HOMELESS SPEAKERS’ BUREAU MISSION

The Tallahassee Homeless Speakers Bureau is intended to educate and enlighten the children and youth in our community about the complex issue of homelessness as well as dispel the misconceptions and stereotypes that surround it. It is necessary to remind people that anyone can be homeless; we are all susceptible to the causes of homelessness.

With the increase in violence against people experiencing homeless in the state of Florida, The Tallahassee Homeless Speakers’ Bureau was established by the National Coalition for the Homeless in order to promote awareness to help put an end to the violence and to promote social change within our state. The Tallahassee Homeless Speakers’ Bureau consists of two AmeriCorps VISTA*s (Volunteers in Service to America) who, along with both homeless and formerly homeless volunteers, organize speaking engagements intended to shed light on the reality of homelessness. This unique approach is a necessary tool in educating people about homelessness because it serves as a platform for those affected by homelessness to talk personally about their experiences.

Ending homelessness must begin with the understanding that people who are experiencing homeless are no less a part of our community as those with homes. Public perceptions and attitudes toward persons experiencing homelessness must change in order for positive and long-term solutions to be realized. Most Americans rarely interact with people who experience homelessness; their perception of homeless individuals is often based on fear perpetuated by a lack of understanding in our society. The lack of interaction between people on either side of the socio-economic fence combined with impersonal or prejudicial descriptions of homelessness creates a gap that threatens to isolate the victims of homelessness in our community’s periphery. This results in homelessness being perceived as an abstract social problem.

Those who experience homelessness are seen as the sources of their own misfortunes, and the socio-economic policies and practices that give rise to homelessness are then too easily ignored. This abstraction, in turn, lessens the degree of urgency and commitment needed to work strategically and consistently toward solutions to end homelessness that are long-term, outcome-based, and not simply responses to crises. The Speakers’ Bureau is a dynamic tool to teach and challenge tomorrow’s leaders as well as to empower those who have experienced homelessness by giving them a chance to voice their concerns. By fostering an environment of self-worth, respect, and understanding for all people, the Speakers’ Bureau challenges us to believe that we can and should end homelessness.

Tallahassee's Homeless Speakers' Bureau
P.O. Box 4049
Tallahassee, FL 32315
Theshelterthsb@embarqmail.com
(850)222-0499

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