Care for the Homeless Graduates First Class of Certified Advocates
Care for the Homeless graduated its first class of
“Certified Care for the Homeless Advocates” yesterday
(September 26, 2013) following a nine-class
training course on policy issues, speaker training and advocacy techniques.
This first class of Certified Advocates, comprised entirely of client leaders
from the organization, included ten graduates,
each of whom has experienced homelessness in New York City.
Members of the Graduating Class |
The personal stories included:
- a Ph.D. former college teacher who lost his eyesight, then his job and finally his home,
- a man who was sentenced to death at the age of 16 but had his sentence vacated in one of the last cases Justice Thurgood Marshall sat on for lack of due process because he was never certified as an adult,
- a man currently employed and living in a shelter but not making sufficient income to afford a stable home.
The graduates advocate for
access to appropriate health care and other human services, for affordable
housing for very-low income people, for supportive housing for those who need
it, for full funding for the SNAP food stamp program, for reinstatement of a
30% of income rent cap on those with HIV living in HIV-AIDS Support
Administration (HASA) housing, for a “housing first” policy, and for better job
training and education.
With the completion of the advocacy course, the group will
launch a Care for the Homeless Speakers Bureau offering presentations to
groups in New York City about policy issues related to services for people
experiencing homelessness, affordable housing and what it’s like to be
homeless.
The Graduating Class
Members of the Graduating Class on Thursday, September 26, 2013 include: Calvin
Alston, Al Arterburn, David Broxton, William Bryant, Ava Connor, Gayle
Dorsky, Philip Malebranche, Garret McMahan, Vilna
Miller and Anthony Williams.
“We’re excited to talk about how good policy choices can
prevent and end homelessness” said Anthony Williams, a graduate
and Chairperson of one of the organization’s client leader boards. “If
people understand the issues, and hear our
stories, it can inform the public discussion
on critical issues.”
“This is an opportunity to more
effectively educate the public about policies that affect the fight to
better deal with, prevent and eventually end homelessness,” Care for the
Homeless Executive Director Bobby Watts said. “I
want New Yorkers to hear our clients’
stories of having experienced homelessness,
and in many cases overcome it and gone on to make valuable community contributions.”
“We know the best way to influence public opinion on our
issues is for the public to meet people and hear their personal experiences, and talk about how we can end homelessness through
good public policy,” according to David Broxton, Chairperson of one of the organization's client leader boards and also a graduate of the
advocacy class. He said the group’s Speakers Bureau will make presentations to
community groups, religious congregations, schools, service clubs and others
interested in the discussion.
The Advocacy Certification Training program was led by
volunteer Board Policy Committee member Shani Penn, who taught classes in
speaker techniques, and Care for the Homeless Policy Director Jeff Foreman, who
led classes on the history of homelessness, policy issues and the solutions in
the Care for the Homeless “Agenda to End Homelessness.”
“Poor policies got us into this
mess, and we believe better public policy can end modern homelessness as we
know it,” said Gayle Dorsky, one of the graduates.
How to Request a Speaker
Presentations featuring the Certified Advocates, as well as
Care for the Homeless staff and Board members, are available to interested
groups by contacting Jeff Foreman in the Policy Office at 212-366-4459, ext. 206 or via email at policy@cfhnyc.org.