-captioned feature,  a 15-min. segment where Columbia University MSW students and their professor Markus Redding discuss the film. A 4-min. and 8-min. trailer are included for those shorter screen times, plus the 4-min. trailer from the first HEAR US hit, My Own Four Walls. All of this for a modest $30+s/h (order form). As a bonus, all proceeds from the film benefit HEAR US.


Laura often chides me for the "spaghetti sticking on the wall" approach to homelessness awareness raising. Whatever. Getting these seven women's inspiring and courageous stories in front of as many audiences as possible does a real tribute to the invisible mothers across the land who teeter on the edge of homelessness. If flinging spaghetti onto the wall will help open eyes, then start the water boiling!

Back-to-School Nightmares Rampant for Homeless Parents

You don't get it until you live it.

The reality of shelter life is...impermanence; where will we end up? Add this to the day after day awareness of their parents preoccupation with seeking employment, overcoming the despair that poverty invites or banging your head daily to live with seriously limited resources, and feeling isolated because as much as we don't want to feel ashamed of our circumstances...we suffer the judgmental slings and arrows from school personnel and all the jabs and jeers of those automated letters and voicemails. [Paula, mom in a homeless situation with her son]

Paula nails it. She and her son have been homeless for a couple years after experiencing brutal and long-lasting abuse from her ex. It's a common tale, I know. But let's not ho-hum it. What they're dealing with is anything but ho-hum.

The simple act of her 12-year-old son (a cool kid!) getting to school is causing massive distress. Trauma in abundance lingers like a storm cloud over their lives. Her ex-spouse sounds like a scary monster in a horror movie. The "protection" system--the courts/law enforcement--appear to be anything but helpful. The danger of the ex returning to wreak havoc is plausible. And the school appears to be dismissing her like a piece of junk mail.

Paula's trying to get her son on the school bus, but the shelter they're in seems to be a tad too close to the school, by .2 miles according to my calculation. Her son, according to what she's shared, gets bullied by kids along the sidewalk and on school property. He's dreading school, certainly the act of walking to/from school, which is contrary to his intelligent, enthusiastic manner that I've seen.

I've talked to a couple lawyers familiar with the rightfully-touted McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act. Although MV isn't as obvious as some of us would like, it does give schools leeway in situations like this--where barriers exist for kids' attendance and success in school. Other creative, legit ways of getting around the obvious school transportation issue also exist.

I spoke with the principal who assured me that they do everything possible for kids--all kids--at their school. I'd like to believe him. But the proof will be evident if this boy can hop a bus.

I'm waiting to speak with the district's homeless liaison. Paula indicates no one's ever connected her (or other families she's spoken to) with the liaison, who is supposed to be the point-person to avert these kind of stumbling blocks. The lack of attention to this issue is quite evident to this astute mom.

The good news is, if districts are willing to invest minimal money and precious time, we have some great tools to help districts better understand and address myriad issues facing students in homeless situations:

• HEAR US offers 2 great videos (DVDs), My Own Four Walls, and on the edge. 
• We have a free video that can be watched online, REACH, that explains how to make M-V work, even if you're behind bars.
• We also have Pat Van Doren's powerful set of children's books and  adult books on homelessness, mine (Crossing the Line: Taking Steps to End Homelessness) and my friend Pat LaMarche's missive, Left Out in America. 
• And a great new video by my friend Patricia Julianelle has school officials explaining (in user-friendly 8-min. clips) how this law, one in which I was quite involved in getting passed, works so well. The McKinney-Vento Act in Our Schools hits the nail on the head. 

I dunno...with all the information available, it seems like schools wouldn't create barriers when it comes to opening school doors and encouraging success of our nation's most promising (and growing class) of scholars--kids in homeless situations.

I'm willing to be the tutor for this district. I'd bring in experts like Paula and scads of other parents that could educate the educators. With the unprecedented growth of homelessness, we better kick into gear how to best cope with it before we see an Occupy Schoolyard movement.

Connecting the Dots: How Homelessness Happens to Families

"Nick" and his parents lost it. Their house. They knew it was coming, but teetered on denial  until the sheriff's knock jarred them into reality. Shoving their most precious belongings into a storage unit that advertised $1 for the first month, they left the bulk of their stuff in the house--their home for 2 years.


Where do we go? began a "game" of musical chairs, but instead of chairs, couches and crowded guest rooms. No family lived in the area, but friends offered to help. As with company that stays too long, or rubs the host family wrong, Nick and his parents ended up bouncing around, a lot. Tension abounded. Sleep and normal eating routines crumpled. Resolve shredded. Obviously the $1 deal on the storage unit would require more money--lots.


Nick yearned for the relative peace and routine of his 3rd grade classroom. His parents were too embarrassed to tell the school about their troubles. Nick tried to keep it a secret. It was a tough one, especially with his best friend, Charles. 


The doubling-up got old. Nerves frayed. His parents argued. Their friends resented the intrusion of Nick's family. Nick acted out in school. The teacher knew something was wrong, but Nick never let on about his family's nomadic life.


Getting Nick back and forth to school was a challenge. The car was on the fritz. Nick's mom worked irregular hours at the laundromat. Nick's dad helped a friend on a home improvement project, generating a little cash and perhaps good will. Nick's attendance, normally steady, faltered. Tardy. Absent. Tardy. Sleepy in class. Irritable. 

This is how homelessness seeps into lives that previously seemed impervious to such "social ills." Now these ills are epidemic. Our nation didn't do well before this last 3-4 years of bubbles bursting and Wall Street winning. But now...it's about to get a heap worse, especially if the budget butchers have their way.

Despite rhetoric on both sides of the crocodile-filled aisle in our nation's Capital, whatever ends up being the federal budget priorities, it will be too little too late for Nick and his family and countless others like them.

The "countless" part is important to the big picture. One reason why Congress doesn't get shook up about homeless families is they don't have a clue about the scope of this problem. Nick and his family wouldn't count as "homeless" because they're not in a shelter. No matter that they have no home and their town has no shelter.

When they don't count, they don't add to the numbers that Congress says they need before prioritizing an issue and tossing money at it. Homeless families, youth, and many adults don't count. So we don't have a problem? 

A modest effort is being made to boost Congress' awareness. A bipartisan bill has been introduced that pushes the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to change the way they define homelessness. It's a start...if it passes. A few members of Congress have a clue. You can involve your legislator by signing this petition:

• Urge your Senator and Representative to co-sponsor the bill to strengthen the definition of homelessness. CLICK HERE to make homeless kids count.

Nick and his family will turn to a shabby motel on the outskirts of town. Their tensions will escalate. Their resources deteriorate. And the family will fall apart. Nick will lose interest in school and will refuse to attend. His parents will be too dysfunctional to get him to do otherwise.

Do you see where this goes? Down the drain. Another family shattered by homelessness. Listen to these kids (4-min. trailer, My Own Four Walls, a HEAR US production). If they can't convince you that we need to help, no one can.

Nick and his family could have been helped with school issues. The federal law, McKinney-Vento, guides schools in assisting families and youth who have lost their homes, at least as far as education. Nick may have been eligible for transportation, school lunches, supplies, etc. (Watch the HEAR US video, REACH, an 11-minute simple explanation of the homeless education law.)

It seems to me that we've got to connect the dots for our lawmakers Sign the petition. Imagine the surprise if Congress started hearing about this--a real issue. DOT-DOT-DOT  DASH-DASH-DASH DOT-DOT-DOT...SOS anyone?

Homeless Kids...As Ignored as Dead Birds...

Step over. Walk around. Don't look. Forget about. 

Dead birds don't merit much attention except by bird-lovers. That's kinda the same way homeless kids tend to be treated. I'm a homeless-kid-lover. And stepping over, walking around, not looking or forgetting about homeless children in Las Cruces, NM, or elsewhere, is not an option. I've long written about this tragic travesty.

My ire got raised as I read this Las Cruces Bulletin article about the long-vacated Las Cruces family shelter now being converted into a children crisis center. Let me say straight up that I think every community should have a safe place for young (and older) children to go when they are in danger. But...

...the vacant building that for 4 years sat vacant on the campus of the Community of Hope used to house homeless families. My first visit to Las Cruces, a pleasant community of about 80,000 on the south end of New Mexico, had me tethered to their shelter by way of extension cord. I spent time inside, talking with families, interviewing kids for "My Own Four Walls," the now-popular HEAR US series of documentaries (DVD, $40).

Las Cruces has no other family shelter. Families in crisis can go to the Rescue Mission across the street, but it's a tough choice, for too many reasons to discuss in limited space. As a parent of homeless kids, you have to decide if this risk is worth it. And often parents in crisis don't make the best choices. Neither do I. And sometimes we fail to make sure people in crisis have adequate options. Then we're disappointed at their decisions.

When I first met LC Mayor Ken last year, he didn't know that his community's only shelter for families was shuttered. He was pretty upset about not being told. We've talked since then and he seems genuinely concerned. 

Which gets me back to the dead bird analogy. Do we step over, walk around, not look or forget about homeless kids in Las Cruces and across the country? They're not birds, worthy creatures that birds are. These are kids, and parents (some flawed, some not), that seem to get less attention than dead birds.

Seems to me we should put some of our country's misguided passions into something that counts. Making sure families in crisis have a safe place to go, and adequate supports to get them back on their feet, would be a good place to start. With over 1.5 million kids, including hundreds of thousands under the age of 5, we've got our work cut out for us, unless we want to wait and do the human version of scraping these kids off our streets.   

First Step to Help--Learn About Homeless Families

Everywhere I go, after watching our powerful documentary, My Own Four Walls, most people want to know how to help. My suggestion may seem overly simplistic, but it's critical: Learn about homeless families/youth.

How many of us carry our own prejudices? My hand is up. Even today, when I see an obese person, my family's old tapes play--the kind that make cruel remarks about people being fat. My more enlightened (and slightly chunky) self knows people have many reasons for their obesity. Some may be within their power to address, some far beyond it, and most land somewhere in the middle. Even that's an overly simplistic description. 

 

Our country suffers no shortage of issues, valid and distorted, with family and youth homelessness continuing to get the short edge of the stick in media coverage and resources. Poverty and economic hardship are spreading like kudzu (a southern thing, look it up!). The estimated 3 million households predicted to lose their abodes this year will join over 2.5 million from last year. Poverty rates soar as the economy swoons. It's ugly, and it's everywhere.

Families and individuals swirl in the brutal vortex of survival. Nowadays it's far easier to become homeless and much harder to escape this shackled existence. Although solid data doesn't exist, estimates of homeless families and teens shoot upward to 10 million when you count those who lost housing due to hardship who now bounce between family, friends, acquaintances, and no-tell motels.

When I ran a shelter, which I did in Aurora at Hesed House for 13 years and before that in Joliet, I'd never describe the process as "pretty," or even humane. We tried to be hospitable and kind. But reality, and our prejudices, often interfered; and children, teens, women and men ripped raw by their experience of serious trauma often were inadvertently grossly neglected. I'd suspect that is true in just about every shelter. 

For the past 5 years I've traveled 90,000 miles on the backroads of this great nation, living in a modest RV that I've dubbed "Tillie."  I've filmed interviews with some amazing people--courageous children, teens and women who shared what it was like to experience homelessness. "My Own Four Walls" was my first documentary--I filmed it and Northern Illinois University's Professor Laura Vazquez and her talented students worked with me to produce it. Thousands have seen, and have been deeply touched by this 20-minute film.

Four years ago, Laura  invited me to work with her on an ambitious documentary about families' experience of homelessness. With the blessing of HEAR US, my nonprofit organization's board of directors, and generous support from a plethora of supporters I accepted the challenging invitation.

It's been an incredible process, touching me at my core. Seven women ripped off the shrouds of secrecy common to those embarrassed about their stumbles into homelessness. They shared intimate details. They described, comprehensively and painfully, their nomadic lives. They erased stereotypes--the kind swirling about "welfare moms," women who bear "too many" children, drug and alcohol abusers, foster care, domestic violence, the agony of not being able to provide for their families, and the fear of life on the edge, with its ever-present danger of returning to homelessness.

All of that and more is contained in our new documentary, "on the edge."  It's a tough film to watch, but it's the best place to start if you really want to understand the far reaching devastation of homelessness that touches millions in our wealth-distorted nation.

On Wednesday, April 21st, we're holding a preview screening of "on the edge" in Aurora (Annunciation Parish gym, 1840 Church Road, 7:00 p.m.) in conjunction with Mutual Ground. We're asking for free will donations so the economy won't be a barrier.

For my part, I hope families and kids I knew at Hesed House will come. I want to listen to them, to see if this film validates their experiences. I want to offer my apologies for not hearing what they were saying, and for inadequately helping them cope with their traumas. And I want to hear what they have to say.

We all have a lot to learn. Then we need to act upon it. This is my humble effort. Please join me, if you dare.

x

Tim's Temptations Are COOL!

Leave it to Tim Harris to teach this old dog new tricks! Perusing his always interesting and eclectic blog, Apesma's Lament, he had a wordle. I didn't know what it was, but got curious and then, after wrestling with Java stuff, created a few, including the above, representing the kids and states included in My Own Four Walls (and those kids who didn't make the documentary but are still very much a part of the HEAR US project.

Seems to me it's an indication of our being absolutely overwhelmed by the disastrous state of affairs that we let ourselves get distracted by creativity. But isn't it cool??!!!

Tim-how did you make your wordle so large?

Our chance to weigh in on homeless kids

Maybe it will do some good. It can't hurt.

Am I so hope-deprived that I doubt the power of the Internet?

You can help both promote the idea that homeless kids and families need their own four walls, and at the same time restore my faith that homelessness is an issue that people are willing to care about.

I've set up a page on Change.org and have challenged people toVOTE on the issue of homelessness as it affects the invisible families and youth. Plus I'm asking for financial support for our nonprofit organization, HEAR US, which gives voice and visibility to homeless kids.

HEAR US has been involved in some amazing endeavors to help homeless families and youth:

• We created and are distributing a powerful video that helps homeless kids.
  
• We've worked hard to successfully remove barriers for homeless youth so they can apply for financial aid to go to college.
  
• We have staved off the attempts to narrow the definition of homelessness, and at the same time managed to get Congress talking about this long-ignored problem.
  
• We're going behind bars, helping homeless parents protect their children's educational stability, and more...

So if you care about this issue, click on the widget--the thingie at the top of this post. If you'd like to support HEAR US buy some of our "stuff" that really does make a difference.

Seems to me we are so overdue for change in this country that we can't believe we have the chance to bring it about. But we do, if we act. Feel free to share this invitation with your circle of friends and colleagues.

Cries from the Street, People Moved to Tears...

Yesterday I shared My Own Four Walls with a group of women from Naperville that I refer to as "the salt of the earth." They are members of Church Women United--the women that faith communities rely on to get things done.

Naperville, one of the most family-friendly communities in the nation happens to be the HEAR US home base. Tillie and I have slept in Naperville--just to be able to say I was homeless in Naperville--and I know lots of good people from this homogeneous suburb.

Despite an educated populace, I suspect it's like every other community--largely clueless when it comes to homeless kids. Following the 20-minute screening of MOFW, the reaction of almost the entire audience to these articulate young spokespersons was clear...tears. Several woman bought MOFW DVDs and books that we sell to raise awareness of homelessness and to keep me from being homeless in Nevada.

Meanwhile, on a totally different level, tears were being shed on Wall Street as once-solid financial firms crumbled under the weight of what people like me would attribute to greed.

I understand the financial market about as much as most people understand homeless families. At least I admit my ignorance. And I try reading about the problem--and proposed astronomical solutions--numbers my little brain can't comprehend.


Seems to me that it's time for some mutual understanding. Since people affected by the shattering sounds on Wall Street are inching closer to calling the streets "home," perhaps we could share some street-wise tips. I can tell you where some good places are to sleep in Naperville if you don't have money. You can tell me where to find some pockets of dough to fund HEAR US. Sounds like a fair trade to me....

Go to the Wall--If You Have One

When I need that extra boost of determination and focus to face the dragons of this world, I can get it by recalling my little friends pictured above. I met Destiny, Tiffany and Amanda in Reno, where they have no real family shelter--just "roller beds" parked in a church site that rotated weekly. The family couldn't hold onto the motel they were staying in so they hit the church-shelter, but were asked to leave because of some problem with one of the other families. They were sent off to CA on a 14-hour bus ride to stay with someone supposedly willing to take in the girls, their baby sister and mom.

My Own Four Walls was a brilliant name for the HEAR US documentary (DVD). It points to the value of what we take for granted--our own place to live. Probably most people who read this blog have not only a computer to connect you to the immense Internet world, but also have your own four walls.

As much as we'd like to think everyone has at least a humble place to call home, sorry, that's not the case. And maybe later blogs will dwell upon causes, effects, cures...but for now I want to ask you to picture the face of a homeless kid who touched your life. Got it?

If you haven't had the pleasure of getting to know at least one kid without a home, let me share some of the faces of kids I've met along my HEAR US sojourn. Jose (left) captured my heart during my visit to central PA. His family bounced in and out of homelessness--staying with family and friends and in/out of shelters, but fortunately he enjoyed school stability thanks to caring McKinney-Vento liaisons.


Tommy and his family called motels home for longer than he cared to talk about. His parents tried to make things work--both held low-paying jobs that barely added up to enough to stay in cheap motels. The mobility and the pressures of high school weighed heavily on Tommy. His McK-V liaison was there to pick up the pieces when the family's short-lived stint in their own apartment fell apart.

Cody pretty well had it with staying with other families by the time I interviewed her. Homeless thanks to Hurricane Rita, she and her siblings found out that the home they had taken for granted was much better than sharing space with another family. She ached with impatience for the process of getting her own four walls.


OK, now that you have a name and a face of a kid without a place to call home...would you be willing to help that kid?

No money required--just a phone call or a fax on MONDAY, JULY 14--to your Member of Congress to urge the House Financial Services Committee to make the right decisions to help homeless kids. It's a big vote--but most of them probably don't know it.

If you're willing to make the call CLICK HERE for simple instructions and more information.

Then, next time you stare at your own four walls, think about "your" kid that your phone call helped get closer to getting their own four walls. And smile....

Seems to me that the issue of families and teens on their own having their own four walls should at least get the amount of attention Congress gave the baseball steroid issue.

Travels Tell the Story...If Only HUD Would Listen

The map gives an idea of where I've traveled over the past 3 years in my quest to give voice and visibility to homeless kids. Although metro areas were unavoidable, most of my driving and stops centered on non-urban areas. I never lacked for homeless kids to talk to....

Trying to update the HEAR US website is one of those one-thing-leads-to-another projects. I realized how out-of-date my travel map was, so I took the time on this refreshingly cool Sunday afternoon to do a new one. It was a trip down memory lane....but I got distracted.

As much as I could wax on about the sights and events of these 64k miles, I found myself thinking of the current infuriating battle being waged in DC over who "deserves" to be defined homeless.

The primary focus of my journeys has been to learn about homelessness from homeless and formerly homeless children, teens and parents. I've talked to hundreds of homelessness experts from places that most people wouldn't be able to find with an atlas. These experts know because they have lived this uprooted lifestyle. They fuel my fire. Their stories, available on our HEAR US documentary, My Own Four Walls, will convince you that they are truly HOMELESS.

I've also had frank talks (because I'm not connected with government) with workers in the trenches--educators and service providers--who painted a frightening picture of how un/under-addressed homelessness is exploding in their communities. I'll stack what I've seen and heard, topped onto my 15 years of running shelters, against a Beltway bureaucrat or politician any day.

BACKGROUND
Some of us have been trying to get HUD to expand their homeless definition--and focus--to include families doubled-up and staying in motels because of hardship. A strong contingent--let's face it, they have the money and clout--have thrown everything they could at our little band of advocates. Barbara Duffield, NAEHCY's policy director, has been at the table, a brutal and draining task, deserving kudos and a huge raise!

But the battle (I'd like another word that doesn't sound like war, but I'm Thesaurus-challenged--nothing does this justice) continues. Sympathizers PLEASE let your thoughts be known! HEAR US has the PIGGIES' Project for this purpose. DO IT NOW!!

Here's the gist of the arguments of those who are opposed to changing the HUD definition of homelessness...

IT WILL INCREASE the NUMBER
HUD already uses an absurd under-count to assure Congress they're on top of homelessness. It's a point-in-time street count that providers will privately tell you is a well-intentioned sham. HUD says 750,000 people are homeless. They don't count families doubled-up, in motels, or otherwise not visible to the counters. Families don't want to be on the street --it puts them in jeopardy of getting involved with the foster care system. Ditto for homeless teens. Don't count them--and they won't count.

IT WILL OVERWHELM the SYSTEM
That's the point--the system is already overwhelmed. It has been--since the '80s. Since HUD has somehow reasoned that it's OK to ignore the existence of families and teens outside their "system" they shouldn't be surprised that we haven't gotten ahead of the problem.

Congress--under both parties--has been negligent in addressing homelessness, diverting resources to...well, that's too much to cover in this tiny blog. Congress, and the President, gives HUD marching orders.

Worth noting: The ignored homeless kid from 20 years ago--the beginning of the fed's "coordinated" approach to homelessness--is now in his/her 20s or 30s. Chances are that homeless child of the 80s is now a homeless adult of the 21st Century. That makes HUD's non-response a virtual feeder system for homeless shelters down the road.

IT WILL CHANGE the 'DEAL'
Take a faulty premise and build on it--where do we see that happening? "Mission Accomplished" comes to mind. Another argument that I can't believe someone would put in writing, "Changing the deal by considering a different group of people homeless could lead to some communities giving up.”

OK, this is where my travels have come in real handy. This "10-Year-Plan," a.k.a. the "DEAL," is a farce. I've seen scads of homeless adults--the ones HUD proclaims to prioritize--who have no place to stay because the shelters are over-capacity. They stand on street corners in cities and towns across the land. They get shoved out of one town by police and they go to the next. Ask around—does anyone think the 10YP is working (besides HUD)?

HUD's 10YP is like saying you're losing weight by not eating cupcakes. It ignores the reality that you're eating cake...and ice cream, etc. It's delusional. It's OK to be delusional about weight loss/gain, but not about children and teens living in highly-mobile, inadequate, insecure, and often dangerous environments.

ARBITRARY DEFINITION
Argh! I don't know how BD can sit in her chair when they say that our proposed definition is “arbitrary.” HUD decides they’re the expert in homelessness (OK, I'll grant them one thing--they've been a part of homelessness creation for long enough) and THEY can define it:
“A ‘chronically homeless’ person is defined as ‘an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.”
A ROOM IN THIS SEEDY MOTEL ABOVE WAS THE HOME FOR A MOM, DAD AND 5 SCHOOL-AGE KIDS. IT'S LOCATED IN DUPAGE COUNTY, IL, ONE OF THE MOST AFFLUENT COUNTIES IN THE COUNTRY. THEY WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED HOMELESS UNDER HUD'S DEFINITION. WHAT WERE THEY, VACATIONING??

Missing from their "enlightened" definition are kids and families (and non-disabled adults). Because many communities have NO FAMILY SHELTERS--Reno, Las Vegas, Las Cruces— come to my mind, but lots more would be on the list if I had time and space to compile it--families and teens turn to whatever place they can find: Sometimes motels. Sometimes a patchwork of friends' and family's houses. Sometimes a horrible combination that includes physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse. Typically their choices are places that are overcrowded, unstable, unsafe, unpredictable...but I guess it's OK for families according to HUD.

'REAL' HOMELESS FAMILIES are WORSE OFF
Anyone who would use this argument would be giving away their naïveté in the world of homelessness. Most families who bounce in and out of homelessness get the experience of all forms of homelessness--doubling up, turning to shelters, being turned away from shelters and going to motels, living in vehicles, and then recycling through this devastating circuit.

Seems to me that the millions of our nation’s homeless families would validate my premise given a chance to be heard. But the people responsible for prolonging homelessness will have the comforts of home to insulate their ignorance as homeless families look for a place to call home.

Look to the Future--If You Dare....

Chery, Ben and Seth
Babies are the ultimate sign of hope. Their very existence demonstrates that 2 people love each other enough to create a life that reflects that love.

That's the theory, and sometimes it is true, or sometimes it's a variation of the above, or sometimes, well, let's not go there.

Recently Laura and I visited with Chery and Ben, known to audiences across the land because of their role in My Own Four Walls, the HEAR US documentary series released last year. They've agreed to participate in our new documentary, On the Edge, a look at families during and after homelessness.

Chery and Ben now live in a $375 a month abode in Harrisburg, in an abandoned neighborhood too awful to call a slum.

Recently they added a member of their household. Seth, now a precious 3-month-old baby, clamors for attention and gets a healthy dose of it from his 2 loving parents.

Their story is filled with incredible and predictable happenings, some good, some tough. Seth is the good part. He's got a promising start if you don't look out the window to the neighborhood that surrounds their home like a dark, stormy cloud.

Garbage is piled in the streets; evidently this area is not on the regular trash pick-up route. Boarded up windows and doors are the norm, with graffiti covering every spot within reach. Police presence is limited to an occasional squad car meandering through. Thumping bass from passing cars vibrates what's left of this young couple's plastic-covered windows. Ben and Chery talk about the regular echo of gunshots, police sirens, and bloody fights outside right below their apartment. Ben calls the police when he sees something but it seems like emptying the ocean with a sand pail.

Stoop-sitters decorate the otherwise bleak streets, reminders that humans still occupy this forgotten chunk of the city.

Lest readers think that this city is a mere speck on the nation's vast landscape, it's not. Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania, with a dwindling population of approximately 47,000. Laws get made here. Rich and famous people come here. Barack Obama was here for a rally this past Saturday night on the steps of the picturesque Capitol.

Just blocks from this government center, Chery, Ben and Seth hunker down in their apartment, desperately wanting a way out. Ben's job with a student loan company will likely be yanked from his capable hands because the company is losing money, a side effect of the economic destruction plaguing this country. Chery decries the limits of poverty that trap them in a hopeless situation that requires money and some good fortune coming their way. Both prioritize family and wrap their loving arms around their symbol of HOPE.

Seems to me that this situation challenges Obama's Audacity of Hope. Chery and Ben had the audacity to hope that this precious life they brought into the world would have opportunities to thrive. But deep in their hearts they are hoping to survive. How many young parents like Chery and Ben are out there, limited by income and circumstances, filled with hope, and looking out the window at the gloom of the ghetto? Who and what will it take to change this reality? Who is willing to walk with these courageous young people? Or will we ignore them like the City of Harrisburg has ignored the trash pick-up?

These Kids Are Making a Huge Difference!

Some kids are destined for great things. It's not often that kids who've experienced life without a home can have a positive impact on countless kids and adults nationwide, but for the HEAR US kids, it's happening.

The 2008 edition of My Own Four Walls was unveiled today in Boston. This is the enhanced version of the HEAR US production that has captured hearts of audiences across the country in the past year. Hearing kids share their thoughts on homelessness seems to have touched bunches of people based on the feedback I'm getting at the Horizons for Homeless Children conference.

All I'm going to say tonight is I'm so proud of each of the 75 kids who volunteered to be a part of this incredible documentary project. They need to know that their courage will have long-lasting effects far beyond what is calculable. I'm so delighted that our paths have crossed!

My deep gratitude to Laura Vazquez, media professor at Northern Illinois University, for her incredible expertise that converted my raw footage into this award-winning documentary.

Seems to me that it's time to unleash those with the most to gain in this "end homelessness" movement. Don't get me wrong--I'm not talking about the housing bureaucrats. HEAR US will seek even more ways to give voice and visibility to homeless kids and adults. We can learn lots listening to experts.

'One Paycheck Away' Gets a Lot of Use

Of all the phrases I've heard when people talk about homelessness, "One paycheck away..." is most frequently cited to show a person has a clue, and empathy, about homelessness.

Why, if the average person I talk to understands this, do our legislators and policymakers struggle with the concept that families fall in the "one paycheck away" category?

I'm reading HUD's first report to Congress (the "evil Diane" wonders why HUD never bother reporting before, and wonders how much was spent on this piece of work.) I must work quite hard at self control as I read HUD's reassurance that homelessness isn't any worse now than 10 years ago. Oh pl-eee-aaa-sss-e!

The most frustrating omission is the slick ignoring of the existence of families. H-E-L-L-O! Family homelessness, along with unaccompanied youth homelessness, is exploding. Just ask my new friend Kathy Wiggins, homeless student liaison in Tampa. This area, besides having an abundance of palm trees, is overwhelmed with families living in all kinds of horrible, highly-mobile conditions. Hey HUD, they are H-O-M-E-L-E-S-S!!!

What would "homeless czar" Phil Mangano say about these folks whose plight was reported on Tampa's local news (VIDEO)? I truly want to know. How can HUD offer the absolutely ridiculous number of 754,000 homeless people (which they say is a "one-night count," a phrase designed to confuse even the enlightened) and not at least give a horrified side-note explanation that their number represents such a gross undercount, specifically of non-urban areas and families, that our nation needs to be embarrassed?

Some disturbing/absurd HUD comments include: "In comparing these results with those of previous studies, there is no evidence that the size of the homeless population has changed dramatically over the past ten years," (pg iii) and, "Homelessness is concentrated in central cities rather than in suburban or rural areas," (pg vi). I'm stopping with those 2. Read it yourself if you need evidence that homeless kids are being prepared to be homeless adults of the future by being ignored today.

Of course, the most glaring omission is the fact that HUD chooses to use the definition of "chronic" homelessness which virtually eliminates children and youth. "A chronically homeless person is defined as an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more OR has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years. To be considered chronically homeless a person must have been on the streets or in an emergency shelter (i.e., not transitional housing) during these stays." That fails the "keep it short, stupid" KISS test.

Across this nation, in urban, suburban, and rural areas, families and teens face the bleak realities of homelessness. Sometimes they weren't even a paycheck away when it hit. Sometimes--quite often in fact--the mom and kids hit the streets because of domestic violence. Julianna's story is sadly typical.

Seems to me that the first step of doing something about a problem is learning about it. With unabashed self-interest in working myself out of a job, I recommend that our HUD friends watch My Own Four Walls, a powerful account of what kids think about their homelessness. Then adopt the "one step away" language. At least you can fake sounding like you know what's up....

Ho-Hum-Homelessness Report

I forgot all about the annual US Mayors' homelessness report which was released mid-December. So I looked it up and ho-hum...Plenty of disclaimers turn a good idea into a fairly useless document. It's only a survey of cities represented by Mayors on the hunger and homelessness committee. They don't have any statistically valid way of gathering the data. It's only 23 cities and, gosh, they don't cover rural communities.

They've been doing this report since 1982. So why bother? How much does a report like this cost? Do they just take last year's report, change a few things and release it in time for Christmas each year? Happy Holidays! Homelessness and hunger are increasing. Have a nice day, and SPEND, SPEND, SPEND!

I'd have to say the media has caught on to the worthlessness of this report, based on the fact that I didn't hear anything or read anything about it.

You never change something by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. Buckminster Fuller

Wonder what the tone of the report would be if a committee of homeless adults and teens, given essential resources, compiled the report?

I suspect that most mayors on the committee are far removed from hunger and homelessness. Most of us are. Which is one reason why things continue to worsen for the "have-nots" while those with a little piece of the American Dream hold on tightly.

For the close to 37 million in our country who live at or below poverty level (Census Bureau), and the millions who are above the magic--but unrealistic--poverty line who can't begin to make ends meet, they're staring homelessness in the face. That's adults and kids, rural, suburban and urban.

A study by the Urban Institute is credited for estimating that about 10% of people in poverty will experience homelessness. I couldn't find the study, but it seems to be a safe, conservative guestimate. I'd point out that the poverty levels by some experts' evaluations, are extremely low, and probably should be doubled. People in poverty would agree with that. Politicans in office would pooh-pooh the idea. Me? I flunked college statistics twice so I'll stay out of the numbers arena.


Seems to me that we spend a lot of time and money hashing about irrelevant reports and too little time talking to those who know the issue, like 9-year old Deshaud (left) in Ohio, who observes, "We weren't exactly poor, we just didn't have a home to live in..." (from the HEAR US documentary My Own Four Walls)

OK, that's a clear statement of a problem.Now, what can we do to fix it?