The 13th Annual Homelessness Marathon
Jeremy Alderson
13th Annual Homelessness Marathon begins 7 p.m., EST, Tues. Feb 23rd
and run for 14 hours until 9 a.m., EST, Wed. Feb. 24th
"We have a mindset in this country that homelessness is a problem that can
wait," comments Jeremy Weir Alderson, founder of the Homelessness Marathon,
"but it's a dire emergency for the people who are homeless, a drain on our
economy, and a stain on our national honor. We ought to solve this problem,
and we could if we would only turn our attention to it."
The Homelessness Marathon will address the problem of homelessness by speaking
directly with homeless people, who will give their first-hand testimony on how
they became homeless and the obstacles they face before they can be housed
again.
Hundreds of homeless people will be brought by bus (in rotating shifts) so that
they can participate in this event and speak directly to the nation. They will
be brought by shelters, advocacy groups, and grass roots organizations formed
by homeless people themselves.
The broadcast will feature, as well, such speakers as Senator Carl Levin; Ron
Gettlefinger, president of the United Auto Workers; and two of America's most
outstanding anti-poverty advocates, Cheri Honkala, director of the Poor
Peoples' Economic Human Rights Campaign and Paul Boden, director of the Western
Regional Advocacy Project.
Prominent advocates from Detroit will participate, including Rev. Faith Fowler,
director of Cass Community Social Services and Maureen Taylor, the state
chairperson of Michigan Welfare Rights Organization.
Experts from elsewhere in the country will also participate, including Kathleen
Johnson, director of Katrina Relief in Mississippi and Mike Rhodes, editor of
the Community Alliance newspaper in Fresno, California, arguably, the cruelest
city in America towards its homeless citizens.
The broadcast will originate from 12025 Woodrow Wilson St., a "green gym"
recently opened by Cass Community Social Services for the use of its homeless
clients. Detroit area radio stations participating in the broadcast will
include, WHFR in Dearborn, the broadcast's host station; WHPR in Highland Park
and CJAM in Windsor, Ontario.
The Homelessness Marathon is a consciousness-raising not a fund-raising
broadcast. There will be no on-air solicitations.
More information about the broadcast can be found at:
http://www.homelessnessmarathon.org.
Acclaim for the broadcast can be found at:
http://homelessnessmarathon.org/2008/2009/thank-yous-acclaim.html
To donate to the Homelessness Marathon go to:
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=8154