November 2009
D-Quip
With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength
to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation
of
integrity.
Keshavan Nair
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Greetings!
Sitting and listening to invisible homeless parents and teens tell their stories, I can't help but be inspired by their determination to emerge from these nomadic episodes intact. Hearing of the help they receive from schools strengthens my appreciation of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education law and liaisons.
 We've begun posting short clips with parents/teens talking about life in motels or doubled up on Learning Curve Express. These are meant to share and use to raise awareness. Check them out when you have a moment. And consider inviting the HEAR US LCE to your community to interview families/teens for this project. My projected route is on our LCE section of the HEAR US website.
After meeting hundreds of compassionate and determined college students at the Students Against Hunger and Homelessness conference last week, I am energized, knowing young people are ready to lend a hand to our massive efforts. Make sure you connect with some of that young blood!
Diane
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NEW!! HEAR US is now on the Homelessness Resource Center, an excellent free source of a wide variety of info. Please add your name to our page as a CONNECTION.
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LEARNING CURVE EXPRESS UPDATE
Snow in Boston, rain/wind/cold in Rhode Island. But some great LCE interviews and met some awesome advocates/shelter staff in addition to the courageous moms that shared their stories. Thanks to the production crew at Northern IL University! We recently posted our 2nd interview.
The LEARNING CURVE EXPRESS (2-min. intro video) gives policymakers and the public greater understanding, hearing first-hand about struggles of families and teens doubled-up and/or in motels because they have no home. 3 ways you can help:
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 Use My Own Four Walls documentary series in your training/presentations
and your audiences will open their minds/hearts!
See a short trailer of My
Own Four Walls,
an incredibly powerful video tool
to increase awareness
of homeless children and youth….
MOFW also is a great video to share with youth groups,
religious education students, homeless kids and audiences of any kind.
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NAEHCY conference attendees--Make sure you visit the HEAR US table in Denver. We're giving away free CHARLIE posters.
♥ ♥ ♥ HEAR US customers--new and old--
--just stop by! ♥ ♥ ♥
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California Here We Come!
MOFW will be screened at California's Paso Robles Film Fest in November!
Check out the festival guest list! Yikes!! Laura Vazquez, NIU documentary professor who's worked with Diane on the various HEAR US video projects, will guide Diane's first foray into the world of film fests. My Own Four Walls will be screened, and Laura and Diane will be on a panel discussing use of film.
Reminders:
My Own
Four Walls '09, (DVD) 6 informative, short documentaries (including REACH)
featuring homeless children and youth. It covers key elements of McKinney-Vento. Audiences include educators, administrators, human service staff, child welfare workers, religious education classes, and students.
Crossing
the Line: Taking Steps to End Homelessness, Diane’s insightful,
reader-friendly book on homelessness, including stories of how today’s McK-V
homeless ed law came to be.
It’s About the
Children, Pat Van Doren’s endeavor, offers a touching set (3) of children’s books
sure to inform and inspire both children and adults. They make great library additions, and are thoughtful holiday gifts that truly make a difference!
Purchase orders and credit cards accepted. Discounts for bulk orders.
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View it FREE: REACH: 11-Minute M-V Video Review WATCH IT, SHARE IT! Available on MOFW 09 or as a single ($20)!
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 REACH FAMILIES IN/OUT OF JAIL!
McKinney-Vento helps kids who lose housing when their parent goes to jail. HEAR US helps spread the word about how M-V works through the REACH video and brochure.
REACH brochures (English and Spanish) contain vital info on M-V, including a toll-free number (NCHE/Serve helpline) and a tear-off postcard. You can purchase the brochures or get the license to print them locally.
OutREACH to incarcerated parents and their children's caretakers can be vital in removing barriers to education for homeless students. Order now!
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KEEP UP! Follow Diane as she travels. Invite her to your area.
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UPDATE: The long-awaited HEAR US feature-length documentary looking at lives of mothers and single women who have experienced homelessness, "On the Edge" (working title), is moving through the production process apace!
Watching it with Laura at the NIU film lab right before I was leaving town, I figured it would be good. I didn't think I'd be absolutely blown away to the point of (rare) tears! The women who shared their heart-wrenching stories will grab audiences and enlighten them about the complex issues of homelessness like nothing ever has. I look forward to sharing more progress reports on this amazing piece! DDN
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HEAR US is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization
www.hearus.us
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