Homeless People Volunteering to Help Homeless People in New York City
Brian spends six days a week volunteering to help homeless people in New York City. Brian volunteers with City Relief's mobile outreach on four of those days, a modified bus providing food and services at locations around Manhattan, Harlem, and the Bronx. Brian also lives in a homeless shelter.
Emmanual is a homeless veteran. He says it's an honor to help other homeless people adding, "anyone can fall into a situation like this." Emmanual lived in a homeless shelter for two months. Emmanual told us he was moving into a veteran's shelter the day we visited.
People housed and unhoused need a purpose. By the time someone hits the streets, years of trauma and abuse have taken their toll. Homelessness is often lonely. Homeless people face long periods of isolation. Even after being placed in housing, people need tangible social interaction and a reason to get up in the morning.
City Relief engages homeless people they serve to help others. People are provided a mobile phone and a MetroCard to get to outreach locations and around the city.
Brian started using hard drugs at 35. He is now 57. Brian gives credit to Josiah Haken, City Relief's CEO, for helping him stay sober. While housing is needed to end homelessness, City Relief works to fill the gaps in the safety net. NYC's shelters are often horrible places. Volunteer programs that engage homeless people provide more than basic needs; they help give people a purpose.
To learn more about City Relief, please visit https://cityrelief.org
Invisible Stories is a mini-doc series that goes beyond the rhetoric, statistics, political debates, and limitations of social services to examine poverty in America via a medium that audiences of all ages understand, and can’t ignore.
Watch more Invisible Stories mini-documentaries on homelessness https://invisiblepeople.tv/invisiblestories .
Executive producer: Mark Horvath
Producer/editor/cinematographer: Alex Gasaway https://www.youtube.com/alexgasaway
More NYC stories:
Disabled Homeless Woman Sleeps on the Streets of New York City https://youtu.be/zs1MlOjUWWs
Homeless Man Surviving the Tough Streets of New York City https://youtu.be/OCbwNkD27_U
America's First Supervised Drug Consumption Site https://youtu.be/h4nMm8dJH8g
#homeless #newyorkcity #volunteering
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About Invisible People
There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, childhood trauma, lack of a living wage, or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness.
We imagine a world where everyone has a place to call home. Each day, we work to fight homelessness by giving it a face while educating individuals about the systemic issues that contribute to its existence. Through storytelling, education, news, and activism, we are changing the narrative on homelessness.
This isn’t just talk. Each year, our groundbreaking educational content reaches more than a billion people across the globe. Our real and unfiltered stories of homelessness shatter stereotypes, demand attention and deliver a call-to-action that is being answered by governments, major brands, nonprofit organizations, and everyday citizens just like you.
However, there is more work to be done on the road ahead. Homelessness is undoubtedly one of our biggest societal issues today and will only continue to grow if we don’t take action now.
Invisible People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through innovative storytelling, news, and advocacy. Since our launch in 2008, Invisible People has become a pioneer and trusted resource for inspiring action and raising awareness in support of advocacy, policy change and thoughtful dialogue around poverty in North America and the United Kingdom.
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