Real Stories

As Heard on NPR: Homelessness Threatens Student Success

In a StoryCorps conversation that aired on NPR this morning, Erika (left) talks with her mom about attending high school while living in a car. Image from StoryCorps.
In a StoryCorps conversation that aired on NPR this morning, Erika (left) talks with her mom about attending high school while living in a car. Image from StoryCorps.
More than 30,000 schoolchildren in Washington state are experiencing homelessness. In a heart-wrenching story that aired on NPR this morning, one of these students, Erika, talks about the challenges of attending high school while living in a car with her family.

“Very Often, LGBT Teens Have No Concept that Their Life Can Be Good”

LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness raise awareness about their struggles. Image from Instinct Magazine.
LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness raise awareness about their struggles. Image from Instinct Magazine.
As many as 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ, and oftentimes they end up trapped in a cycle of abuse, poverty, and street life that lasts well into adulthood. Guest blogger Sarah Bartlett illuminates some of the struggles with poverty and homelessness that many members of the LGBTQ community experience.

Homelessness No Longer “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” for Filmmakers and Their Communities

<em></em>
<p><em>"The Beast Inside" is one of four animated shorts produced by the <a href="http://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/departments/communication/strategic-communications/film-project/">Film & Family Homelessness Project</a>. Co-director and animator Drew Christie told us that making this film helped him understand how "institutional racism, bigotry, misunderstandings and fear" contribute to homelessness.</em></p>

"The Beast Inside" is one of four animated shorts produced by the Film & Family Homelessness Project. Co-director and animator Drew Christie told us that making this film helped him understand how "institutional racism, bigotry, misunderstandings and fear" contribute to homelessness.

Seattle University's Film & Family Homelessness Project worked with six Seattle-area filmmakers to produce four beautiful animated films revealing different aspects of living with poverty and homelessness. The stories were informed by families who have first-hand experience with these challenges. Developing these films was a learning process for the filmmakers, and we invited them to share lessons they came away with. Read their reflections and watch the American Refugees films.

Homeless Speakers Bureau Advocates Tell a Story That Needs to Be Heard

Susan Russell is a Real Change vendor and member of the Homeless Speakers Bureau. Image credit: Still capture from <a title="A Storytelling Project: Susan Russell on Vimeo" href="http://vimeo.com/92685423">video by Anissa Amalia</a>.
Susan Russell is a Real Change vendor and member of the Homeless Speakers Bureau. Image credit: Still capture from video by Anissa Amalia.

Have you heard about Real Change’s Homeless Speakers Bureau? It’s a group of homeless and formerly homeless people who speak about their personal experiences with homelessness. Speakers help educate the public, facilitate conversation, and inspire social action. Susan Russell, a Speakers Bureau member and passionate advocate, wrote this excellent post about why she speaks up about homelessness.

Hacking to End Homelessness

Seattle’s first-ever Hack to End Homelessness brought housing advocates and service providers together with members of the tech community to design and build solutions to homelessness. The weekend of May 2-4, more than 100 people collaborated on a dozen projects, including informative infographics, data analyses and visualizations, websites, and mobile apps. Read on for our take on the event, as well our videos featuring activist Mark Horvath.

  1. 1
  2. 9
  3. 10
  4. 11
  5. 12
  6. 13
  7. 16