Ever since the people living in the tunnels under Vegas hit the news people have been asking me to go visit. I found out today that my new friend Matthew O’Brien was the one who first broke the story to the media. Matthew impressed me. He is much more than a writer. He is a friend to the people beneath the neon.
Watch this short interview I did with Matthew directly after our second tunnel visit
It was a very surreal experience for me. Almost like a bad science fiction movie. I am still trying to process everything. I mean, one second we are in the darkest madness, and then up on the Strip surrounded by extreme wealth.
Having the camera crew with me was wonderful mainly because finally the story behind the stories will be told. Not my story, but the story of some amazing people trying to make the best of hard times.
You can find our more about Matthew’s book by clicking here
100,000 homes for 100,000 of the most vulnerable homeless Americans by July 2013! Probably sounds like normal political crap to most. But I can personally tell you I believe it’s going to happen and that Common Ground can do it! Well, I must correct that last sentence. Yes, Common Ground is the catalyst to effect all this change, but only through the support of local stakeholders can such a huge commission be completed.
Ok now I hear a few of you saying “ya right” so check this. The 100,00 Homes Campaign was launched this week at the National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference in Washington, DC. Even before the thing is launched over 5,ooo people have been housed.
Here’s what Common Ground President Rosanne Haggerty said during the conference’s opening announcement:
And I am also proud to tell you that we are already on our way. Thanks to the tremendous work of the 34 communities that have already joined the Campaign and begun identifying and housing the most vulnerable homeless in their communities, 5,104 individuals and families have already been housed. Communities like Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix and Washington, DC have generated and shared countless innovations and shown us what is possible when we work together toward a specific, urgent goal.
Here is a short video Common Ground played at the launch:
How cool is that! But wait, I have more proof they’ll make it happen. New York Times recently did a story on how Common Ground housed every homeless person in Times Square except one lone holdout. If you are like me and remember Times Square a decade ago and have been there recently you’ve noticed a world of difference.
As many of you know I love Common Ground. I’ve written before about them (here and here) and I must disclose they are sponsoring this years’s road trip. Even if I was not friends with the Common Ground team I would still promote them because they truly have impact in housing people.
First, and maybe what I love most about them, is they are true team players. Many homeless services have become territorial. It’s a hard job that tears at the heart and there is rarely enough money to make things happen. People kind of build these walls and often it’s nearly impossible to get cooperation. Common Ground has discovered the secret to getting organizations to break down their fortresses. It’s nothing short of a miracle what Common Ground has accomplished by simply getting people to work together.
Bureaucracy kills! Point blank honest here: I understand the need for data and rules, but we have created so much crap it’s not a miracle when someone is housed – it’s a miracle the system worked! Common Ground sees that, and in their unique way has found ways to work around the madness to get people into housing.
They also focus on the most vulnerable – homeless people who if not helped will probably die soon. I have seen the before and after pictures of people they have helped. Truly amazing!
Here is a video interview I did with Becky Kanis, Joe McCannon and Rosanne Haggerty:
Seriously, if you work in homeless services, national or local governments, faith based organizations, or just care about your community connect with Common Ground’s 100,000 Homes Campaign.
In Rosanne’s own words closing out her speech:
In three years, when the Campaign comes to a close, we will have a created a new reality. We will see a network of communities working together-unselfishly, resourcefully, relentlessly-to end homelessness. We will see communities that are healthy, thriving and more stable financially. We will see 100,000 vulnerable neighbors safely at home, 100,000 lives changed, and 100,000 reasons to believe that we can come together to solve the hard problems facing our communities and nation.
This week was an amazing week for me. Three years ago when I lost my cushy, six-figure marketing job I aggressively went after executive employment in homeless services. For some time I was back involved helping people with socks and water on weekends, so since unemployment is a chance to go after dreams I thought I would chase mine. Unfortunately, because of the economy, I found a nightmare. No one would hire me – not homeless services – not McDonald’s.
This week the National Alliance to End Homelessness flew me in to their annual homeless conference in Washington, DC. It was truly an honor, but in all honesty I have all of you to thank. Here I am a guy with a cellphone, laptop and social media. Even though I have a great resume, and my creative projects have raised millions of dollars for nonprofits, the only job I could find in homeless services was a low-paying case manager gig. Please note: I am grateful for Path Achieve Glendale for hiring me, and I also feel like it was meant to be since I learned so much. The point I am trying to make is that not one homeless services organization would hire me to help with their marketing, yet InvisiblePeople.tv’s even with a very limited budget has had more impact than maybe all the other big-budget homeless services marketing campaigns combined. For this I must thank each and every one of you for your continued support.
It was an honor to meet Dr. Jim O’Connell. Here is my interview with Becky Kanis, Dr. Jim O’Connell and Linda Kaufman, Chief Operating Officer, Pathways DC
All of these feeds were done with a $60 camera on a cheap laptop – mine! Homeless services are behind on anything internet related especially social media. Information at this conference effects us all because homelessness touches all of us in one way or another. This information needs to be on the internet.
Today most tools are free or low cost. There is no excuse anymore to not have a social media and internet presence. If I can do all this with a cellphone, laptop and lots of enthusiasm you too make make things happen. Just do it!
Again – thank you everyone for supporting me and very special thanks to NAEH for believing in me enough to allow me to run around with my laptop like the madman that I am!
Last year I thought driving around the country for 3 months helping to spread light on the issues of homelessness and poverty was insane. Of course, this year only validates my insanity, but because I had the courage to take this huge risk there are formerly homeless people sleeping inside as a result of this ‘madness’. The success of last years road trip is too great to measure. Housing programs were started, feeding programs were started, and thousands upon thousands of people who would normally never roll down their car window to talk to a homeless person at an exit ramp now have a new understanding of the realities of life on the streets. I could have never predicted any of this, but it seems that when I visit a community, depending on the involvement of the community, InvisiblePeople.tv becomes a catalyst for real change.
This year it’s even more exciting because a camera crew will be following me around making a documentary on homelessness using the road trip as a background.
As you may know part of the funding has come from a Pepsi Refresh Grant, and this year I am so honored to have 100kHomes as a sponsor. Also grateful Hanes will be supplying socks, Ford will be lending me a Flex, TubeMogul has donated upgraded services, it looks like Sprint will be helping me with broadband, Pitch Engine continues to allow me to have a newsroom, and Gift Card Giver has helped with fast food cards.
This year, unfortunately, I was not able to find a hotel sponsor. Because each night I have to upload videos and do all kinds of other work it’s important that I have space with internet. I know several people have offered to host, but what happens is we end up talking all night and I don’t get work done. Maybe even more importantly, going into tent cities and under bridges is hard emotional work. Getting rest is important. Hotels are a must.
I Need You!
Without your help none of this will happen. YOU are InvisiblePeople.tv. Every bit of success is because this has always been a WE and not a me. YOU are the amazing people who have supported this great work for the last two years and I am grateful.
Yes, Ford lends me a car, but I still pay for the gas and the oil change, and that is expensive. The Pepsi Grant will help with the expenses, yet I’d rather use that money on the We Are Visible project that will launch later this month. (We Are Visible is a project to teach homeless people social media literacy that will have huge impact) And to be point blank honest here once again when this road trip is over I am unemployed and without income. Without your continued support this great work stops.
Ways you can help:
Talk about the road trip. The more we create a buzz the more change happens
Donate here. InvisiblePeople.tv is now a 501(c)(3) so your donation is tax deductible
Gas gift cards, Walmart gift cards, Subway gift cards
Hold a fundraising tweetup in a city I am visiting
Sponsor a hotel (needs to be in downtown areas)
Media outreach. Contact your local news media and bloggers
Be creative. Example: Kevin Hendricks is putting together a book to help raise funds
ALWAYS SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HOMELESS SERVICES!
Please note that so many people requested visits that I could not visit everyone. I also had to visit new places this trip. Please don’t take it personal. I want to visit everyone. Even though this road trip ends in October InvisiblePeople.tv will continue to travel so at some point we will connect.
Today the LA Times posted a video that is one of the most powerful I have seen in a long time. Their videos embed kind of funky. Play in full screen or click here for a better embed of the video on the LA Times site. Link to the story can be found here. Powerful photos can be found here.
If you have been following me on twitter it’s no secret that I love Safe Place. Last year before I took off on the road trip they contacted me and offered to help. The first place they connected me to was Nevada Partnership of Homeless Youth. Here is a link to one of our very first live interviews. I was literally floored when I heard about “families downsizing”.
Maybe you’ve seen a Safe Place sign in your neighborhood. I know whenever I see one I smile. It’s really a very cool and simple idea. When teens have a problem often they don’t have anyplace to go. When a kid sees this sign they know that it is a “safe place” for them and they will be connected to real help. Gosh, I wonder how much that would have changed me when I was raising hell as a teenager?
This summer I will be visiting several Safe Place organizations around the country. Youth homelessness is a very serious crisis that gets very little publicity. My hope is that my visits will not only support the local organizations but bring some light to youth homelessness on a national and international level.
This morning I had the honor of interviewing Chrissy Marzano who works at the national office.
I love this short Safe Place PSA
PSA Safe Place’s text for help program
Please support Safe Place at both the national and local levels. I am excited to be visiting a few this summer including the national office. You can follow Safe Place on twitter here
Used to be I would go to my mailbox everyday. But not these days. After a few years of personal financial crisis there is rarely anything good. That was not the case today.
Holy Guacamole in my mailbox was a book. Not any book, but a book with a few pages about me, InvisiblePeople.tv, Glendale Winter Shelter and The Dream Center.
Two years ago while working the winter shelter some guy tweets me he is riding in his RV with his family and wants to stop to visit. I was not yet at the shelter. When I arrived there was a huge RV in the parking lot and this family was making all of our homeless friends coffee. If I remember right they ran out of cups and took his huge RV through a drive-thru or something. Anyway, I became friends with Chad Houck and his wife and Amy. Truly amazing people.
What really impressed me about the Houcks is their genuine love for people. The family volunteered at the winter shelter with the worst of the worst chronic homeless and it didn’t phase any of them. In fact, as I am sure with all the other experiences a family can have on the road full time, this was just one of many. Chad was a COO for a growing company and then decided to take a risk. Today he told me they drove 27K miles together. During that time the family of 5 became a family of 6. I was happy to hear about their new addition, Bethany, and very saddened to hear health complications have them grounded near Dallas. If you know me, you know I rarely ask people to pray. Please note: I believe in prayer. I just think we all ask God for stupid stuff He could care less about. That said, if you are reading this please pray for Chad, Amy and their 3 children. Especially Bethany. God does care about people.
I have to admit I am sincerely honored that anyone would take the time to write about me. I never ask for this, I just focus on helping others as a means to my own survival. In a way, I am living a dream. Chad had a dream to travel with his family around the country in a large RV and write a book. His dream was to write a book that would motivate Christians do to more. I am blessed to be part of Chad’s dream, and you can too by simply buying a book or ten. If you’d like to know more click here. If you click on the book to the right it will take you to Amazon where you can order “Share Well With Others”
I don’t have many fond memories of living in St Louis. Lots of really awful things happened. One of which is losing my house to foreclosure. My last year living in St Charles County was one of the worst in my life. It was very dark and lonely. I have no desire to go back.
Recently, an old friend from the area posted on my Facebook that he was taking bikes to a tent city. I called to encourage him, yet he ended up encouraging me. Seems one of the links I posted some time ago prompted him to take real actions. I once worked with homeless people in STL when I lived there. In fact, this photo I took one Saturday afternoon handing out water in a park downtown. It was nothing like I do today, but it was most certainly part of my training. I learned the difference between real compassion and marketing gimmicks, commitment and convenience.
Today my editor from change.org sent me the following links. I am wrecked! Obviously, there is a lot of unseen hurt in St Louis and St Charles County. Obviously, I need to pass through on this summer’s road trip. If you are from there or know of anyone honestly helping homeless people please send me an email at mark [at] invisible people [dot] tv.
Darn that Chris Brogan. I swear he’s a robot that never sleeps. Always doing cool stuff and launching neat ideas. Like today I see a tweet and click to see the soft launch his new travel site “Man On The Go” . So very cool! I’m looking forward to lots of tips. In this video I thought I would find a solution to packing clothes so I’ll never be called “Sir Wrink A Lot” every again. I did follow on to One Bag. Looks like a great site but I’ll have to study it another time. Those simple solutions sometimes complicate me! HA!
Well, that got me to thinking about something I planned on doing last year after the 1st road trip. But as usual, I put it off until now. No, I am not going to start a travel blog like Chris is starting. But given the time if I find something worth sharing than I will try and write about it.
I also need to once again thank Hilton for helping me help homeless people. You may not know this, but Hilton Foundation is a leader in the fight to end homelessness. Point blank honest – if Hilton didn’t help me out the road trip would not have happened. They are also the biggest sponsors meaning they provided the most support. I am sincerely grateful. When you support the Hilton Family of Brands you are helping hurting people.
Last year speaking at Blog World I went to support Adventure Girl. Listening to Stef it hit me, I am a travel blogger. I just don’t go anywhere nice! Well, it is true most of my time is spent in tent cities or under a bridge. But there are times when I do relax in a nice hotel. Now, before you go judging me about sleeping in a hotel you should know meeting new homeless people every day is emotionally exhausting. It takes a lot out of me. I also drove 11,263 miles so I need rest and escape from the madness. Plus, I lived on the streets off and on for a year, then spent 8 years in a homeless type program where I always had roommates in very small rooms, I was eating donated food everyday, I wore only donated clothes, and I never had my own bathroom. Nearly 9 years of my life I lived in a homeless shelter or a church program. I also have to work each night editing and uploading videos. A good internet connection with uninterrupted time to work is vital so staying in a hotel is the only way to guarantee that.
Ok, here are a few belated tips:
I used to love Price Line until I was burnt real bad by a horrible hotel experience. Hilton covered hotel stays in most major cities, but there were times I had to find my own. After my bad Price Line experience I started to use Trip Advisor which is where I found Plaza Beach Resort in St Pete Beach, Florida. I was driving in from Baton Rouge and actually planned on finding a hotel on the road before arriving in Tampa. Plaza Beach had good reviews but it was cheap. I was a little scared that the price was so low. But the whole trip was a risk so I booked it. I was making good time and figured if I drove all night instead of stopping it would give me a full day on the beach. Only a two weeks earlier my step father died and I had to fly to NY for family. At the start I programed in a few days off but because of this change all ‘flex’ days had to be removed. One day off at the beach was very appealing. I called in to see if I could change the reservations. The man that answered said, “sure, no problem. I’ll just leave the keys in the door for you”. WHAT! Are you kidding me! I was now really scared about the price.
The room was perfect. Less than $100 and only 50 feet from the beach. It also had the perfect bench. I highly recommend this hotel. It’s not the ‘fluff’ style luxury. You’ll have to go to the store and buy your own coffee. But it’s maybe the coolest little hotel efficiency unit I’ve ever staying at. And it’s on the beach!
I also really liked the Hampton Inn and Suites in Downtown Austin. It was an awesome hotel and it reminded me I was in the south by it’s decor and friendly staff. I am not just saying that. Casey died while I was there. I had a huge crisis trying to figure out what to do with the Ford Flex that was loaned to me by Ford, and that was full of brand new Hanes socks. You just cannot leave a car like that full of boxes at the airport. Maybe I could have, but I felt responsible for that car and now I had a family crisis. The hotel staff were wonderful. They helped me with all the arraignments so the car would be safe and I could fly to be with family. If it wasn’t for Hilton I would have never stayed there. I am truly grateful.
Every Hilton property I stayed at was amazing. Even the Hampton Inn in Sioux Falls, South Dakota was top notch comfy. But I must say The DoubleTree Guest Suites in Times Square made me feel like my financial crisis was behind me. Remember, last year I was unemployed and without income. I’ve traveled to NYC often when I was in my 20s. Never did I stay anywhere nice so this was a huge first for me. Yes, it’s NYC so parking costs alone are killer. And I got lost arriving so I had to drag all my bags (I was on the road for 3 months so I had lots of stuff) several blocks. I’m sure there may be better and more luxurious places in NYC but this was a huge ‘wow’ for me. I’d stay there again although I think my next visit I have to try the Rogers Smith Hotel. Social Media is always talking good stuff and they featured me at 140 Conference LA.
My friend Chris Noble swears by Hot Wire. I did try their service twice and both times where good. I don’t like not being able to pick the location exactly. All I need is a clean bed and warm shower with good internet. Free parking rocks. For what I do it’s important to stay downtown. I’ve tried staying outside of the city and it never worked. The first time I used Hot Wire I got a deal at Swissotel Chicago. This was the second leg of the trip so I had switched the Ford Flex for an Escape Hybrid. The Swissotel’s parking is 1/2 off for hybrids. But what impressed me the most was the attention to customer service. When I picked up the car there was cold water inside. Shampoo was in the shower. little things like that make a world of difference.
I will be using Hot Wire more this road trip.
In the middle of the trip a very cool hotel in San Fransisco invited me to stay. The Good Hotel! I am not sure if they are still open because their twitter feed is deleted, and their main mother site no longer lists them. It was a cool experience to say the least. For one, being in the ‘tenderloin’ was right where I needed to be. The hotel lobby listed volunteer opportunities, the business center’s computer was a “one laptop per child” computer, and the toilets were extra green. It was very eclectic and not for everyone. I like new and different, and I do believe they were on to something so I hope they are still around.
There is so much more, like Chinese pizza in Des Moines. But my fingers are sore from typing so that means it’s time to say goodnight. This year it looks like a film crew will be following me so all these cool travel tips will soon be in a theater near you.
Earlier this week Dominic Mapstone posted “Why You Shouldn’t Give Money to Panhandlers” on change.org. Although I don’t agree with Dominic I am glad he brought up the topic. I am not a big blog commenter. I hate to type and written word is not my forte’. But I did post a few. What always gets me going when this topic comes up is how ‘housed people’ so naturally believe that homeless people should be removed of the freedom of choice – “I give food because homeless people are not smart enough to use money as I think they should”! INSANE!
I decided that when I give money to a homeless person or anybody who asks, it is a gift. So when I give it to them it is no longer mine but theirs.
And when I give a gift to my friends for Christmas or birthdays I don’t tell them what to do with it or what to buy with it because it is no longer mine.
And so when I give to the homeless, I am not their parent or guardian to make that judgment and assume that they are going to use it for something else. And even if they do, so what? If you are so concerned about them not doing drugs or consuming alcohol then why not pay for their rehabilitation or take them to counseling, speak to them about their situation rather than ignoring their presence and forgetting they are human beings
So please remember this the next time you see them. You have no obligation to give but if you do give you have no right to judge.
Isn’t that AWESOME?
And just like dumbster diving the good stuff is always at the bottom so I saved the best for last. A while back a good friend sent me this post he said “thank you”
on every block, there is someone
who is homeless
I’ve come to ignore them
in Jon’s occupation we’ve helped a lot
of homeless and extremely poor people
I’ve become jaded, cynical
always ready to say “no”
I’ve learned from Robert and Petey and Leslie and Harold and Jose
and many many others
that our good intentions often were turned into abuse
…of themselves, their families, and the people who helped them
however…yesterday
the man Kat helped came back
and said “thank you”
she did not question his motive when he asked for ”a couple of dollars for food”
she did not hesitate to open her heart and her hands to give him what he needed
and a little while later he came back
he had a bottle of Coke in his hands
and I remarked that he had purchased a Coke to drink
and he replied, “I bought a hot dog, too.”
and he said “thank you.”
he remembered the nice lady
who gave him a couple of dollars
and he came back to say “thank you”
and I learned something from Kat
and from the man
and I won’t always be so cynical, so fearful
so unlike Jesus
the next time the man asks
“do you have a couple of dollars…?”
![[Ask]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/ask.png)
![[Bloglines]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/bloglines.png)
![[del.icio.us]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Fark]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/fark.png)
![[Faves]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/faves.png)
![[Furl]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/furl.png)
![[Google]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[Hugg]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/hugg.png)
![[LinkedIn]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/linkedin.png)
![[Ma.gnolia]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/magnolia.png)
![[Mixx]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/mixx.png)
![[MySpace]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/myspace.png)
![[MyWeb]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/myweb.png)
![[Newsvine]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/newsvine.png)
![[Reddit]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/reddit.png)
![[Squidoo]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/squidoo.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Windows Live]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/windowslive.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
![[Email]](http://hardlynormal.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
Maybe you’ve seen a Safe Place sign in your neighborhood. I know whenever 
ive-thru or something. Anyway, I became friends with 
I also need to once again thank 
