What an amazing day we had yesterday! Diane Nilan, award winning film-maker and humanitarian, joined us at the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition to talk about what it is that she does and how others can get involved.
Ashley Gouin and I had the pleasure of sitting down with her for a short interview....here is part of that interview...
Kelly: How did you get started on this journey -- documenting the lives of homeless individuals and families?
Diane: Well um I was...my previous job was working with the school districts in the Chicago-land area...305 school districts helping them understand and implement the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act. And one of the pieces that just seemed very...very much missing was something where--someone who had no experience or knowledge of homeless persons especially students....that they could hear from the kids. And...and so...there really wasn't anything appropriate out there. So I was getting ready to um...a friend of mine and I were working on this and we hired...we got a grant and hired a film crew and were all set to do the filming...to do a short video for training and got told that our...my project was being de-structured...restructured...whatever...and um it ended up, you know hitting the buzz-saw of reality. So I was profoundly disappointed because I knew that having a video tool to train people, educators, an beyond...about...you know...sensitivity towards homeless kids and awareness of their situation...I knew that would be invaluable so I just found myself knowing that I was going to need to make a career change at the end of my grant period -- in three months -- and it was just one of those things where I just kinda found myself arguing with myself..."Well...you think...what are you gonna do...I don't know...I wanna work with homeless people...I wanna use all the knowledge that I have." So it just became a matter of sitting and kind of thinking "Alright you can make that film if you think that's so important" and then from there I like "Yeah, I could probably do that" and "How am I gonna do it and where am I gonna go"...and I knew I could stay in Illinois and just travel back and forth between Chicago and Aurora and around and you know could have enough...plenty of people to talk to...but I wanted to create something by talking to people in areas where no-body thinks there's homelessness...In remote rural communities, in resort communities, then small towns and middle sized towns...away from the urban aspect of homelessness. So I just ended up um...deciding that if I was...I'd have to sell my townhouse...which really kind of bummed me out...because I had a really nice townhouse...1100 sq.ft...I had two other people living with me at the time...and I knew that was going to up-end them...as much as me...but I just knew that I couldn't manage having...keeping that and doing this and so I sold my townhouse...bought the motor-home myself and um...then I started a non-profit Hear Us and started raising funds and getting a video camera...and having somebody tell me how to use it and started traveling...that was the beginning...which just seems like a hundred years ago -- 7 years ago...(laugh).
Kelly: So you live in Illinois?
Diane: Well that's my address on my driver's license...I spend some time in Illinois...um...but not a whole lot. I...most of the time am on the road... so I might spend a total of two months a year in Illinois and then the rest just...everywhere else.
Kelly: What is the most touching or heartbreaking story that you have heard?
Diane: I was in Reno, Nevada...and had met three sisters...one seven years old...one ten...and one thirteen...in their school settings and had interviewed them during the day in their school settings...and they were you know, good interviews...and pretty willing...and um...somebody had arranged for me to go to their shelter...it was the Family Promise Shelter So I went there at night and hung with them and you know they were....there's not a lot of people around...so it was kinda like having a friend over...So I was their friend and they were showing me all around...so I hung with them that night and shot some more footage...and you know...felt kind of like somebody in their lives...and found out a day or two later as I was leaving Nevada...I got a phone call and I was told that there had been some disagreement of some serious nature between their mother --who has also a newborn and another mom at the shelter and the families were put out...so I thought "Well that was probably pretty serious"...but I knew each of the girls had very clearly said in a number of different ways as I talked to them...that they just didn't want to have to move again and loose their schools and loose their friends...and all of the things that kids just don't usually get a chance to say...and they said to me and so um...and I guess the family had nobody in the area that they could turn to for any kind of help so the you know...children and family authorities ended up I guess putting them on a bus...giving them some sandwiches...and putting them on a bus for a 14 hour bus ride...and I just...because I knew them enough to know that was going to be traumatic for them and I just was kind of driving and I was thinking of those kids and thinking of how heartbroken and it was just so so sad that we have to do that to families.
Kelly: ...and it's happening to so many...
Diane: Yea...right...right...and it was just one family of thousands and thousands that at some point during that day had the same sort of thing happen in some way. So that has kind of (sigh)...you know...has kind of kept it real...And I have certainly encountered other families that have had other traumas that have...you know...that I've known about and plenty that I haven't known about.
Kelly: Do you ever feel that you are beating your head against the wall with these issues? I mean, does it seem that there is an end to homelessness in the near future or no?
Diane: Well I've gotten over the "end homelessness mantra"...um...just not that I don't think we can end it...cause I think if you put me in charge for a few weeks...I could probably...um...at least make a pretty good dent in it...um...(sigh)...of course if I had the magic wand to go with that...that responsibility...but um...yes there is times where I feel like I'm beating my head against the wall personally...um...but every single time that I have that feeling...which I think is just human...I get an email or a voicemail...or some message from somebody that comes out of the blue that says "I love what you are doing and it's really helpful"...and I'm going..."Who said that?"...(laugh)...and it's just a weird sort of thing...So anytime I do have what is the normal human feeling of "Oh my gosh...what am I doing?"...I just kinda take a breath and go "You'll find out!"..."just keep going and keep doing" and you know...I think of the families that I've met and the youth that I've met...and they don't have the luxury of saying "Oh I don't wanna do this anymore." I mean...my life has been so gifted...so that I just can't say..."Well you know what...I'm pretty well over this kind of homelessness thing...I'm gonna go run a jewelry store or something." It's just...I am where I am...for reasons that I am...and if I don't run with it...then shame on me.
Kelly: That's a good point...
Kelly: What would you like to see done in regard to raising awareness to the severity of this national crisis?
Diane: Oh I would like to see...um...not just President Obama...but certainly...um...major people in...you know...leaders in our country...to stand together and say this isn't tolerable...and to commit to the resources that can really address the issue as opposed to these pathetic band-aids that are so ineffective...that it's just prolonging it...And so I think it's a national initiative that goes from top to bottom and bottom to top...it would make...you know...and it's not just homelessness...family homelessness...youth homelessness...it's the poverty that has just fueled the fire...So, you know...I...it needs to be a huge commitment...multi year...multi level...multi everything...but it needs to happen. You know...I can't look at the faces of the people that I know that are in the situation and say...I think everything is being done that we could possibly do...because it's not.
Kelly: What can others do to get involved?
Diane: Well...you know...I believe in a compassion epidemic...that's...you know, I really think we need a compassion epidemic...and that we can all do something to that end. On my website I have a compassion epidemic action guide...so that people at different levels...you know...different people are going to be able to do different things...and some can write a check...some can show up...you know...with their shoes on the ground...and some can...you know...do all kinds of things. So I think
doing something according to your gifts and abilities is what needs to happen. Certainly...everybody who is a constituent of members of congress...which means pretty much everybody...should be able to contact their members of congress and you know...say "Hey...support H.R. 32 "...I mean...that's a bill that could really start to change the way this country deals with homelessness. So I see that as...we need to do systemic as well as service.
For more information on Diane Nilan and her amazing documentaries, visit her website at www.hearus.us
Thank you Diane...we miss you already!
Ashley Gouin and I had the pleasure of sitting down with her for a short interview....here is part of that interview...Kelly: How did you get started on this journey -- documenting the lives of homeless individuals and families?
Diane: Well um I was...my previous job was working with the school districts in the Chicago-land area...305 school districts helping them understand and implement the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act. And one of the pieces that just seemed very...very much missing was something where--someone who had no experience or knowledge of homeless persons especially students....that they could hear from the kids. And...and so...there really wasn't anything appropriate out there. So I was getting ready to um...a friend of mine and I were working on this and we hired...we got a grant and hired a film crew and were all set to do the filming...to do a short video for training and got told that our...my project was being de-structured...restructured...whatever...and um it ended up, you know hitting the buzz-saw of reality. So I was profoundly disappointed because I knew that having a video tool to train people, educators, an beyond...about...you know...sensitivity towards homeless kids and awareness of their situation...I knew that would be invaluable so I just found myself knowing that I was going to need to make a career change at the end of my grant period -- in three months -- and it was just one of those things where I just kinda found myself arguing with myself..."Well...you think...what are you gonna do...I don't know...I wanna work with homeless people...I wanna use all the knowledge that I have." So it just became a matter of sitting and kind of thinking "Alright you can make that film if you think that's so important" and then from there I like "Yeah, I could probably do that" and "How am I gonna do it and where am I gonna go"...and I knew I could stay in Illinois and just travel back and forth between Chicago and Aurora and around and you know could have enough...plenty of people to talk to...but I wanted to create something by talking to people in areas where no-body thinks there's homelessness...In remote rural communities, in resort communities, then small towns and middle sized towns...away from the urban aspect of homelessness. So I just ended up um...deciding that if I was...I'd have to sell my townhouse...which really kind of bummed me out...because I had a really nice townhouse...1100 sq.ft...I had two other people living with me at the time...and I knew that was going to up-end them...as much as me...but I just knew that I couldn't manage having...keeping that and doing this and so I sold my townhouse...bought the motor-home myself and um...then I started a non-profit Hear Us and started raising funds and getting a video camera...and having somebody tell me how to use it and started traveling...that was the beginning...which just seems like a hundred years ago -- 7 years ago...(laugh).
Kelly: So you live in Illinois?
Diane: Well that's my address on my driver's license...I spend some time in Illinois...um...but not a whole lot. I...most of the time am on the road... so I might spend a total of two months a year in Illinois and then the rest just...everywhere else.
Kelly: What is the most touching or heartbreaking story that you have heard?
Diane: I was in Reno, Nevada...and had met three sisters...one seven years old...one ten...and one thirteen...in their school settings and had interviewed them during the day in their school settings...and they were you know, good interviews...and pretty willing...and um...somebody had arranged for me to go to their shelter...it was the Family Promise Shelter So I went there at night and hung with them and you know they were....there's not a lot of people around...so it was kinda like having a friend over...So I was their friend and they were showing me all around...so I hung with them that night and shot some more footage...and you know...felt kind of like somebody in their lives...and found out a day or two later as I was leaving Nevada...I got a phone call and I was told that there had been some disagreement of some serious nature between their mother --who has also a newborn and another mom at the shelter and the families were put out...so I thought "Well that was probably pretty serious"...but I knew each of the girls had very clearly said in a number of different ways as I talked to them...that they just didn't want to have to move again and loose their schools and loose their friends...and all of the things that kids just don't usually get a chance to say...and they said to me and so um...and I guess the family had nobody in the area that they could turn to for any kind of help so the you know...children and family authorities ended up I guess putting them on a bus...giving them some sandwiches...and putting them on a bus for a 14 hour bus ride...and I just...because I knew them enough to know that was going to be traumatic for them and I just was kind of driving and I was thinking of those kids and thinking of how heartbroken and it was just so so sad that we have to do that to families.
Kelly: ...and it's happening to so many...
Diane: Yea...right...right...and it was just one family of thousands and thousands that at some point during that day had the same sort of thing happen in some way. So that has kind of (sigh)...you know...has kind of kept it real...And I have certainly encountered other families that have had other traumas that have...you know...that I've known about and plenty that I haven't known about.
Kelly: Do you ever feel that you are beating your head against the wall with these issues? I mean, does it seem that there is an end to homelessness in the near future or no?
Diane: Well I've gotten over the "end homelessness mantra"...um...just not that I don't think we can end it...cause I think if you put me in charge for a few weeks...I could probably...um...at least make a pretty good dent in it...um...(sigh)...of course if I had the magic wand to go with that...that responsibility...but um...yes there is times where I feel like I'm beating my head against the wall personally...um...but every single time that I have that feeling...which I think is just human...I get an email or a voicemail...or some message from somebody that comes out of the blue that says "I love what you are doing and it's really helpful"...and I'm going..."Who said that?"...(laugh)...and it's just a weird sort of thing...So anytime I do have what is the normal human feeling of "Oh my gosh...what am I doing?"...I just kinda take a breath and go "You'll find out!"..."just keep going and keep doing" and you know...I think of the families that I've met and the youth that I've met...and they don't have the luxury of saying "Oh I don't wanna do this anymore." I mean...my life has been so gifted...so that I just can't say..."Well you know what...I'm pretty well over this kind of homelessness thing...I'm gonna go run a jewelry store or something." It's just...I am where I am...for reasons that I am...and if I don't run with it...then shame on me.
Kelly: That's a good point...
Kelly: What would you like to see done in regard to raising awareness to the severity of this national crisis?
Diane: Oh I would like to see...um...not just President Obama...but certainly...um...major people in...you know...leaders in our country...to stand together and say this isn't tolerable...and to commit to the resources that can really address the issue as opposed to these pathetic band-aids that are so ineffective...that it's just prolonging it...And so I think it's a national initiative that goes from top to bottom and bottom to top...it would make...you know...and it's not just homelessness...family homelessness...youth homelessness...it's the poverty that has just fueled the fire...So, you know...I...it needs to be a huge commitment...multi year...multi level...multi everything...but it needs to happen. You know...I can't look at the faces of the people that I know that are in the situation and say...I think everything is being done that we could possibly do...because it's not.
Kelly: What can others do to get involved?
Diane: Well...you know...I believe in a compassion epidemic...that's...you know, I really think we need a compassion epidemic...and that we can all do something to that end. On my website I have a compassion epidemic action guide...so that people at different levels...you know...different people are going to be able to do different things...and some can write a check...some can show up...you know...with their shoes on the ground...and some can...you know...do all kinds of things. So I think
doing something according to your gifts and abilities is what needs to happen. Certainly...everybody who is a constituent of members of congress...which means pretty much everybody...should be able to contact their members of congress and you know...say "Hey...support H.R. 32 "...I mean...that's a bill that could really start to change the way this country deals with homelessness. So I see that as...we need to do systemic as well as service.
For more information on Diane Nilan and her amazing documentaries, visit her website at www.hearus.us
Thank you Diane...we miss you already!
No comments:
Post a Comment