Stop Surviving and Start Thriving

Today I attended the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) for their first-ever social hour, and it was such a safe space for us to get to know each other better and just be ourselves. I am so grateful to have found this organization and the amazing people who value your expertise, accept you as you come, and have various ways to support and enhance your advocacy, including weekly webinars on multiple subjects surrounding policy and housing instability. Read and download the full campaign overview: Bring America Home NOW! Campaign Overview (PDF)

As someone experiencing homelessness, these spaces are often rare and far between. But why is that? And why does a national organization of this caliber have such low participation?

This really got me thinking about how necessary it is for these resources, organizations, spaces, and opportunities to be pushed directly into the knowledge of people with lived experience.

It’s normal for people on the streets to go into survival mode, but the honest truth is that we already know how to survive. We do it every day. We need to shift our mindset from "I'm just surviving" to "I want to thrive"m because, honestly, we can.

Years of social stigma, misconceptions, and systematic brainwashing have led us to believe we are nothing more than our circumstances. We've been told we're too busy "surviving" to step into these spaces and do the work of advocating for ourselves and others.

That is total B.S.

At one point, I was a full-time student, a community advocate, earning my professional IT certificate, volunteering, and surviving, all at the same time. I did most of it from a couch with a computer. Not even a lack of consistent electricity or internet could stop me. So what’s the excuse?

The real issue is a severe lack of awareness. People simply don't know about the spaces where their lived experience is recognized as expertise, places where they can learn about policy and speak up about the issues directly impacting their lives.

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. And I am nobody's problem.

Every day on social media, I see ignorance, blame, judgment, and ugly comments about encampments and people struggling with addiction. People ignore the fact that so many were pushed into homelessness and intentionally kept there by broken systems. (I’ll delve deeper into that in another post before I go off on a tangent!)

If society doesn't want unhoused people in their neighborhoods, if they are so bothered by what they call "eyesores", why aren't we encouraging them?

• Why aren't we building up our communities and handing out real opportunities? (Often, an opportunity is all someone needs.)

• Why aren't shelters, food banks, free clinics, and social services actively connecting people to organizing networks like the National Coalition for the Homeless?

• Why aren't local news outlets highlighting stories of people exiting homelessness to inspire others?

• Why aren't public libraries hosting workshops where people with lived experience can learn to advocate for systemic policy change?

• Why aren't service providers focused on building leaders from within the community?

  
  

Why are we watching elderly community members sleep on the pavement and just going about our day? Why do people have endless time to hop on Facebook and bash neighbors who are already enduring unimaginable conditions, instead of posting flyers about resources and ways to do better?

Most people are just one missed paycheck away from the exact same reality. And ironically, the very people being judged and called names on the street are often the first ones who would share their last meal or offer you the coat off their back.

Imagine that.

Resources for Advocacy

• National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH): A national network of people experiencing or who have experienced homelessness, activists, service providers, and agencies committed to ending homelessness.

• National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC): Dedicated to achieving socially just public policy that ensures people with the lowest incomes have affordable and decent homes.

• National Healthcare for the Homeless Council (NHCHC): Comprehensive resources bridging the gap between healthcare access, housing justice, and lived experience advocacy.

• Invisible People: A nonprofit news organization dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through video storytelling and policy journalism.

Sign Up, membership dues are waived for people experiencing homelessness or low-income. Share your story, learn how to effectively speak up and make a change, and network with others who share your vision and passions!