The word is their bond: From a rare friendship, a book club for the homeless is born.  

The story of the book club, now in its 10th month, is a tale of ordinary city life upended. It began with a stunningly unlikely friendship, between two men from different worlds: Peter Resnik, a high-powered lawyer on his way to work, and Rob, a homeless man guarding a friend's shopping cart on Boston Common. Through months of daily conversations, that began with jokes and sports talk and gradually delved deeper, they found a common interest: literature. And when they saw the bridge that they had built, they recognized its potential for others.

I LOVE this! Please take a moment to read this article from the Boston Globe and view the video. It is really all very simple - following what it is you love and offering this out in service to help uplift & enrich others. 

Root cause of homelessness - Alcohol & drug abuse, addictions, loss of a job, the economy, bankruptcy, family problems and break-ups, lack of education - not being qualified for well paying job, poor judgement, making bad choices and laziness, choice - some people just choose to be homeless, mental illness, physical disability, abuse in the home - youth runaways, violence against women.


"What is the root cause? How do we put an end to it? How do we solve the problem of homelessness? We need to be asking these questions and seeking solutions because homelessness is a problem right across Canada, the United States and the world. It takes on different characteristics in different cities and cultures, but it is a disaster in the midst of our prosperity. It affects the overall health of our communities and neighborhoods no matter where we live."

What do you think? Read full article here and add your comments.

According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, about 3.5 million adults & children are homeless over the course of a year. This astonishing statistic has inspired a number of designers & innovators to create solutions to raise the comfort level of the homeless & awareness of their situation. From pop-up inflatable homeless shelters to mobile homes for the homeless, there are quite a few innovations that aim to improve a homeless person's condition.

30 Homeless Innovations: Article/Slide Show Link

Unfortunately, not all of the homeless innovations in the slideshow are positive. There are also a handful of disturbing viral news stories about the homeless, including teen ‘sport' killings and bumvertising.

Dignity Village

My favorite 'innovation' is Dignity Village in Portland. I visited there a couple of years ago and sat in the village for a while listening to the story of the creation of the community and how it is managed. Went on a tour and was so impressed on many levels.



Dignity Village is a place in Portland, Oregon where 50 to 60 homeless people can pitch tents or live in makeshift shelters. They are able to plant gardens and participate in a number of green-lifestyle activities. This arrangement serves both the residents of the village and the citizens of Portland by keeping homeless people from sleeping in doorways or on the streets.
 
Click here for full article.

Each year, up to 2.8 million youth experience homelessness-a group roughly equivalent to 1% of the U.S. population. The causes of homelessness are numerous and range from being orphaned, fleeing chronic abuse or simply escaping economic problems. Some youth are called "throw-aways" because their parents and guardians force them out of the home because of sexual orientation or beliefs.

Taz Tagore and Adam Bucko founded the Reciprocity Foundation to enable homeless and high-risk youth and young adults to permanently exit the social services system and start meaningful, sustainable careers in the Creativity Economy (e.g. fashion, design, marketing, PR). The Reciprocity Foundation aims to build a national network of programs to enable homeless youth to enroll in college, secure hands-on work experiences and build a professional network in their field of interest. Currently, their work is focused on the thousands of homeless youth in New York City; in the future, the Reciprocity Foundation plans to expand into cities such Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle and Austin.

Click here for more info & how to Get Involved.

End Homelessness @ Change.Org:

Jon Bon Jovi is going where few stars have gone before: affordable, supportive housing. The star is teaming up with Philadelphia-based non-profits to buld SRO housing to help formerly homeless men and women make the transition from the streets into housing.

Here's the scoop from the Philadelphia Enquirer:

Rock legend and homeless advocate Jon Bon Jovi is participating in a venture to build an eight-story facility to provide affordable single-unit housing for 79 men and women who want to transition from homelessness to independence.

The new building will be environmentally friendly, including a "green" roof, highly insulated walls, and a rainwater collection system. And seventy-five percent of the demolition materials will be recycled.

And, from dreamy rocker himself: "I understand to address homelessness and poverty we must come together and look for meaningful solutions. Improving the lives of Philadelphia's most vulnerable citizens improves the lives of all of its citizens."

It's funny, for all of the philanthropically-minded celebrities out there, we don't often see stars adopting "homelessness" as their pet issue. That is, unless they're standing in line at a soup kitchen. That's not to say that meal service isn't important (it is). But soup alone will not address the root cause(s) of homelessness, hunger, and poverty.

It's no wonder that housing and homelessness aren't favored by Hollywood publicists. It's a domestic issue with few photo ops and beneficiaries who are stigmatized by unfair and misguided stereotypes.

But leave it to Bon Jovi to make homelessness sexy.

Original Post on Change.org.

"From the heart of the sacred activist flows a golden ecstatic torrent of passion to change all things out of love for all things." - Andrew Harvey


Andrew's long-awaited new book THE HOPE: A Guide to Sacred Activism is a compelling guide that helps people respond to current global challenges yet also serves as a much needed wake-up call to inspire action through Sacred Activism-the transforming force of wisdom, love and compassion-in-action to affect radical change in the world.  

Grab a pair of headphones and click here to listen to Barbara Marx Hubbard and Andrew on Sacred Activism (30 min. mp3).

Learn more about Andrew and THE HOPE by going to: http://www.andrewharvey.net/

leonard-peltier

The Free Press
July 30, 2009

For a formidable and growing global community of supporters, the prospect of Native American activist Leonard Peltier finally leaving prison inspires a longing that cuts to the depths of the soul.

So Peltier's first parole hearing of the Obama Era---on Tuesday, July 28---inspired hope of an intensity that will have a major impact on the new presidency. A decision must come from the Federal Parole Commission within three weeks. His attorney is calling for a surge of public support that would create an irresistible political climate for Leonard's release.

The relationship between Peltier and those who have followed his case over the decades can be intensely personal. His imprisonment has come to stand not only for five centuries of unjust violence waged against Native Americans, but also for the inhumane theft of the life of a man who has handled his 33 years in jail with epic dignity, effectiveness and grace.

Peltier's latest parole hearing convened at the federal penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, where he is currently held. According to Eric Seitz, Peltier's Honolulu-based attorney, Peltier spoke for more than an hour "with great eloquence" about the nature of his case, his imprisonment and his plans for freedom. "The hearing officer seemed to listen carefully," said Seitz. "We thought it went very well."

The decision on Peltier's parole will be made by the four sitting members of the Federal Parole Commission (http://www.usdoj.gov/uspc/ ) whose offices are in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Full Article