Brittany’s Story

At the time of her interview, Brittany had just turned 30 years old. She celebrated her birthday on the streets of Philadelphia, as she had done for the past 5 years. When she was 25, her dad was diagnosed with cancer. At the time, with no accessible treatment in her home state of Kentucky, Brittany uprooted her life to start anew in the City of Brotherly Love, where her dad could receive the care he needed and give him the best chance of survival. "He ended up passing away, and I don't have any other family," she said. "I couldn't afford where he was living, so I had to get out. [I'm homeless because] I don't have an ID, or birth certificate, or social security card, and I have one arm... and I can't find a job." Read more to hear about her experience of living on the streets and feeling invisible.

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John’s Story

Look familiar? If you've been to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, PA, recently, it's likely that you've seen John before. You might have even come face-to-face with him at a red light, swerved out of his way as he trekked up and down the middle lane of the highway adjacent to the train station. If recognition has hit, have you ever caught yourself letting your eyes trail after his retreating form and wondering, "What's his story?" Now's your chance.

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Derrick’s Story of Surviving Stereotypes

When I met Derrick, he wasnt homeless. Even though I wrongly profiled him, and regretted doing so, he told me that I shouldn't and that he glad that I did. Derrick said that that's how he see's the good in people, when they have an immediate impulse to help others. Derrick had been homeless for 15 years of his life, and he's seen how people are taught to think with their head first, instead of their heart, and that's a stigma. A stigma against people like him.

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Covid-19 Update

Due to the continuing nationwide pandemic, outreach for Naming the Homeless has been stalled due to health concerns. Although we haven't been able to conduct interviews for new content, we never stopped spreading awareness. Next month on NamingtheHomeless.com, we will be featuring never before seen interviews from our archives that relate to present day social issues. Thank you for sticking around and continuing to name the homeless with us, one story at a time.

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Origin Story

My first experience with a homeless person was being told not to talk to them. Not because they didn't want me to, but I wanted to give the young girl my silver dollar and they were trying to teach me not to hand out money. Eventually they gave in, having no idea how this moment would influence me in the future. Keep reading to learn about my first experience with a homeless person.

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Edwardo’s Story

Edwardo, originally from Detroit, has been homeless for half his life. Now 45, he's traveled the country looking for a better opportunity. Traveling is a lifelong goal for some, but Edwardo feels like he leaves a piece of himself behind with each move. The homeless account for some of America's most vulnerable and overlooked citizens. This is especially true during the COVID-19. Edwardo's search for a better opportunity, and daily survival, comes with the risk of losing his life.

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A stigma against people like me

More than one quarter of Philadelphia residents, roughly 400,000 people, live below the poverty line. These are people that are one paycheck, one sick day, one more eviction notice away from becoming homeless. As of January 2018, 1,083 people live on the streets, according to city data. Each of these people has their own reason for finding themselves on the streets, yet a stigma has developed over the years that blames the homeless for their situation. It’s important to remember that each person has a story, and you’ll never know what it is without asking taking the time to ask the right questions.

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Michael’s Story

Michael has been homeless for about a year now, and the thing that he struggles with most is the way that he is treated by those around him. He now feels a disconnect from society, which he feels only adds to his disadvantages that homelessness causes. "Honestly, I wouldn't even get into words with that because, it just wouldn't be right," he said. "The words I've got for it are just mean words, because I hate that, I hate the way that they treat people." There are many things that Michael wishes he could change about his situation, one of the most pressing issues being the way that he is perceived by others. "Help one person at a time. Anything helps, it doesn't even matter. Food, anything, that helps. It helps a lot," he said. "And you can't help everybody, but you can help someone." Watch his full story here:

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Thank you, Riverfront Cares Club!

From the very beginning of this journey, our community has been extremely supportive of Naming the Homeless. With that being said, I couldn't do this project without the help of all of you guys. The amount of support that we have received from our community is absolutely overwhelming and something that I am grateful for every day.

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