Imagine driving to work on the first day of your dream job, seeing a few homeless folks on the street, and giving it all up to help them. Anne Mahlum began “Back on My Feet” to encourage the homeless to join her in running through the streets of Philadelphia. By using running as a means to build confidence and self-esteem, combined with job training resources, Mahlum has given many homeless people a chance at a new life. She has helped them see past the reasons for their homelessness, and decide to turn over a new leaf.
Let’s change the narrative, starting with the word “Homeless” which is stigmatizing and conjures up misconceptions while carrying a negative connotation. “Unsheltered” is more neutral, and casts a wider net beyond unhoused, including those whose primary nighttime residence is unsuitable for human habitation (i.e., a city sidewalk, vehicle, abandoned building, or park). And let’s come together to gather stories from the street “for good”…
It’s time for real stories to be told by the unsheltered and by those who can speak about and for them so we can debunk the myths “for good”….
—WORLDWIDE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS—
CLICK FOR PRESS RELEASE ► Breakthrough Unsheltered Anthology Book Series Launched
WE NEED STORYTELLERS, including:
- those who; are currently unsheltered/homeless; have been unsheltered/homeless in the past
- have been affected indirectly/a degree removed from being unsheltered/homeless (family members, friends, co-workers, etc. .)
- are familiar with the personal and global effects of the unsheltered/homeless population,
- organizations and causes who are on the ground facing daily struggles with those who are unsheltered/homeless and who have stories to tell.
