Back to the drawing board when it comes to expanding my mission
Helping others never stops teaching me lessons
I’m strongly committed to upgrading this mission. I want to offer more to the people I currently help, sure, but I also want to reach far more vulnerable folks.
My basic idea was to use video to film encounters and do what has become very popular on Instagram, e.g. share short reels in the name of broadening my donor base and putting a human face on my work.
Let’s just say, this is easier said than done.
For starters, finding the appropriate video camera has proven to be a challenge so far. But the real issues are much deeper than that. To explain, please allow me to rewind to 2017 when I was filmed by two different NYC TV stations as their “person of the week” for this project.
The producers, of course, wanted to have some homeless women in the segment. However, when I asked my regulars, all (except one) vehemently said no — for incredibly valid reasons.
For example, at least two explained that they were homeless in NYC because they had escaped abusive homes in other locations.
These women literally ran for their lives to escape a domestic partner, a parent, a step-parent, etc. For them to be on television/online was to risk being seen, tracked down, and attacked.
Ultimately, one TV show filmed me walking around and only showed a homeless woman from behind. For the other show, a woman (I’ll call her C.) was okay with being interviewed.
Up top is a photo I took as it happened.
Fast forward to today and I’m facing similar situations. I don’t want to be one of those “influencers” who secretly films vulnerable people. Then you have those Instagrammers who pretend to be broke, asking a down-and-out person for a few bucks. If the person helps, the influencer surprises them with a wad of cash.
Pardon me, but I’m not looking to make someone who has hit rock bottom “prove” to me that they are worthy of support.
Then, just the other day, I asked a regular of mine if she’d be willing to do a very short video interview with me so I could raise more funds. She was interested but quickly, I realized that this woman (who is in her 60s) had been on the street for so long that she may have never used the internet.
She asked a ton of basic questions and then expressed a fear that someone would see her, learn that I help her, and thus, not give her the panhandling money she desperately needs.
“I already make very little money out here. If someone sees I get some help from you,” she explained, “they may think I’m a fake and not want to even give me a quarter.”
In a flash, I knew it was back to the drawing board. So, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing while I ponder other ideas — and wait for some divine inspiration.
All of the above means I still very much need your help to keep my mission going and growing. Here’s how you can do that:
Make a direct donation right here.
Order items from my wishlist here.
Commit to a monthly pledge at Patreon here.
To keep things simple, click here and donate whatever feels right for you.
Share all the above links far and wide!
No matter what, please spread the word by sharing the above links far and wide! Thank you, as always, for your kind and generous support. And if you cross paths with a homeless woman or any vulnerable soul, remember to be friendly and compassionate.
unfortunately the ones who really need help are being 'blackmailed' by those that do not need it. I also think of the hidden camera farces! how people are fooled - most laugh, but I think I would get angry LOL
I wonder if you could just make a photo of a basket, hat, etc. that the homeless use for money? without showing a person?