We would like to share with you some of the amazing videos that we have come across.
——————————————————————————————-
This is an incredibly moving video. It says it all.
——————————————————————————————-
Childrens’ Right To Be Housed – I was emailed this documentary video on homelessness among children in Los Angeles. The video was directed and created by a student, Omar Vega. This visual essay is an insightful statement on the cost of homelessness among our children.
——————————————————————————————–
Art From The Streets – a trailer from an incredible film that has been critically acclaimed in its first showing in LA. A vivid depiction of what is possible for people through artistic expression.
——————————————————————————————–
Jennifer from invisible people by Mike Horvarth.
Meet Jennifer. Last night, she slept outside on a sidewalk near Times Square in New York City. If that doesn’t break your heart, then this will: Jennifer is six months pregnant.
I first met Jennifer at the Burbank Winter Shelter in California. On March 15th, this cold weather shelter closed, putting hundreds of people back out on the streets… including Jennifer and her husband. Two weeks ago, I saw her on Hollywood Boulevard, where she was sleeping on a sidewalk. (You can imagine how blown away I was to run into her while I was visiting Manhattan.)
She panhandles to get money for transportation, visits clinics for prenatal care, gets food from churches, and does whatever she can to survive. Despite the fact that she’s pregnant and sleeping on the streets of New York, she’s hopeful about her family’s future.
Next time you think you have a raw deal, remember Jennifer’s optimism.
——————————————————————————————–
David, Tish & Natasha from invisible people by Mike Horvarth.
Having been homeless myself (and facing the possibility again today), I still cannot fathom the challenges of raising a family in a shelter. Yet, families are the fastest growing homeless population.
One of the most heartbreaking memories from my trip to the Prado Day Center was meeting David, Tish, and their 15-month old baby Natasha. All morning I watched David carry his daughter around the day shelter; I don’t believe I saw her feet touch the ground once.
See, David doesn’t just love his daughter, he is fiercely protective of her. He told me, “We don’t have any place like home to go to, so we make the best of what we have and the services that are offered here.”
David worked as a cook for 20 years but cannot find work. Their goal is to become a financially independent family and to have a place of their own. They try their best to stay positive about their situation and their future. Tish says, “We’re homeless; we are not less human.” They both want society to know homelessness is not a disease.
Truth is, most of us are only one paycheck away from being in their situation. There is someone you know that has lost their job and is living in crisis. You may not be able to pay their mortgage, but you can help them forget their crisis at least long enough for a dinner and a movie. Please- after watching this short video- take real, tangible action to help someone in need.
——————————————————————————————–
Home Is Where The Cart Is from Rachel Fleischer
One afternoon while shooting, I was driving on Cahuenga and saw a police car pulled over to the side of the road. Two homeless men stood before a line of shopping carts parked up against the wall behind them. I pulled over, grabbed my camera and approached as the officer reprimanded the two men, got in his car and drove away.
When I asked what had happened, they told me that the officer had given them one hour to get rid of their shopping carts or they would be confiscated by the city’s sanitation department and their belongings inside the carts thrown away. Because the shopping cart did not belong to the men, the officer had the right to confiscate it as stolen property. Both men (featured in the video below) were understandably distressed by the situation.
Not only did those carts house their belongings but the gentlemen were also watching the carts of several of their homeless friends who were nowhere to be found at the time. The men were to unload their belongings and those of their friends if they were to be saved, taking them back out and laying them on the ground where who knows how long they would remain in tact.
The men temporarily averted an unfortunate situation. As they emptied and reshuffled the contents of their carts, I began to consider how repeatedly having to deal with these kinds of trying circumstances, might begin to take their toll on a person’s physical and psychological stability.
There are shopping carts that are designated expressly for the homeless, however they are not as accessible or abundant, as the shopping carts from markets, the ones that are illegal. While this issue doesn’t get as much attention as other issues that enter the rather epic discussion of homelessness, perhaps it should.