Seeing the invisible

Mark Horvath moved to Hollywood to make movies, he ended up living on a park bench. He now makes a vlog (video blog) about the Hollywoodians who are currently living on park benches.

See the rest of Mark's videos at invisible people

Homeless Count

One night, every year New York City's Department of Homeless Services counts the homeless population in order to increase accountability and improve programming targeted towards homeless New Yorkers. On the night of January 26th, 2,500 volunteers, throughout every borough will count the homeless sleeping on the streets, subways and subway stations. Volunteers will work in teams of three and be accompanied by a police officer throughout the night of the count. Training will be provided before your teams is sent out at 10:30PM, and most teams finish surveying their assigned area by 2AM.
More information can be found at the HOPE webpage. If you sign up via the HOPE web page please indicate that they are volunteering through Met Council by selecting the our name under the question, “Are you associated with a member of the NYC Continuum of Care?”

If you are interested in participating in the count, please contact Stefanie Greenberg at 212.453.9619 or sgreenberg@metcouncil.org

Take Action Round Up: November 13

• Youth homelessness is a one million person large problem. Most homeless youths have been forced from their homes because of circumstances beyond their control. Some manage to make it through school but others are less fortunate, resorting to begging or prostitution just to survive. Homeless kids have different needs than homeless adults - they haven't even had a chance to live their lives yet. Sign your name here to petition Congress to make ending youth homelessness a priority. This site also has several other ways to take action, such as donating your old phone and a simple text you can send to American Eagle Outfitters who will then donate an item of clothing to homeless youth.
  
  
• Do your feet smell? I bet they do. If you buy socks from Sierra Club , they will donate a pair of socks to a homeless shelter.
  
  
• What do you do when a panhandler asks you for money? Many of us ignore them, but that isn't really the best strategy; you wouldn't ignore someone in a suit if they asked you a question, why would you ignore someone sitting on the street corner? Nobody likes being ignored, and knowing how to react to homeless panhandlers is important. Also, you may be unsure about where your money is going to go; you don't want to encourage destructive behavior.
  
  • Regardless of your response, you must assess each situation. Always look out for your own safety and avoid confrontation. That being said, here are some alternative responses to requests for money or change:
  • Provide information about local organizations serving homeless people. Educate yourself about services offered by your community here. Many organizations provide brochures for people to distribute in response to requests for money.
  • Carry coupons for food (such as a sandwich or cup of coffee) or pre-packaged food (granola bar or tuna).
  • Even if you're not planning on giving money, food, or information, it's best to politely smile and acknowledge the individual.