The Secret To Survival

Winter offers challenges for my nomadic lifestyle in my little van that make me question my sanity. By no means am I comparing my situation—one of choice, with resources and options—to my homeless sisters and brothers. I share these observations for my therapy, and because some of you might be curious.

A brief recap: for the past 10+ years I’ve lived in a relatively small motorhome, for 9 years in Tillie 1, a 27’ Gulfstream Class C, one of those unwieldy rigs with everything contained on a 6-wheel chassis. After over 200,000 miles I downsized to Tillie2, a 24’ Mercedes Benz Sprinter van, a sleek and efficient house on wheels. (FYI personal purchases.)

When I started my nonprofit HEAR US Inc., a unique effort to chronicle the plight and promise of homeless families and youth, I was a newbie at both filmmaking and RVing. That was then. I’m still at it, with much knowledge based on experience. I still am learning, often the hard way.

I was sensible back in the early days. I tried to stay warm during winter by hanging in parts of the country that typically could be counted on for above-freezing temps. I was filming and  giving talks in places like Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arizona and California. My Own Four Walls, my first documentary, was a product of that first trip.

Now I sit in frickin’ freezin’ Pennsylvania. I’m plugged into the outlet of a kind (and anonymous) soul, as I’m sure living in a van is probably frowned upon in this and most communities. It’s the anti-homelessness thing for the most part. I try to maintain a low profile for all sorts of reasons, this being one of them.

I’ve been way out of my van’s suggested geographic range for many years now, asking for trouble, I guess.

My spartan lifestyle, while I have the basics for a reasonably comfortable existence, has a few vulnerable essentials. Water, for example. Already this month I’ve had my water supply freeze twice. Think of what you need water for…flushing, washing, dishes. Yeah. 

I work in my van, mostly on a computer. Sometimes I look like a pathetic Arctic traveler, wrapped in blankets and shrouded with a hood to hold body heat in. Hard to type, and think, when I get too cold. Yeah. 

I’ve also had a really gross issue. I won't go into details, but let me just say septic-related. Yeah. 

I don’t always have a place to plug in. The longer I sit, the quicker the above afflictions can take hold. So I’ve been honing techniques to avoid getting into trouble, which I can assure you is life disrupting. 

And, life lessons are screaming at me in these learning opportunities, if I pay attention. 

• Don’t let it get too bad before taking steps to avoid problems. 

Prevention won’t always work, but ignoring problems doesn’t make them go away, and can often make them worse. Facing my challenges is usually the only way to deal with them. Not always easy. 

• Know how to fix what will ail you if you’re going to persist at tempting fate. 

I learned electrical stuff decades ago and it has come in really handy. And I’m constantly learning about the workings of my rig. Learning, having tools, and being able to troubleshoot are vital.

• Do what you gotta do, but don’t do stupid, aka life-threatening, things. 

Risks are good to a certain level, and those levels are never clearly marked. Listen to one’s gut. 

• Ask for help, in whatever form is necessary.

Swallowing pride is not easy for me. And asking for help is something I’ve never done well. But sometimes ya need to. And sometimes people say no. Ouch!

• Be well-equipped given the limited space, having at least the basics. 

This requires thoughtfulness. What’s really important? Space is limited. 

• Be grateful for what you have. 

Taking things for granted is easy. Being grateful, mindful, not so much. But it helps reduce the angst for not having stuff.

• Share.

Not hanging onto things is a hard habit to overcome. But letting go makes room. And giving to someone who needs something makes the world a better place.

Would I trade what I do for anything? Well, truth be told, I’d love to be in warmer climes at times, but I would miss the opportunities that come my way to do my dream job, giving voice and visibility to homeless children and youth. 

Don’t feel sorry for me. I have the best of all worlds, and I get the deepest appreciation from those whose lives are impacted by having nowhere to call home. When I wimp out, as I do too often, I think of those who endure way worse. They give me courage and warm my heart. That makes it possible to survive. The least I can do is endure a modicum of discomfort. 

What Does HEAR US Do?

A good friend asked a legitimate question: What will HEAR US do with the money you're trying to raise? 

I looked at our website, as if for the first time. Even though I created it. Hmmm. The mission statement,

The HEAR US mission is to
...give voice and visibility to homeless children and youth...
HEAR US...
> produces poignant films and books that are used by educators, social service personnel and other audiences to call attention to the invisible crisis of millions of families with children and young people who struggle without a place to call home;
>addresses audiences at conferences, university and college students, and a variety of gatherings to foster a greater understanding of homelessness;
> facilitates media connections for homeless families/youth, and is quite active on social media, shining a light on the need to repair the torn safety net that leaves millions--babies, toddlers, school kids, teens and young adults, and adults-- on the streets.

This gets at the general idea of what we do. And I have always been reluctant to be specific, for good reason I think.

To better understand, let me explain one thing. HEAR US Inc. (www.hearus.us), a national nonprofit, is a VERY unique nonprofit. I've been part of the nonprofit world (my bio, PDF) since the mid-80s. And I know that mission statements and goals/objectives are part of the landscape of the millions (?) of nonprofits scrambling for support. But, HEAR US is different. How?

Well, pretty well no one does what "we" -- I, the sole employee -- do. Having spent more than the past quarter century working with homeless families, youth and adults, I've heard bazillion times some form of: Homeless kids (families)?? I didn't know we had any! ... Aren't all homeless kids in foster care? ... They just live in big cities, like NYC, Chicago... and so on. HEAR US responds to that significant gap in awareness in a variety of ways.

IMPORTANT (short) HISTORY
I've worked very intensely with schools grappling with the reality of homeless students in their midst since way back in 1990. I've advocated with countless families/youth so they could get into school. I've seen educators' lack of understanding. And I've been deeply involved with successful efforts to change laws to better serve homeless families and youth.

And I chose to toss my life to the wind in 2005 (the year HEAR US was formed) to make sure more people, especially school personnel, would have more awareness of and sensitivity to kids and families in homeless situations. And in the process, to be flexible enough to be involved with relevant advocacy efforts, respond to a local crisis, or lead the charge for an invisible, essential cause.

I sold my townhouse and got rid of most of my stuff, purchased (with my own funds) a small motorhome to serve as my home/office/wheels, and set out to do what I had never done before, make a documentary of kids sharing what their experience of homelessness was like and what school meant to them. That film, My Own Four Walls, is now the best training film ever for schools. (the 4-min trailer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbSgzEQJXs8 )

Because of how things work, I was able to connect with Professor Laura Vazquez, a documentary maker at Northern Illinois University. She and I teamed up to make the feature-length documentary, on the edge: Homeless Families in America,  which has won many film awards and has been shown on PBS.

I've made lots of other short films, too many to mention, that help homeless kids and families. I've given countless presentations from Congress to Cub Scout leaders. I've advocated for families who've contacted me with a problem related to their homelessness that no one else seemed to be able to help with. I've rattled cages of politicians and policymakers. I've "comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable"  by my writing, my social action, and my presence.

TODAY
It's not quite as haphazard as it seems. It's just hard to know how to say what this matching grant of $10,000 will be used. My board will tell you I'm frugal to a fault, so it won't be wasted.

It will keep me doing what I do...being that sometimes lone voice in the wilderness that is focused on making sure homeless kids and families don't get lost in the shuffle. My entire being is dedicated to that. And I "suffer" for taking the unconventional path of not having a well-defined, specific mission statement.

But those who know me know I won't give up doing what I'm doing or let myself be defined by a funder's priorities (when they differ from our mission). To sum up, what the money will do will help me continue to

• Advocate
• Chronicle
• Educate and otherwise 
• Respond 

to poverty issues as they affect the millions of homeless children and their parents/guardians, and unaccompanied youth who are too often invisible and underserved. That's it! I'm an ACER!

And I'm deeply appreciative of the people who continue to believe in what I do...because it's a mission bigger than me. Without you (that supporter who believes in me), I am nothing.

Can't Help but Wonder...

Five years is a long time. I know I've changed in the past 5 years. I also know I couldn't have imagined my life as it is now 5 years ago.

For the past 5 years, I've been trekking on mostly backroads of America trying my best to do the HEAR US mission, "give voice and visibility to homeless children and youth." That may sound obscure to the unknowing, but for me it means a quest to figure out how to prick America's conscience about the rapidly increasing numbers of homeless kids on our streets.

Lest you think it's about numbers, think again. One deliberate tool I have is a picture each of the kids I interviewed in my first year traveling. I spoke with 75 kids from little towns, rural areas, resort communities and ordinary cities. The one thing these kids had in common was they experienced homelessness. Some were still homeless.

I filmed these interviews, compiling them on a DVD called "My Own Four Walls," I've shown this film hundreds of times to thousands of people since then. We've sold thousands of copies. The one thing I know for sure, no matter who is in the audience, they can't help but be blown away by what these kids say.

I didn't spend much time with each kid. I haven't kept in contact with all of them. But they continue to travel with me--ensconced on a "class picture" type poster on Tillie's back window, with a (hopefully) shocking message that over 1.5 million kids are homeless. We're finding that this guesstimate is probably way low, since schools have identified almost a million homeless children and youth (2008-09 data).

Seeing pix of these kids, listening to their wisdom in MOFW, hearing from some of them on my HEAR US Facebook page, or keeping in touch by occasional phone calls and emails, I continue to wonder how they are doing. Are things improving? Did they fall deeper into the ever-expanding abyss of homelessness? Do people in power care about them? Are people around them doing all they can to improve these courageous kids' opportunities for success?

Here's a simple act you can do to help make sure homeless kids get an education:

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

This fascinating site shows celebrities who experienced homelessness. Besides their own bootstraps, they likely had people that helped them along the way. I wonder where they would have been without that? I wonder how much they are willing to lend a hand now?

Seems to me that we pay far too much attention to today's celebrities and far too little attention to those who matter most--the hope of our future. The stars of My Own Four Walls, wherever they are, are my inspiration to continue my quest.

Picture credit: Julianna Martinez

Milestone Anniversary & New Adventure

On Halloween 2005 I took the serious leap into RVing, without an RV. I sold my townhouse that day, meaning I'd need to get an RV to do this crazy project I named "HEAR US" to give voice and visibility to homeless kids.

I'd be a liar if I said I knew what I was getting into. I knew nothing about RVing. I was clueless about how to operate the video camera and assorted peripherals that I was told I needed. I didn't know if anyone would be willing to participate in this venture to let kids talk about their homelessness for what I didn't even know would be a documentary.

And I didn't have any way of knowing if I could stand the spartan downsized life that I was stepping into. My life before, while not ostentatious, was way more comfortable than necessary. The only thing I knew for sure was that I had to try. I believed that IF kids would participate, IF I could find someone to help produce the interviews onto a DVD, IF I could figure a way to market this tool to get word out, it would be worth it.

Little did I know how things would play out. I am not done yet, at least as much as I have a say. My Own Four Walls, the heralded DVD with several powerful short videos, is beginning to catch on with schools, shelters, agencies, colleges/universities, and faith communities. Other projects have evolved.

And that's where I am now. On the verge of the Learning Curve Express, an attempt to connect invisible homeless families and teens with their member of Congress via YouTube. Anyone interested in actually learning about the realities of homelessness for those who turn to a patchwork quilt of motels and friends' couches instead of sleeping under bridges can watch these interviews.

From what I've heard so far, these experts in life without a home have a lot to say. Whether anyone listens remains to be seen. This is where I need help. Will you share the short video clips with your circles? Can Learning Curve Express go viral, dispelling myths that have kept Congress in the dark about lives of families and teens who have no place to call home?

Of note, I continue to receive incredible support--financial and services--and encouragement, not to mention heart-filled thanks from the families and kids I've met who courageously stepped forward as a person often defiled in society, someone without a home. And, if you could toss a few tax-deductible bucks in our secure donation bucket, that would be helpful.

At a time when our economy swirls around the sewer, and stories about skyrocketing homelessness continue to astound even me, I'll shove off next Sunday, and see what this next chapter holds.

Whatever discomfort I will encounter pales to the constant strain and stress of not having a place for your family to safely live. I'll try to keep that in mind as I hit the eventual potholes, bad weather, shortage of electricity and water that have been my constant humbling companions. Travel with me, OK?

Ready to Go! Learning Curve Express

What, am I crazy? Perhaps.

In 2005, when first I set out in this bulky, spartan RV on a naive mission to capture faces and voices of kids who knew homelessness from experience, I had no idea what was down the road, literally or figuratively. What resulted was an amazingly inspiring documentary, My Own Four Walls, that lets kids unload on the realities of homelessness, including their hopes and dreams.

I would have never predicted I'd be still living in this tin can, preparing to head out on a 5th cross-country tour, still seeking to give voice and visibility to homeless kids. But I am....

Crazy? Well, my friends would be able to shed light on this topic. But, with homelessness among families and teens surging, I feel a sense of, if not insanity, a befuddlement and frustration that comes with seeing things get worse instead of better. Out of that feeling LEARNING CURVE EXPRESS was born.

LCE will take me to families and teens who desperately turn to an unpredictable rotation of friends, family and motels that may provide a nightly place to sleep. For some reason, Congress and HUD decided to exclude these folks from the homeless count, relying instead on an oft-criticized "Point In Time" street count that bamboozles Congress into thinking we don't have much of a homelessness problem, especially when it comes to families and teens.

HEAR US Inc., my nonprofit organization, is committed to giving voice and visibility to homeless children and youth. We're honing in on the issue of these uncounted children, teens and parents who really do count. I will film short interviews as they describe perils of not having a fixed, adequate and regular (part of the definition of homelessness) place of abode.

Using technology, skilled techie students in Northern Illinois University's film program, and chutzpah, I will contact the local office where our LCE participants live, ask them to watch the 3-minute video of their constituent, and invite them to get informed and involved in this issue.

Part of the success of this ambitious effort (2-min. video clip) will rely on how well my RV, dubbed "Tillie the Turtle," gets me from place to place. Most of the success will depend on getting voters in these congressional districts to weigh in with their legislator that HOMELESS KIDS COUNT! A campaign to do so is in the works.

At least I'm starting with a clean RV, with the year-old dirt blasted off by my friends at Mike's Auto and Truck Repair in DeKalb, IL. I know I'll gather more dirt, dents, and experiences along the way. I'd like to have virtual company, so travel with me and, if you have a few bucks to toss our way for this crazy trip, we'd be most happy for the support.

Amazing Bucket Bath

Sponge baths are usually for sick people, not for scuzzy 27' RVs.

But at the end of September a group of 16-year-old girls swarmed around Tillie, armed with buckets of water with some good ol' Shaklee Basic H and rags, transforming my bug, dirt and moss covered home/office into a pristine palace, well, maybe not a palace...but pristine.

The crew belonged to GOALS, which stands for Give Offer Advocate Love Serve. They play soccer with the Tri-Cities Strikers' club in Geneva/St. Charles, IL. Their parent moderator arranged this opportunity--one which left me with a clean vehicle and gave me the chance to share the HEAR US documentary, My Own Four Walls, kids talking about what it's like to be homeless.

I wonder what it's like to be from an affluent community and watch 20 minutes of kids just like them talk about not having a place to call home.

Fortunately these girls have parents who work to provide opportunities for service, something that the girls have enthusiastically embraced. My hopes are that they take the nugget of information shared during our RV wash party and figure out how they can help ease this growing condition.

None of them batted an eye when we told them we'd wash Tillie with buckets, no hoses. Others would have said it was impossible. I have proof to the contrary! Of course, that proof will wash away as rains drop from the skies.

A side note--my favorite cleaning product--Shaklee's Basic H--was the only cleanser I had on hand for this, er, party. I had about 8 oz. left in my bottle. We used not even 1/2 of that to get the job done without harming hands, Tillie or the environment!

Can't wait to go back for a re-wash!

I'm Crazy!

My preference for backroads is renowned. My Iowa welcome pix reminds me of the bucolic Midwest, a place I will hopefully be in a few weeks.

If anyone ever needed proof that I was crazy, here ya go....

I just finished a 3-day stint in Boston where I had the joy of introducing our 2008 version of My Own Four Walls.

Thanks to the generosity of a high school classmate/friend of mine I had a great place to park "Tillie" while I worked the young homeless children convention. Jan and her husband, Paul, rented me a car so I could avoid driving Tillie into Beantown. That was a massive help, for obvious reasons.

Of all the major cities I've driven in (I do try to avoid the urban plunge but I've done Portland, Atlanta, Chicago, Little Rock, Las Vegas, and Dallas) Boston is by far the worst! Now for the reason I'm crazy....

Two years ago I was invited to meet with the editorial board of the Christian Science Monitor. Their headquarters sit smack dab in downtown Boston. I camped at a state park south of Boston and made arrangements with my CSM contact for a parking spot.

I left extremely early (that's where my good sense ends) for my 1:00 appointment. Armed with maps and chutzpah, I headed into the fray. Sometimes trauma blurs memories of reality for good reason. I do remember driving up and down streets that looked like I imagine Iraqi streets--totally destroyed. One-way streets intensified the challenge augmented by a profusion of overly-bold walking and bike-riding bodies.

All that was bad enough but when push came to shove after about 1 1/2 hours, I couldn't find the building. Now, to my credit I did cut my losses and retreat to a shopping center parking lot and parked Tillie, hopping on a bus. Yeah, why didn't I think of that before taking the plunge? I admit to being a tad frazzled at the onset of the meeting, but the warmth and the group's genuine interest in homelessness put me at ease (no easy task!!).

For the record, the next time I have to go into Boston, I'm renting a helicopter! I've never seen roads that bad--torn up, in need of being torn up, unmarked, pot-holed, teeming with double-parked cars and trucks. I could go on and on. I think Boston is an awesome city if you don't have to drive. (For the record, I tried taking the train from an outlying community but the parking lot was filled and no alternatives were apparent.)

My longing for rural roads of any persuasion is so strong that only nighttime is keeping me from climbing behind the wheel tonight.