“Once the pandemic hit, it was very clear that nothing was going to be done to support the unhoused people in the area who were not able to use the bathrooms, not able to get food anywhere—not even the leftovers they used to pick up off the street. They didn’t have access to information, so I started gathering donations and asking for support, and within...
With tears in her eyes and a lump in her throat, Michelle explained to us what a typical night of homelessness looks likes for a woman. “A woman clutches her backpack to her chest and stands under a streetlight” She is terrified of the dangers that come with darkness, keenly aware of her vulnerability as a woman on the street. The streetlight casts a dim glow of...
“I didn’t have a lot of things the other kids had at school. For example, I came to school, and was given a journal, and I was ecstatic. I didn’t get those things…having nice new things wasn’t something I had before.” Caleb’s reality as a 5-year-old was living in unstable housing situations with his parents. Today, he works at Portland Rescue Mission as the Graphic...
It is no surprise that homelessness is debilitating. Being without a home is both mentally and physically exhausting. And then there is the isolation. Michael’s isolation became a wall that he built brick by brick from childhood. As a child he watched as his father abused his mother. He struggled to understand why his father would attack his mom and beat her. The...
What causes homelessness? Is it mental illness or drug abuse or early childhood trauma? The answer is yes, yes, and yes. And everything all at once. As Audrey, one of our Shepherd’s Door participants will tell you: “When you don’t feel hopeful and you don’t feel safe, those become reasons to use.” According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “drug...
Upcoming Inspiring Design Programs Planning for Equity | April 14th | 6:00 pm – 7:15 pm ETChicago Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development Maurice Cox, Folded Map Project creator Tonika Lewis Johnson, and Boston Library Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center curator Garrett Dash Nelson discuss the roles of design, planning, and public...