Meet the Homelessness Experts
The best way to learn about homelessness is to listen to the experts. That is, those who have had the experience of living without a permanent home. Thanks to the National Coalition for the Homeless' project, Faces of Homeless, formerly homeless individuals from coast to coast are debunking myths about life on the streets while bravely sharing their stories with thousands of people.
Whether you're learning about homelessness for the first time, or a policy wonk with years of experience in the field of homelessness services, you are poised to gain something from listening to the story of a formerly homeless person. Sure - it's important to know the high-level policy debates about an issue. It's important to examine the strengths and weaknesses of programs. It's necessary to constantly brainstorm new and innovative ways of creating affordable housing. But the best way to improve the delivery of services is to open our ears and listen to those who have experienced it for themselves. To understand their plight from housed to the streets. To know what roadblocks they faced while trying to regain financial independence.
In other words, we must always remember who the experts really are.
If you're looking to hear some expert commentary on homelessness in your neighborhood, check out the list of upcoming presentations after the jump (to learn more about attending one of these talks, go here). If you're interested in bringing a Faces of Homelessness speaker to your neck of the woods, visit the National Coalition for the Homeless.
October 20: Saint Paul Catholic Church in Damascus, MD
October 21: National Young Leaders Conference in Chevy Chase, MD
October 22: Sligo Middle School in Silver Spring, MD
October 22: UNC-Chapel Hill in Washington, DC
October 22: Maret School in Washington, DC
October 23: Sligo Middle School in Silver Spring, MD
October 23: Georgetown University "Just One Day" in Washington, DC
October 23: UNC Chapel Hill students in Washington, DC
October 23: St Andrew's Lutheran Church in Memphis, MI
October 24: Steinbruck Center in Washington, DC
October 24: St Andrew's Lutheran Church in Memphis, MI (Box-Out Event)
October 27: Silver Spring Interfaith Housing Coalition in Silver Spring, MD
October 27: Martin Luther King Jr Library in Washington, DC
October 29: Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC
November 2: BBYO Board of Directors in Washington, DC
November 2: Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT
November 3: Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, MA
November 3: Clark University in Worcester, MA
November 4: UCONN-Stoors in Stoors, CT
November 4: National Young Leaders Conference in Chevy Chase, MD
November 6: St Bernadette School in Silver Spring, MD
November 6; Health and Human Service Collaborative of the Eastern Panhandle in Martinsburg, WV
November 6-8: National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness Conference in Chicago, IL
November 8: Sligo Dennis Avenue Park in Silver Spring, MD
November 8: George Washington University in Washington, DC
November 9: Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH
November 10: Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH
November 10: PANIM in Washington, DC
November 10: University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH
November 10: Messiah College in Grantham, PA
November 11: Sidwell Friends Upper School in Washington, DC
November 11: National Young Leaders Conference in Chevy Chase, MD
November 12: Penn State University in University Park, PA
Shannon Moriarty
has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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