This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to participate in something, I hope will forever influence my life. Portland’s Project Homeless Connect had their family event at the convention center, in which hundreds of volunteers gather to offer help and services to homeless individuals and families. It was incredibly moving to be part of, and to witness a room filled with more than a thousand sharing generosity and appreciation. Please take the time to explore the link above, and find out how you can take part in upcoming events. You have an opportunity to directly impact thousands of lives…..You can’t ask for more than that.
Growing up in Portland, I’ve seen hundreds of homeless people in my life. I would often offer up a buck or two, if I had it handy. It was always a quick exchange….Painless and emotionless, it gave me a brief moment of satisfaction in doing something, then I was on my way. The homeless I met on the streets seemed so far removed from my life….It was similar to viewing one of the “save The Children” commercials on tv. I pause and watch for a moment, but it’s so far away….Even when it’s standing a foot in front of you, it seems so far away. It helped that they didn’t look like me, they had dirty clothes, some were drunk, some seemed to be mentally ill……It was the face I put on homelessness; the face that maintained the distance and gave me comfort.
On Tuesday I saw the true face of homelessness, which is every face you can imagine. They looked like me, like my uncle or aunt, my cousin, my friend. I discovered that there is no distance, and once you remove “the face” of homelessness, you discover a person who simply needs a little help.
For one day, I met a couple hundred people, who happen to be homeless. In the couple of minutes they spent in front of my camera, it was just another person working it….Some were a little goofy, some went heavy on the attitude. while others simply shared their love for each other. It was awesome. We all had fun.
As I look through the photos, and look at the faces, I can only imagine what it would mean to have that captured moment, become their reality. To remove the homeless equation from their lives, so there is one less thing making their lives difficult. To make it a little easier to laugh, love and live. The goal of Project Homeless Connect is to bring an end to homelessness. Before Tuesday, I couldn’t imagine that being a possibility……Now, I can honestly say, I can’t imagine it not.
Here are a few of the people I met, but you can find them all in the link below. Enjoy and be inspired.
Click Here to View The Gallery
Now, get inspired and do something about it!
To better understand the issues and the goals, please take the time to watch this video…..
show hide 5 comments