Homeless Voices

Mission and Vision

As we carry out our day to day lives we are oblivious to the struggles of those individuals we encounter. The grocery store cashier, the fast food clerk, the student in the library: anyone of them could be homeless. A medical emergency, financial crisis or natural disaster means any one of us could be facing homelessness in the near future. The reality of the world we live in is that any one of us is just one day, one moment, one tragedy away from homelessness.

My vision is to create a community space in which we can tell the stories of our homeless friends - without judgement or preconception. The exhibition is designed to put a name to the face of community members and understand their compelling stories, using still photography, story boards and videography. The idea is to remove the preconceptions and false images of what we may assume a homeless person may be and remind each other that we are all people, human beings, and need compassion.

Exhibitions

Bioneers Conference, San Rafael CA, October 2019

"Homeless Voices" was one of a few exhibits chosen for the Bioneers conference, which draws thousands of ecology and social justice innovators from across the nation and the world. By walking small groups through human stories of homelessness, the exhibit sparked new conversations on how to address the growing homelessness crisis in the Bay Area and across California.

Warehouse 416, Oakland CA, July 2019

In its first showing in the East Bay Area, this event and exhibition at Warehouse416 gathered the local community to explore homelessness issues - showcasing a new series of portraits from Berkeley alongside the existing portraits and short films. A couple of our homeless friends who took part in the project were able to share their stories in person, leading on to a Q&A session and community discussion circle.

California State Capitol in Sacramento, April 2019

When Robert Rivas, Assembly Member for the 30th District, visited Homeless Voices' launch in Gilroy, he was so moved he asked for it to come to the State Capitol to raise other legislators' awareness of homeless stories.

The exhibition was shown at the Capitol in Sacramento as part of Californians for the Arts' Arts Advocacy Day on 23rd April 2019. It received very positive responses from the Mayor, Senators and other Legislators who were encouraged this exhibition and its stories continue to be shown across the Bay Area.

It enjoyed positive media coverage around Sacramento and the wider Bay Area:

Benito Link - story
KCRA - video interview (full)
Morgan Hill Live - story
San Benito Live - story

Launch in Gilroy CA, January 2019

Our first exhibition opened to the public at Gilroy Center for the Arts in Gilroy from 5th-26th January. The opening reception was very well attended and brought the homeless community, members of the public, legislators and the media together in the same room, creating a dynamic conversation around this growing issue for Gilroy.

It also was very well covered by the local media, and to read more please see the links below:

Stories from Gilroy

Despite many challenges, including being regularly "swept" out by city authorities, Gilroy's homeless community survives and perseveres with hope to stabilize their lives - gathering around the local churches, charities and the Compassion Center, a nonprofit which supports their daytime needs. Many of them work during the day, but are unable to access drinking water, regular showers or restrooms. By night, they have to sleep rough in cars, tents and sleeping bags by the creek or in the Walmart parking lot. It's particularly dangerous for single women. Read the individual stories of our homeless friends in Gilroy featured in the exhibition:

Moving Forward

This exhibit has continued to be shown in cities around the Bay Area which are struggling with homelessness, showcasing local stories to highlight local homelessness issues. The urgent priority now is to spotlight how homeless communities are coping with the current COVID-19 crisis. By revisiting previous participants, I hope to highlight how the pandemic has impacted homeless communities.

In order to cover printing and logistical costs for our next phase, we will need further support - any contributions small or large to our GoFundMe campaign are invaluable and greatly appreciated.

Connect with the Project

To follow the project and see the latest updates, friend Kirti at https://www.facebook.com/kirti.fataniabassendine.

Support & Funding

Homeless Voices currently relies on crowd funding, as well as countless volunteer hours from a set of amazing and talented people who formed our editorial team. The first exhibition in Gilroy has only been able to open thanks to the kind and generous donations of six larger sponsors, and many smaller donors. We are very grateful for all your support, which has allowed our homeless neighbors' stories to be brought to light in the community.

Our main sponsors, many gratitudes!

Our smaller donors, thank you so much!

Cesar Vasconcelos at Gilroy Web Design
Gilroy Bowl
James Bassendine
Jan Bernstein Chargin
Jimmy Corwin
Joanne Howell
John Bassendine
Mary Bassendine
Margaret Bassendine
Meineke Car Care Center, Gilroy
Melissa Garcia
Patty Belanger
Peter Burr
PJ Kress
Reid Lerner Architects
Rupin Kotecha
South Valley Islamic Community
St. Mary Parish, Gilroy
Vishal Dhokia

Our volunteer editorial team, thank you!

Natasha Burr (transcripts)
Rishi Burr (video editing)
Daniel Potter (video editing)
David Bassendine (web, copy writing, fundraising)
Janessa Villarruel (project liaison, fundraising)
CMAP TV (equipment rental, training)
Mary Bassendine (copy editing)
John Bassendine (copy editing)