When Richard shows me the tattoo on his knuckles, he starts to get emotional. The tattoo reads "Hold Fast" and is a tribute to his best friend Dave "Whiskey" Walker who was killed by a grenade that also wounded Richard. Like many veterans, Richard suffers from PTSD. Seven months ago, Richard had a massive nervous breakdown that within six weeks his whole life spiraled out of control. Richard is now sleeping rough in Central London begging for change to survive.
Richard says he feels invisible. If people don't look at him, then homelessness in their mind doesn't exist. Richard says poverty is growing in the United Kingdom and the public is numb to it. People don't feel any empathy towards rough sleepers.
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About Invisible People
There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, a living wage or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness.
We imagine a world where everyone has a place to call home. Each day, we work to fight homelessness by giving it a face while educating individuals about the systemic issues that contribute to its existence. Through storytelling, education, news, and activism, we are changing the narrative on homelessness.
This isn’t just talk. Each year, our groundbreaking educational content reaches more than a billion people across the globe. Our real and unfiltered stories of homelessness shatter stereotypes, demand attention and deliver a call-to-action that is being answered by governments, major brands, nonprofit organizations, and everyday citizens just like you.
However, there is more work to be done on the road ahead. Homelessness is undoubtedly one of our biggest societal issues today and will only continue to grow if we don’t take action now.
Invisible People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through innovative storytelling, news, and advocacy. Since our launch in 2008, Invisible People has become a pioneer and trusted resource for inspiring action and raising awareness in support of advocacy, policy change and thoughtful dialogue around poverty in North America and the United Kingdom.
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