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! 

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.)

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

1993 - 2023

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

"Charlie's Law"

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

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 
    
  • A limited supply of "It's About the Children"  books by Pat Van Doren
    are still available. (Larger orders may be available. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
  • HEAR US Square site.

Recent 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.

Not Homeless Enough (8/21)

The agony of parents with no viable options in Madison and Dane County, WI (video 10 min)

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

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.

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 

Handmade blankets for homeless crafted with ‘love’
come to Capitol Hill

On a Mission to End Homelessness, and Spread Warmth

►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)