Running a design department in the motorcycle industry – 50 hrs/week.  Launching a start up social enterprise – 25 hrs/week. Volunteering with Street Sights to design a calendar fundraiser – 18 hrs/week.  Sleeping in my bed – 28hrs/week. Changing just one person’s perception of individuals experiencing homelessness – priceless!  

 

I’ll never forget some of first individuals I met who were experiencing homelessness in Providence.  It was at a Street Sights meeting. Street Sights is a group of homeless and formally homeless individuals who create an awesome newspaper every month that sheds light on homelessness and gives a voice to the voiceless.   

When I first started volunteering there in September of 2008 I immediately began to work with Stan (creative writing editor) to design a calendar that features a homeless individual’s photography and creative writing in each month.  We got the entire printing of the calendar sponsored by Amos House and sold them at a fair price of $8. 

 

Long story short, the calendar made Street Sights over 2 grand in one month, and more importantly empowered 12 authors and 3 photographers whose voices were published.

 

This year, I’ve been putting in several late nights to get the 2010 calendar done sooner so we can make Street Sights 3 times as much money as last year. It’s a lot of work…but seeing how proud the authors are to have their writing published makes it all worth it.