Homeless news weekly round up – 3.7.09

How to get money to combat homelessness - National Alliance to End Homelessness
The National Alliance to End Homelessness has a PDF to help communities apply for the $1.5 billion in federal money available to fight homelessness from the Homelessness Prevention Fund. HUD is set to release more information on the plan on March 19 and the Alliance will update their guidelines then. The applications are expected to be due in April or May, according to the web site.

Pledge to help end hunger and Tyson will donate 35 lbs. to hungry children – Pledge to End Hunger
Here is a really easy way to give. If you pledge to volunteer, give food or money, or share then Tyson foods will donate 35 lbs. of food to hungrey children and the donations will be delivered in a semi-truck to the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Each donation by Tyson is equivalent to 140 meals. The campaign has already reached their goal of 1,000 pledges, but they are still accepting pledges. Illinois is in 4th place among the states and is only 19 behind California. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter.

Faces of the homeless: John – Invisible People
Another video from Invisible People that tells the story of John, who went from being a small business owner to recycling cans for living and making $15 a day. He says collecting cans and bottles is “good, honest work,” but that a log of work needs to be done to help the homeless. Check out the powerful video and for Twitter users you can follow Invisible People and the man behind the project, Mark Horvath.

John from invisible people on Vimeo.

A soup kitchen alternative where you pay what you want for the meal – Razoo
Here is a cool idea for a restaurant – instead of opening a soup kitchen, open a quality, organic cafe where diners can pay what they want for the meal. Meals for the poor and homeless are paid for by those who can afford to pay. This is exactly what the So All May Eat Cafe in Denver has done, and so far it is working. According to the article the average cost of a meal is $2 and the average price people pay is $3, so the cafe is able to sustain itself. Do you think this model could work in Chicago?

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