Barry is the type of colorful character I could sit and talk to for hours. He is smart, and funny, and a bit brash, with a lifetime of interesting experiences to share.
I was invited to speak to a group of rough sleepers living in a homeless hostel. Meeting Barry and the rest of his mates was an experience I'll never forget. When I walked in they were playing Invisible People videos on the wall. I was honored and grateful beyond words. But get this, my new rough sleeping mates were all drinking "cider" or beer and slightly buzzed. Some of them had other physical or mental challenges from being on the streets. They were all sitting around having a good time and being a little rambunctious, which the staff navigated with grace. It was a fun few hours.
The hostel we were in is a "wet hostel", meaning clients are allowed to drink. There is an area for people who don't want to be around alcohol, and there is an area for people who want to drink. I truly love this model of homeless services because an abstinence based model doesn't for people like Barry. Barry and his mates would be out on the streets, often in unsafe conditions and situations. Instead, chronic homeless people are inside and surrounded by staff who can intervene and help whenever needed.
It also helps people who are chronic alcoholics slow down their drinking and often stop. When you’re outside going to the bathroom behind a rubbish bin, might as well drink to forget. In a “wet shelter model” there is dignity and far more hope that the person will stop than being left sleeping rough.
Barry starts off talking about how when a person is rough sleeping the cycle of drinking is nonstop. He goes on and shares about once when he was sleeping rough, he was urinated on, shit on, and then his sleeping bag was set on fire. My heart broke when Barry first shared that story. Sadly, violence against rough sleepers and people experiencing homelessness is increasing.
Barry is also a client representative for the hostel. Barry says 9 times out of 10 when he brings up an issue about support services and the condition of the hostel they listen. I really wish all homeless services would listen to the people we serve!
Special thanks to St Mungo's Broadway http://www.mungosbroadway.org.uk and Mencap http://www.mencap.org.uk
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About Invisible People:
Since its launch in November 2008, Invisible People has leveraged the power of video and the massive reach of social media to share the compelling, gritty, and unfiltered stories of homeless people from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. The vlog (video blog) gets up close and personal with veterans, mothers, children, layoff victims and others who have been forced onto the streets by a variety of circumstances. Each week, they’re on InvisiblePeople.tv, and high traffic sites such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, proving to a global audience that while they may often be ignored, they are far from invisible.
Invisible People goes beyond the rhetoric, statistics, political debates, and limitations of social services to examine poverty in America via a medium that audiences of all ages can understand, and can’t ignore. The vlog puts into context one of our nation’s most troubling and prevalent issues through personal stories captured by the lens of Mark Horvath – its founder – and brings into focus the pain, hardship and hopelessness that millions face each day. One story at a time, videos posted on InvisiblePeople.tv shatter the stereotypes of America’s homeless, force shifts in perception and deliver a call to action that is being answered by national brands, nonprofit organizations and everyday citizens now committed to opening their eyes and their hearts to those too often forgotten.
Invisible People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the way we think about people experiencing homelessness.
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