Charlie

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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

1993 - 2023

30h Anniversary of the birth 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.

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

Memorial Blanket Success!

The December 21 event to call attention to the millions of
children and adults who experience homelessness,
and the countless people who die on the streets
exceeded our wildest expectations!
HEAR US website Memorial Blanket coverage.
Also, see pictures, video, articles at MemorialBlanket.org

HEAR US board member Pat Van Doren
honored by Congress!

Pat was recognized for her 3 decades of advocacy work to help families and adults
experiencing homelessness.
See more of Pat's work.

(Left) Pat surrounded by HEAR US board members Maria Wilson, Barb Schneider, Diane Nilan, Rosie Robbs (missing Marilyn McGowan and Helen Jilek, OSB)
(Center) Proclamation entered into the Congressional Records by Congressman Bill Foster.
(Right) Congressman Bill Foster (IL, 11-D) congratulates Pat.
The November 12th event was held at Heritage Woods, Bolingbrook, IL,
and attended by family, friends, and neighbors.

Charlie Book Released on Kindle!

Charlie book cover
The ever-popular

Charlie Book: 60 Ways to Help Homeless Kids

is now available as a Kindle book!

$1.99

Click here for info and to order

New Films by HEAR US!
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)

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.

Check Out >> HEAR US Books

Visit the > HEAR US BOOKSHOP <

To purchase other HEAR US books, visit our E-STORE.

>>HEAR US books available through Amazon.

Not Homeless Enough (8/21)

The agony of parents with no viable options (video 10 min)

Dane County, Wisconsin, with the capital seat Madison,
has hundreds of families who have lost housing and have nowhere to go.
Four parents share their observations and experiences of being
"not homeless enough."
>VIDEO LINK
> Wisconsin State Journal story 8-8-21

family in parking lot

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

Dismazed and Driven -
My Look at Family Homelessness in America

Part memoir of Diane's 15 years
chronicling family homelessness,
part social justice narrative.

Perfect companion book forChanging the Paradigm of Homelessness!

>>BUY THE BOOK<<

>> 1-min. VIDEO PROMO

dismazed and driven book cover

Purchase from:	HEAR US Indie-friendly Bookshop* HEAR US gets share of proceeds of any book you buy on our Bookshop site. Paperback and E-book also available at Amazon* or any book vendor. Proceeds benefit HEAR US Inc. Charles Bruce Foundation - Publisher
Arrange your Dismazed-Driven book presentation! ContactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Take the 30-day HEAR US Compassion Challenge!

Videos match stories in Dismazed and Driven, Diane's new book!

A textbook that speaks the truth about

FAMILY HOMELESSNESS
and offers strategies to address this crisis.

For information and to order

>>>>>> HEAR US VIDEO MENU

Check out our vast collection of videos featuring families/youth experiencing homelessness!
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HEAR US has made statewide McKinney-Vento films for:

Texas, Kansas, Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, Hawaii, New Mexico

Filming also in:

Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois,
New York, California, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan,
New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Wisconsin

Memorial Blanket 2022

Photo (c) Diane Nilan 2022	The Memorial Blanketart display on 12/21/22 in front of the Reflecting Pool at the US Capitol. 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)

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