Charlie

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Since 2005, support from people like you has made the invaluable work of HEAR US possible.
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Charlie's Compassion Challenge

HEAR US Inc. is issuing
Charlie’s Compassion Challenge!
Bring goodness into the lives of kids experiencing homelessness in your community by picking (at least) one deed from The Charlie Book: 60 Ways to Help Homeless Kids.

Perfect for individuals, service clubs, scouts, PTOs, faith communities, etc. Actions helps kids of all ages, infant to young adult--right here in your own community!

Charlie book cover Your good deed will benefit local efforts to help homeless kids. You can connect with local programs. If you don’t know who to connect with, this book describes how to find local services.

Get a copy of The Charlie Book:
HEAR US for $10 (+$6 s/h), www.hearus.us

Kindle $1.99
All proceeds from book sales benefit homeless kids.

Pick your challenge.
Contact the local shelter/program to verify this need.
Do it!
Deliver to the shelter/program. Ongoing, no deadline!
(HEAR US is planning Naperville area events in November. Sign up for our free monthly e-newsletterfor more information.)

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Did You Know?

Homelessness affects both adults and kids.

Thousands of kids of all ages are homeless in the Fox Valley, IL area. Millions (6M+) across the country.
Families/youth tend to beinvisible in their homelessness.
Kids can attendschool and have strong educational rights (law originated in the Fox Valley.)
Agencies/schools can’t meet all theneeds of these kids.
Given help, these kids cansucceed.

HEAR US and local agencies/schools want to raise awareness of this issue so immediate and long-term needs can be met.

Charlie’s Compassion Challengewill:

generate needed supplies to help local kids,
raise awareness of the plight and promise of local kids,
develop support for local efforts,
challenge officials to work harder for solutions.

Compassion cures Apathy, causing love to seep almost undetected, touching those who give and those who receive. This little boy,"Charlie," aka Charles, has brought about more good than anyone could ever know, even Charles(2008).

Charlie is a real kid from the Fox Valley.
He and his mom were homeless.
Naperville Sun photographer
Pat Van Dorentook this photo.

Pat's a HEAR US director, serving with a dedicated volunteer board overseeing her project, It’s About the Children.

HEAR US Inc.

Since 2005, HEAR US Inc.,
this Naperville-based national nonprofit
gives voice & visibility to families & youth
experiencing homelessness.

Founded by Diane Nilan (former director at PADS/Hesed House in Aurora), who lives in her van. She travels across backroads filming and producing award-winning videosfeaturing families and youth sharing what it’s like to be homeless and what school means. Check out the website!

www.hearus.us

DDN T2 TX

Charlie's Law--History

1994 - 2024

30h Anniversary of the passage of the Illinois Education of Homeless Children Act

"Charlie's Law"

Charlie, the little boy whose image launched the movement to improve homeless children's educational rights...

Pat Van Doren's poignant, memorable, photo adorned every piece of promotional material about the

ILLINOIS EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN ACT of 1994. We commemorate 1993 as the beginning of this campaign because it's when the family was turned away from their school, the act that began the legislative effort to change the Illinois state law. The law passed in 1994.

Read an excerptfrom Diane's book, Crossing the Line: Taking Steps to End Homelessness, about the improbable beginnings of this law, now represented in the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act of 2001 (updated 12/15).

Definition of "homeless" in this law.

ORDER DIANE'S BOOK, Crossing the Line: Taking Steps to End Homelessness that contains the story of Charlie and this law.

This book and Diane's other books are also available through Amazon and other book vendors.

HEAR US Projects

Besides the longstanding involvement of HEAR US in projects that raise awareness of family/youth homelessness, HEAR US has flexibility to pursue projects that would otherwise take a long time for other organizations to get off the ground. When a relevant issue arises, and circumstances allow, Diane can often pursue it, either by researching and bloggingabout it or visiting the location and filming.

Other endeavors include Memorial Blanket Project, and various local awareness-raising events, e.g. diaper drives.

Memorial Blanket Project	Diaper drive	Budgetel Inn in Chattanooga closed

Recent examples of HEAR US action include:

Hurricane Michael, Panama City, FL 2020	*Ride It Out* https://youtu.be/urzJR08pmVc
Family in motel during Covid, Raleigh, NC 2020	Capital Failure https://youtu.be/eIYgr4z92kw
Doubled up homelessness in Madison and Dane County, WI 2021	Not Homeless Enough https://youtu.be/ZkQBSsqEcGk
Humanitarian crisis caused by mass eviction in Chattanooga, TN 2022	Unexpected Upheaval https://youtu.be/KcQf59BeNPw

It's Everybody's Problem

So often you hear, "We don't have homelessness in our town." or "It's a big city problem." or "They could get a place if they wanted to." or "Kids aren't homeless."

More than 7 million invisible children and youthexperience homelessness across America, in every community.
They need your help. Thanks for your interest! Thanks for your support!

Donate

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What HEAR US does best...

Since 2005, HEAR US has worked hard to give voice & visibility
to families & youth experiencing homelessness.
Looking back, looking forward, our best work is our films.

No "talking heads." Just raw, honest stories from those who know
homelessness best--the families & youth
who experience life without a place to call home.
Ideal for school trainings, community awareness-raising, classroom lessons, and more...

Check out our list of films here. (Oh yeah, they're free!)

My Own Four Walls, all-time favorite,
our first film, still relevant today!(20 min)

Now live! www.3Melissas.org

OUR BOOK IS AVAILABLE!!!
HEAR US has a great new book on family homelessness!

National Launch, Raleigh, NC Sept. 17-19, '24
We've launched!!
Here's a great news story about the 3 Melissas!

Ms. Magazine article about the 3 Melissas!

The Three Melissas --
The Practical Guide to Surviving
Family Homelessness

The Film

Meet the 3 Melissas

5-min. video introduction 7/24

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The Book

1 3M THEcover copy Now Available (Sept. '24)
IngramSpark ($15)
Amazon ($15)

and any quality book vendor
BULK orders accepted
dianehearus @ gmail.com

(more info...)

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HEAR US books inform, inspire
Looking for quality books on homelessness--for adults & kids?
HEAR US offers a wide array, and our indie bookshop lets you shop
for books of your choice, get them shipped out fast, while supporting essential
indie bookstores.

- HEAR US Bookshop - https://bookshop.org/shop/diane_hear_us
- For the "other" source of books - Amazon
- HEAR US Square site.

Films by HEAR US!

Caring Schools Make the Difference - NC 1/24

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Family and youth homelessness comes in many forms. Schools are the constant island of security. These courageous moms and youth share their stories with hopes that viewers will learn more about the challenges of homelessness and the importance of school officials who help however possible.
This 15-min. film was filmed for
the North Carolina Homeless Education Program (NCHEP).

Homeless Liaisons Navigate Challenges
in North Carolina12/23

Every school district nationwide has homeless liaisons, the mostly-unsung champions for students experiencing homelessness. North Carolina has a well-trained cadre of liaisons serving students and their families. This 12-min. film takes you across the state to see and hear the liaisons in action.

Hidden in Plain Sight -
Families Experiencing Homelessness
in New Mexico(5/22)

Four mothers and a dad share their families' experiences of homelessness and describe how schools helped them survive.(16:15)
Dawn Mama Mayor small Dedicated to Dawn, who passed away July 8, 2023.

HEAR Them: Youth Without Homes in New Mexico (5/22)

Six New Mexico teens shared their experiences and insights about homelessness. Three teens are unaccompanied youth--without parents/guardians involved in their lives.
The other three are part of a family. (10:09)

Idaho Schools: Lifesaving Connection (1/22)
4 women share their families' struggles and accomplishments, pointing to the importance of school support (18:30)

Families Experiencing Housing Instability in Idaho
ID mothers share what school support meant to their families (6:50)

These women offer deep, heartfelt insights about the agonies of housing instability and the impact of support from their children's school communities.
Invaluable lessons for all audiences. Perfect McKinney-Vento training tools.

Not Homeless Enough (8/21)

The agony of parents with no viable options in Madison and Dane County, WI (video 10 min). This film illustrates the dilemma of those "not homeless enough" for HUD's definition of homelessness.

Capital Failure -

Family Homelessness Surging (3/21)

See and hear this family's struggles being stuck in motels during CoVid in Raleigh, NC. (12-min)

Jamie's astute descriptions of her family's hardships
resonate with many families in similar situations.
Her textbook lesson that needs widespread sharing.
> More about the film, resources...
> VIDEO LINK

Memorial Blanket

Memorial BlanketDecember 21, 2024 Philadelphia Independence Hall Make your blankets now!
Memorial Blanket U.S. Supreme Court, Grants Pass v Johnson, April 21, 2024, Washington, DC.

Memorial Blanket 2023, Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg, PA.
Photos (c) Diane Nilan
The Memorial Blanketart display on 12/21/22 in front of the Reflecting Pool at the US Capitol.
Photo (c) Diane Nilan 2022	1,179 handmade blankets from knitters, crocheters, and quilters across the country blanketed the Capitol lawn. They were made by strangers for strangers, a true work of love. The blankets are a stark reminder of people who live and die on the streets of the US every year. Following the one-day event, blankets were donated to people in need. The project was sponsored by the Charles Bruce Foundation.
Photo (c) Diane Nilan 2022	Quilts in the foreground were submitted by HEAR US. "These Little Piggies are Homeless" photos by Pat Van Doren are in the center of the quilts that were finished by volunteers in Illinois. Babies' and toddlers' footprints from 3 North Carolina programs serving young homeless children surround the Piggies images. The larger red, white and blue quilt has the iconic image of "Charlie" in the center. This represents the decades' long Illinois involvement in strenghtening educational rights for homeless students.
WATCH: Memorial Blanket photo collectionby Diane Nilan WATCH: End of the Memorial Blanket Day by Diane Nilan

Washington Post, 12/22/22 Handmade blankets for homeless crafted with ‘love’ come to Capitol Hill	The Progressive Magazine, 12/29/22 On a Mission to End Homelessness, and Spread Warmth
EARLIER COVERAGE of the HEAR US Memorial Blanket Activities: ►Watch this NCTV news segmentabout the unique blankets being made in Illinois! ► Diane worked with 3 North Carolina communities to create Piggies blankets for babies using Pat Van Doren's iconic "These Little Piggies are Homeless" image. Here's a 1-minute TV newsclipshowing this heartwarming process. ► Here are the news storiesabout the Memorial Blanket Project. ►Here's an adorable look at a "Piggies" event. (2-min)