Freedom From the S With Virginia Farris

Homeless in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020 Freedom From the S With Virginia Farris

Providing shelter to the homeless alone doesn't end homelessness. Freedom from the Streets founder and director African-American Junail Anderson knows this, which is why her organization delivers the missing ingredients: purpose, opportunity and resources. Homeless in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020, is Anderson's latest effort to provide the missing ingredients to the men and women living on the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The book contains first-hand accounts from twenty homeless men and women in Minneapolis. Some are young moms with kids. Others are veterans. Many battle drug addiction and poor health. A few simply cannot find a landlord who will rent to them. Most are grateful to wake up each morning. Anderson's eBook project is one of the ways she will continue to fund her programs, which give the homeless purpose, opportunities and resources. She sees the book as a way for those of us living in homes to understand the homeless better. Anderson keeps her ears open for opportunity; she and her workers move in when someone or someplace needs help. For example, when the volunteer pool at St. Stephen's disappeared when COVID-19 moved in, she and her workers stepped in to serve meals. Freedom from the Streets members regularly cook holiday dinners at Elim Church. And when the public park tent cities developed problems, Anderson's organization took over security and hired people to watch over several tent city locations. There are also people like Alisha who assist the homeless as they navigate Child Protection Services. And when volunteers with another organization helping the homeless were overworked and frustrated, Freedom from the Streets workers provided relief. All of the Freedom from the Streets workers are or have been homeless. Whether you're interested in stories of the homeless or interested in supporting the fruitful work of Freedom from the Streets, this book is a must have.