We should have more coffeehouses, more cafes, more “third places.” More places where people can get together that’s not work, not home, and where they can interact with people who are different from them. ~ Eric Weiner I recognize, I acknowledge, and I am grateful. In French, these three concepts are expressed by one term: […]

In a world that’s constantly connected, sometimes the greatest act of rebellion is to disconnect so we can reconnect with our own inner world, our inner wisdom, and our deeper truths. –Unknown We live in curious times. It’s called the “Age of Information, but in another light, it can be called the Age of Distraction. […]

When we allow our children to be sold, to be used as a commodity, to be violated, persecuted, neglected, discarded, and preyed upon by criminal influences, we deteriorate as a civilized community. There is nothing civilized about the exploitation of the weak, the innocent, and the vulnerable for selfish gain. –Andi Buerger As CEO/ReImaginator for 360° Nation and […]

We simply cannot know joy without embracing vulnerability – and the way to do that is to focus on gratitude, not fear. ~Brené Brown Summing up his status as more than a man but a force of nature, the colloquialism “Elvis has left the building!”  has taken on a life of its own in the […]

The third place has always been a feeling. An emotion. An aspiration that all people can come together and be uplifted as a result of a sense of belonging. –Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks The Significance of Third Places In the dynamic tapestry of human life, beyond the confines of our homes and the structured […]

You see, when you’re homeless, you’re invisible. People don’t want to see you because when they see you it’s very hard for them to just ignore you, to just pretend that you’re not there. ~John S., a homeless man Homeless culture is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. It is shaped by a variety of factors, […]

Homelessness is the space between the place where you once lived and the place where you will live again. It is the place of dislocation, transition, waiting … ~Lucy, a woman who was once homeless What does homelessness look like, and who does it affect? Martha Stone, the executive director of a 96-bed homeless shelter, […]

People avoid eye contact. They step away from you. They don’t answer you if you address them — even if you wish them a good day! It’s painful. It’s debilitating. Over time, it gets worse, not better. There are a lot of bad things about being homeless, but being invisible is the worst! This is how […]

People experiencing homelessness deserve to experience the type of love that goes to battle alongside them, not against them. — Love Beyond Walls California singer/songwriter Rocky Michaels brings much-needed awareness to the plight of the unhoused and unsheltered, with his release of “An Uncomfortable Truth.” He shines a light on the issue of homelessness in […]

The only thing worse than being homeless is feeling invisible and forgotten. Out of Sight, Out of Mind The homeless often feel invisible, allowed to plummet through widening holes in the social safety net, then hidden in doorways from which people avert their eyes. Homelessness sits at the nexus of stigma, isolation, and vulnerability: though […]