Homelessness and Domestic Violence – Stories in Playbook and Book Formats
“Homelessness in America cuts across age, gender, and place.
Approximately 578,000 individuals were homeless on a single night in January of 2014; nearly 50,000 veterans are homeless; and 2.5 million children and their families are homeless each year, according to a 2014 AIR report.
Common contributors to homelessness include poverty, lack of affordable housing and employment opportunities, domestic violence, and health and mental health issues, including the effects of trauma.
A staggering 2.5 million children are now homeless each year in America. This historic high represents one in every 30 children in the United States.” ~ National Center on Family Homelessness
Although this information reflects conditions in 2014, these statistics on homelessness in America still are typical, and the effects on children’s ability to be healthy, eat regularly, learn and become happy or productive workers is enormous.
It’s not just a personal problem, it’s a long-term societal issue. It’s even worse when they are living on the street because there is no room in a shelter, or because the shelters are too dangerous! Are shelters dangerous? Yes, because of drugs, crime, and violence. Yes, because of banned hot plates (the only way to cook) setting things on fire. Yes, because of rampant physical and sexual abuse. (See bottom of this post re a play about domestic violence.)
Q: How Can We Raise Awareness About Homelessness in America?
Shop Til You Drop, but get something for homeless people in the process~ It’s cheap and easy!
I found a hundred ways to work it into conversations, like: while shopping, I would pick up some sets (often on sale) of underwear or toiletries, and casually announce to the checkout clerk (in clear earshot of others in line) that I was buying the goodies to give to homeless people, since most donations do not include personal items, such as these.
I also went to flea markets at the end of hot, humid, exhausting days, and asked the vendors to give me whatever they did not feel like packing to take home, and I would take their items to the shelters. They were so relieved to be relieved of more work that they packed my car to the point I could hardly see out of the windows!
Variety Pack ~ A Troupe of People Experiencing Homelessness Who Performed Their Own Stories As Monologues To Raise Awareness
There are lots of ways to help. However, one of my favorites is when I scripted the true stories of homeless people in Washington, D.C. as Performing Arts. Wikipedia re Performing Arts:
Performing arts are art forms in which artists use their voices and/or the movements of their bodies, often in relation to other objects, to convey artistic expression—as opposed to, for example, purely visual arts, in which artists use paint/canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Performing arts include a variety of disciplines but all are intended to be performed in front of a live audience.
The homeless people and I performed these True Stories for a multitude of educational, religious, civic, and governmental organizations, including members of Congress and a Governor’s Conference on Housing and Homelessness. Our performance also was recorded by the National Archives, and one script was entered into the Congressional Record. We did several dramatic readings on a cable television show. To my surprise, I received a several unsolicited awards for this work. We were booked by organizations which we found our work valuable in both fund and consciousness-raising events. I still perform these scripts (individually or collectively) as a one-woman show. Contact me for bookings.
Producers can use the monologues as one stand-alone piece or as a collection. The scripts are available as a playbook, with line numbers and the licensing agreement.
Performers can memorize the scripts or present them as dramatic readings.
I offer a discounted price for non-profits, which usually includes schools or community theater groups.
You can book me to perform the scripts as dramatic readings in a One Woman Show. Check it out here: My Persuasive Presentations, LLC.
Domestic Violence ~ Break the Chain
I also created a play about domestic violence, which was performed at a shelter in front of people who were both abused and the abusers.
Afterward, both groups came up to me and said they now understood the chain (cycle) of violence better and, for the first time, felt they might overcome it! Here is the link to “Break The Chain.”
This play also is easy to present, having few characters and few sets to create.
Even though there are great dangers (like dehydration and heat stroke) for homeless people during the summer, we all know they are at risk of freezing in the winter; so, if you would like to help raise awareness through the performance of my scripts, let me know.
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Do It The Write Way! Let My Fingers Do Your Talking!