Anthony and me on the day we started our project! (photo: Reed Sandridge)
I turned my misfortune of losing my job into the best year of my life! After completing a year-long journey of giving $10 away each day to complete strangers while I was out of work, I started writing a book about the adventure. Well, plenty of other things have filled up my plate and the pages of the book got pushed to the back of my desk. I needed help. I needed someone to hold me accountable. That’s when I reached out my homeless friend Anthony.
Anthony has been homeless for nearly 10 years in our nation’s capital. One of the first Street Sense vendors, vendor number 6 to be exact, Anthony doesn’t let the fact that he can not afford housing get him down. He works Monday through Friday at the corner of 19th and M selling the paper. But his dream is to have his own apartment.
So – we got the idea to help each other out. I’d help Anthony leave the streets and he would help me stick to a tight deadline of writing. If this sounds easy – keep in mind that I don’t know anything about helping someone get off the streets and Anthony hasn’t a clue about what it takes to get a book published. But that hasn’t stopped us.
We are working to achieve our goal by the end of 2013 – and with a lot of hard work, collaboration between Anthony and me, and possibly your help too – we just might make it!
Drop by for updates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
In the economic dunwtorn we are all mostly a paycheck away from this very situation. I am hopeful that the more awareness we can raise about this issue the less people will be living on the street.I am not wealthy by any stretch of the imgination and I work for myself so my paychecks are thin but given what these people have it’s like being a millionaire. I have decided that if I have even just one paying client a portion of that will go towards helping this foundation. This is a very important foundation that can help on a very real level. I appreciate you Brian and your very giving team for doing all that you can towards ending homelessness. These people deserve a better life no matter how they got there.A smile, conversation and a dollar can do more than you know,Dor
Thanks Bikram – I think you are referring to Street Sense in your post. I agree, they’re a great organization! It has given Anthony an opportunity to be a contributing member of society. Thanks for stopping by! -Reed
Here are 5 tips to help you with your writing:
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/04/12/john-cleese-on-creativity-1991/
Great advice. Thanks for sharing!