In March of 2008, five individuals from the organization Homeless Helping Homeless attended Camp Wellstone in Raleigh, North Carolina. The group, led by Liz Clasen, was made up of Jerry, Rollon, Stacey, and Humphrey. They attended the training to hone their skills as organizers and advocates in their community.
Homeless Helping Homeless (HHH), a project of the Urban Ministry Center, operates out of Charlotte, NC. Their primary focus is to: empower change, build bridges, and end homelessness. It should also be noted that the group is made up primarily of individuals who are currently homeless working to end homelessness.
Wellstone Action caught up with Liz and Rollon after the training to hear how they were putting the skills they learned at camp to use. As Liz explained, they usually attend "staple conferences" on homelessness in Raleigh and in Washington, D.C. But when she saw an announcement about Camp Wellstone, she knew it was different; "We've been to far too many Advocacy 101-type workshops, but this was more in-depth and affordable on our small budget. It was about skill set. It gave us the tools while still being applicable to the issue. There really was a momentum to the training," she commented.
Among the skill sets learned were building power, progressive leadership, grassroots advocacy and lobbying, and pitching your issue to potential allies in the Citizen Activist track. For Rollon, the highlight of the training was to work together as the HHH group and build up one of the simulations in terms of changing legislation. He said, "Everybody in the group was there and involved; everyone told their situation, everyone was very knowledgeable."
For Liz, as Director of HHH, the sessions were inspiring, specifically a comment from one of the trainers who said everyone should consider running for public office, as she shared her story of being an advocate and remaining true to her roots, but also working inside the system. "It was helpful to have that space to reflect on who you are as a leader and recognize your gifts and struggles," Liz said.
They immediately began applying their Camp Wellstone knowledge and felt reassurance knowing what they had been doing on their own before the training was on the right track.
They started work on a big City Council action. "We pulled in the tangible skills," Liz said. "At the previous action we had created five different slogans on 100 different signs. We learned not to dilute our message," she described, and instead, sent just one clear message using different signs. Rollon was excited to add more community partners to their work, but began to think more strategically about how to do so, making sure issues like transportation would not get in the way.
Both Liz and Rollon know there is much work that lies ahead. "Homelessness is growing and shelters are not enough to house people; we need affordable housing," Rollon advocated. He knows this reality first-hand, having lived homeless for almost a year in Charlotte. Rollon, a Vietnam Vet, now lives in supportive housing.
Liz left with a final thought, "We're still hopeful, but it's a long road ahead." It's clear with their skills, passion, and advocacy, the members of Homeless Helping Homeless will work tirelessly to end homelessness in North Carolina.