Faces of Homelessness are Soon to be Everywhere

“I brought a homeless friend, Ben, with me to a Rotary Club in 1979. I planned to let him eat my free meal while I spoke. We both got free meals. And when I got up to speak, I invited Ben to join me. I spoke for a bit and then Ben told his story. Ben held the audience at rapt attention. The audience seemed more interested in Ben than me. He got asked more questions. Henceforth, I always took at least one homeless friend with me whenever I went to meetings, lobbying visits, speaking engagements, etc.” It was a risky thing to do, but Michael Stoops, now Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), did it anyway. The idea for a speakers’ bureau comprised of homeless and formerly homeless speakers was born from that risk.
Since then, NCH’s “Faces of Homelessness” Speakers’ Bureau based in Washington, DC, has grown from an idea to a movement. The Bureau currently has 26 speakers whose stories and experiences reached over 17,000 individuals from 40 states across the U.S. in 2008 alone. The face of homelessness are often surprising to those who hear the stories of the speakers and audience members usually vow to never treat homeless individuals poorly again. “The Speakers’ Bureau is a powerful educational tool in the fight to end homelessness. I have witnessed more than a few audience members fight back tears as they listened to speakers share their personal stories. The presentations move many people to action in their own communities”, explained Dana F. Woolfolk, one of the speakers from the National Coalition’s Bureau.
In 2007, NCH partnered with AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) to put VISTA volunteers at local coalitions and service providers across the state of Florida to create speakers’ bureaus. They focused on using Florida as a starting place for the project because the state had the highest number of violent attacks against homeless individuals for the past three years in a row. These bureaus are modeled after “Faces of Homelessness” and reach out to the same audience as NCH: youth, civic groups, all faith groups and college students. The 11 VISTAs and one VISTA Leader in nine cities across the state share the same commitment to dispelling the myths, stereotypes, and misperceptions people with homes have about those without homes. David, a speaker from the Orlando Speakers’ Bureau said, “We get looked at as the enemy, there might be some bad people on the streets but there are people in suits and ties doing worse every day.” As of April 2009, the VISTAs have recruited 95 speakers across Florida who are taking the chance to advocate on behalf of themselves and others who are in similar situations. In the past six months the speakers reached 15,273 people; 7,701 adults and 7,572 youth.
The National Coalition for the Homeless hopes to nationally expand the Speakers’ Bureau project and is currently taking steps toward that goal. By June 2009 there will be 25 VISTAs and two VISTA Leaders in 16 cities across Florida; 10 VISTAs and one VISTA Leader pioneering the project in all major cities across Georgia; and three VISTAs located in major cities in South Carolina. The projects in Georgia and South Carolina will closely mirror the project in Florida by utilizing VISTAs at various homeless service agencies and coalitions. NCH hopes to hire two staff people to help manage the rapidly expanding project; a Trainer to teach the VISTAs best practices and other methods for creating successful, sustainable Speakers’ Bureaus at their site, and a Program Director/ Administrator to manage the project in Florida.

The stories of homelessness in newspapers, blogs, and television news demonstrate the need for dialogue between homeless and housed individuals to work toward solutions to end homelessness. Who better to advocate for increased resources to help homeless men, women and children and educate communities on the need for treating our homeless neighbors with dignity and respect than those who have experienced it? As one of the Florida Speakers, Steve Z., from the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County Storytellers said, “I have a Masters Degree in [homelessness]. If there is one thing I know it would be that.” If you are interested in hosting any of the Speakers Bureaus check out NCH’s website at www.nationalhomeless.org

Cherly DeFlavis is an AmeriCorps*VISTA who served on the speakers bureau project for the National Coalition for the Homeless at the office of the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County.

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