A War on Poor People: Nationwide Radio Broadcast Shines Spotlight on Homelessness in Kansas City
The story of homelessness in the United States was told through a collection of voices during a 14-hour nation-wide radio broadcast on February 23, 2011. The voices reflected the landscape of conditions that cause someone to become homeless -- mental health, crime, alcohol/substance abuse, domestic violence, job loss, foreclosure, and "bad choices." The 14th annual Homelessness Marathon took place at Hope Faith Ministries on a cold winter night in Kansas City. During the broadcast many questions were asked, including "How can homelessness exist in the wealthiest nation?" Several people offered an answer: poverty and the failure of society to collectively address homelessness and poverty.
On an individual level some cases don't seem to warrant sympathy from the public -- a person who served time for a violent crime or the person who did not live within their financial means -- but the vast numbers of homeless point to a significant societal neglect.
The radio broadcast provided ample time for individuals to explain their situation, as well as allowed homeless supporters and groups to elaborate their vision for reducing poverty and homelessness. In one especially poignant segment of the broadcast titled "What Makes Homeless People Die?," Dr. Sharon Lee, a medical doctor at the Family Health Care Clinic on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas, explained her care for low-income families. She chooses to take a $14 wage, comparable to janitors at the clinic, in deference of maintaining services for patients.
During this same broadcast segment, Dr. Jan Gurley, who made a study of homeless mortality, explained the life expectancy of a homeless person on the streets. She said, "Well, believe it or not, it is as bad as someone who's living in Afghanistan or someone who's growing up in the most conflict-riddled, underdeveloped countries in Africa. We're talking average age of death at 46."
The groups on the broadcast represented homeless shelters, youth and runaway centers, women's shelters, public schools, tent cities, mental health practitioners, police and legal authorities, and homeless advocacy groups. The broadcast's host, Jeremy Alderson, provided an informed dialog, emphasizing the importance of homeless people to organize to provide safety and shelter for themselves.
He challenged listeners to consider increased public funding as a collective response to addressing poverty, noting the immorality of government and nonprofit leaders to not commit more resources towards poverty. It's plain from listening that he has no patience for situations where neglect, repression, or too much deliberation leads to loss of life among the homeless. This impatience was evident in the video segment with the Jim Corwin, Kansas City Missouri police chief, and George Harris, Phd., vice-chair of the Homelessness Task Force of Greater Kansas City.
Who Cares for Homeless People?
During the broadcast, Hope Faith Ministries stayed open all night and hundreds of poor adults stopped by for a meal or to spend the night. One of the day rooms was converted to a dorm with the placement of a hundred cots. By midnight the room was dark and every cot and open floor space was taken by homeless individuals. I can only imagine the lack of shelter options and deep humility it would take to choose this venue for sleep, not to mention the trust in other dormers for their personal safety.
Rashid, one of the visitors to the center, told his story of homelessness and job insecurity at the microphone to the broadcast audience. As a white Muslim, he told of the difficulty of maintaining a job for various reasons, including the uncomfortableness employers might have with his Arabic-sounding name. Like so many of the people that explained their personal experience that led to homelessness, Rashid had a friendly, relaxed disposition. He took his time to explain to me where to get coffee and where to find restrooms at the facility; he must have been a frequent visitor to the center because he spoke like a staff person.
The center maintains a constant security presence, checking visitors for metal objects as they enter the building. Late in the evening a middle-aged man monitoring the entrance suffered a seizure which caused him to fall and hit his head. One of the broadcast guests bolted through the door in the studio asking if anyone knew CPR. Rashid quickly responded to the man's fall by holding his head up and keeping him safe until paramedics arrived just a few minutes later.
Rashid responded like so many others I know would respond to this situation, reinforcing the common theme of the broadcast that homeless people are no different than anyone else. Another item the situation revealed is that many people that are homeless lack access to preventive medical care, which may explain why the person experienced a seizure - he may have missed a medical checkup or prescription.
Another common theme in comments by callers and hosts alike is how homelessness can persist at this level despite the wealth of the nation. What does it mean to protect vulnerable people in our society? It's clear from news reports about poverty and homelessness that cutbacks in public funding have affected the poor and most vulnerable, like the article in Kansas City on cutbacks in mental health funding. Compassion at an individual or organization level is not lacking, but public investment has significantly decreased over the years. This loss of public investment for mental health and represents a war on poor people.
The Homelessness Marathon is a radio broadcast featuring the stories and voices of homeless people. The purpose of the broadcast is to raise awareness about the causes and solutions to homelessness in the U.S. The 14th annual radio broadcast aired February 23, 2011 at 6:00 pm for 14 hours. The host partners were Hope Faith Ministries, 701 Virginia Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri and Care of Poor People, Inc. The radio broadcast partner was KKFI 90.1 FM in Kansas City. The TV partner was Free Speech TV.
On an individual level some cases don't seem to warrant sympathy from the public -- a person who served time for a violent crime or the person who did not live within their financial means -- but the vast numbers of homeless point to a significant societal neglect.
Watch live streaming video from freespeechtv at livestream.com
The radio broadcast provided ample time for individuals to explain their situation, as well as allowed homeless supporters and groups to elaborate their vision for reducing poverty and homelessness. In one especially poignant segment of the broadcast titled "What Makes Homeless People Die?," Dr. Sharon Lee, a medical doctor at the Family Health Care Clinic on Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas, explained her care for low-income families. She chooses to take a $14 wage, comparable to janitors at the clinic, in deference of maintaining services for patients.
During this same broadcast segment, Dr. Jan Gurley, who made a study of homeless mortality, explained the life expectancy of a homeless person on the streets. She said, "Well, believe it or not, it is as bad as someone who's living in Afghanistan or someone who's growing up in the most conflict-riddled, underdeveloped countries in Africa. We're talking average age of death at 46."
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| From left: Richard Tripp, director of KC organization Care of Poor People, Inc with Jeremy Alderson (aka Nobody), director of the Homelessness Marathon |
He challenged listeners to consider increased public funding as a collective response to addressing poverty, noting the immorality of government and nonprofit leaders to not commit more resources towards poverty. It's plain from listening that he has no patience for situations where neglect, repression, or too much deliberation leads to loss of life among the homeless. This impatience was evident in the video segment with the Jim Corwin, Kansas City Missouri police chief, and George Harris, Phd., vice-chair of the Homelessness Task Force of Greater Kansas City.
Watch live streaming video from freespeechtv at livestream.com
Who Cares for Homeless People?
During the broadcast, Hope Faith Ministries stayed open all night and hundreds of poor adults stopped by for a meal or to spend the night. One of the day rooms was converted to a dorm with the placement of a hundred cots. By midnight the room was dark and every cot and open floor space was taken by homeless individuals. I can only imagine the lack of shelter options and deep humility it would take to choose this venue for sleep, not to mention the trust in other dormers for their personal safety.
Rashid, one of the visitors to the center, told his story of homelessness and job insecurity at the microphone to the broadcast audience. As a white Muslim, he told of the difficulty of maintaining a job for various reasons, including the uncomfortableness employers might have with his Arabic-sounding name. Like so many of the people that explained their personal experience that led to homelessness, Rashid had a friendly, relaxed disposition. He took his time to explain to me where to get coffee and where to find restrooms at the facility; he must have been a frequent visitor to the center because he spoke like a staff person.
The center maintains a constant security presence, checking visitors for metal objects as they enter the building. Late in the evening a middle-aged man monitoring the entrance suffered a seizure which caused him to fall and hit his head. One of the broadcast guests bolted through the door in the studio asking if anyone knew CPR. Rashid quickly responded to the man's fall by holding his head up and keeping him safe until paramedics arrived just a few minutes later.
Rashid responded like so many others I know would respond to this situation, reinforcing the common theme of the broadcast that homeless people are no different than anyone else. Another item the situation revealed is that many people that are homeless lack access to preventive medical care, which may explain why the person experienced a seizure - he may have missed a medical checkup or prescription.
Another common theme in comments by callers and hosts alike is how homelessness can persist at this level despite the wealth of the nation. What does it mean to protect vulnerable people in our society? It's clear from news reports about poverty and homelessness that cutbacks in public funding have affected the poor and most vulnerable, like the article in Kansas City on cutbacks in mental health funding. Compassion at an individual or organization level is not lacking, but public investment has significantly decreased over the years. This loss of public investment for mental health and represents a war on poor people.
The Homelessness Marathon is a radio broadcast featuring the stories and voices of homeless people. The purpose of the broadcast is to raise awareness about the causes and solutions to homelessness in the U.S. The 14th annual radio broadcast aired February 23, 2011 at 6:00 pm for 14 hours. The host partners were Hope Faith Ministries, 701 Virginia Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri and Care of Poor People, Inc. The radio broadcast partner was KKFI 90.1 FM in Kansas City. The TV partner was Free Speech TV.
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