Homelessness In Our Cities
More than 3.5 million people experience a state of homelessness each year in the United States. With 35% of this population being families with children, and 23% U.S. military veterans, help must be given. This week we explore an organization and the relief they are bringing to the homeless.
This week we meet a husband and wife team that found a personal connection to helping the homeless population. They walk us through what started an organization that is now helping thousands across Chicagoland.
Here's a little history on their organization- A Safe Haven is a nationally recognized social business enterprise model that partners with non-for profit and for profit entities to provide a community-based, integrated, continuum of care and housing for individuals and families in financial crisis, homeless and drug/alcohol impacted populations. Founded in 1995, A Safe Haven provides services to over 5,000 individuals annually and over 70,000 people to date. This organization provides supportive housing, treatment, job training, job placement, access to healthcare, independent living and affordable housing throughout the Chicagoland area. Today, ASH has expanded into the development of affordable housing to meet the needs of those completing programs particularly women with children and Veterans. The “A Safe Haven Model” is proven to be a reliable leader in the fields of addiction, recovery management, homeless services, job training and placement and has earned high marks for attention to providing quality programs, stable delivery systems and coordinated community based outreach and programming. The A Safe Haven Model focuses on changing chronic homeless, incarceration and/or addictive lifestyle behavior and establishing self-sufficiency and independence for ASH residents in a sustainable manner.
Be sure to tune in Monday, November 14th at 6:30 on Lakeshore Public Television to see how this organization is helping Chicago, one person at time.
What's Your Story
Whitney Reynolds- Hello 6th PBS Season!
I’ve been very nostalgic recently here at the Whitney Reynolds Show and have gone through some of my past episodes. I wanted to highlight a few inspirational stories that I believe everybody could benefit from past seasons. ENJOY!
In our first PBS season we did a show "Second Chances." On this episode we sat down with we Danni Allen, Season 14 winner of the hit TV series "The Biggest Loser", about her second chance with her health. After witnessing her father struggle with his health, and almost lose his life, she decided that she needed to make a change. After auditioning for, and ultimately winning, the Biggest Loser she was given a second chance to live her life to the fullest. This episode taught us when life is generous enough to give us a second chance we need to take advantage of it!
UPDATE: We recently caught up with Danni and she still has the same mindset and even more excited about what's ahead!
Our "No Limits" episode focused on different individuals who didn’t let their circumstances get in the way of achieving their dreams. I was fortunate enough to sit down with an incredible young woman named Mary Kate Callahan. Mary Kate was paralyzed from the waist down at only 5 ½ months old. But she didn’t let that stop her from doing what she loved. As a high school swimmer the only thing in her way from the State Championships was the lack of a policy to include swimmers with disabilities. But once again she refused to give up. She teamed up with lawyers and fought the system until finally during her senior year of high school she was able to compete at the Illinois Swimming State Championship. This just goes to show you that no matter what roadblock is in your way you can’t let it stop you from being all that you can be.
In the show’s second season we talked about the Youth of Our Future. Violence amongst teens, especially in the Chicagoland area, is stealing the lives of the next generation. But this doesn’t mean we have to stand by and watch it happen. I spoke to David Diaz, WBC World Lightweight Champion, about his after-school program where he teaches kids how to box. Coming from a background of boxing he uses his talent to keep kids out of violence. Through boxing he is able to teach kids discipline and turning their aggression into positive energy. It’s people like David who are changing the lives of everyone around them by simply taking a stand for what they believe in.
Next I took a look at one of our recent episodes, "Be the Change." We live in a world where corruption is stealing away the joy and love throughout the world. But we don’t have to just sit by and let it happen. We can be courageous and take a stand for what we believe is right. Our social sizzle for this episode was the founders of the Kind Campaign: Molly Thompson and Lauren Paul. Through witnessing and experiencing girl on girl crime they took it upon themselves to educate young girls across the US and Canada about the harmful effects of girl on girl crime. They have taught thousands of young girls that kindness is the only option.
Finally, in our Survivor episode I was able to sit down with Jaspen Boothe. Her story was one of the most inspiring of them all. Jaspen is a Veteran who not only survived Hurricane Katrina but also cancer. However, this is not even the most incredible part about her. After bad treatment by the VA she decided that she wasn’t going to allow future veterans to be treated the way she was. She started an organization called Final Salute that provides homeless women veterans and their families with safe and suitable housing. Her organization has now raised over $650,000 for female veterans. After hearing this story I never want to complain about my life being hard ever again! But it also has showed me that with the right mindset, strong will, and faith you can survive anything.
Going through these episodes have me feeling so inspired and empowered! I love hearing all of your stories. So I want to encourage all of you, my incredible viewers, to write the show and tell me about your journey. You never know how something that changed your life, could help others! Go to our contact page now and get to typing! <3