[jkraker]

There's something subtle behind this that I think is more powerful than the details of the housing. It's someone taking time to interact and treat them like a person. I believe that interaction and showing others we value them as people is one of the most important things for those living in isolation from society like many homeless people do.

There's no easy way to do this. It's hardly ever convenient. It isn't a foolproof means of turning situations around. It is, however, extremely powerful and desperately needed.

Do I practice what I'm saying? Sadly, not enough.

[Mz]

I haven't yet written about it, but you might be interested in the film But for the Grace of God? by Ron Garret:

http://graceofgodmovie.com/trailer.html

[mistermann]

That looks really good, thanks for posting it.

[lisper]

Thanks for the shout-out, Michelle!

[Mz]

It is excellent work and meets my gold standard for the site. * I would like to see it become a standard part of staff training at homeless services. I plan to write about it on the site, when I can figure out the right framing.

* http://whathelpsthehomeless.blogspot.com/p/about.html

[lisper]

Thanks. FWIW, GoG was not intended to be a trailing film. The target audience is people who have never interacted with homeless people beyond saying, "Sorry, can't help you." That obviously doesn't include anyone working at a homeless service.

While I was filming a number of my subjects did talk about what they called the "homeless industrial complex", and how it doesn't really care about getting people off the streets because that would put it out of business. I never found out how much truth there was to that, but if I were ever to take this subject back up again that is were I would probably start.

[Mz]

Yeah, training tends to be sucktastic anyway. I used to have long discussions with people on homeschooling lists about the difference between training and education and how much of public school and college these days is training rather than education.

But your film makes a critical and surprising point that I strongly agree with: These are, first and foremost, people. We aren't some separate population. We come from the rest of the population, but our lives have fallen apart and one of the most problematic things is the way social ties get cut.

People with more normal lives tend to be oblivious to the social fabric that defines so much of their life and which buffers them against simply going off the rails when something negative happens. They don't see this difference between themselves and homeless individuals, yet the reinforce the isolation by the way they interact with the homeless (or don't interact at all -- effectively shunning them).

I was pleasantly surprised by the film. I think more people should see it.

[lisper]

Thanks. Anything you can do to help promote it would be much appreciated.