Existing Speakers' Bureaus

Faces of Homelessness Speakers' Bureau

Speakers' Bureaus Nation-Wide

The following are other existing Speakers' Bureaus across the country. If you don’t see one in your area, we need your help to try and set one up.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Washington, D.C.

“Faces of Homelessness” Speakers’ Bureau is the most visible public education and organizing tool of the National Coalition for the Homeless. This Speakers’ Bureau officially began in 1996, but NCH had encouraged homeless people to speak to various organizations for a few years prior. The Faces Panel allows people who have experienced homelessness to feel the strength and power of helping others understand a highly misunderstood situation and the satisfaction of making a difference in their own lives and the lives of others. The goal of the Speakers’ Bureau is to break stereotypes, myths, and misconceptions people have about homelessness by putting a human ‘face’ to homelessness by hearing personal testimonials.
During the year 2008, the panel addressed 340 different groups around the country, speaking to over 20,000 people. There are 22 active speakers in the D.C. Speakers’ Bureau.
The National Coalition for the Homeless Speakers’ Bureau also travels across the country, recruiting people in the community we travel to, as well as bringing one or two speakers from our speakers’ bureau.

National Coalition for the Homeless
2201 P Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20037-1033
Phone: (202) 462-4822 x222
Fax: (202) 462-4823
Contact: Michael O’Neill
Email: moneill@nationalhomeless.org
Website: www.nationalhomeless.org

Washington, D.C.

The Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place (CCHFP) began their Speakers’ Bureau in 1992 with the help of the National Coalition for the Homeless. In 2007, they decided to develop a formal Friendship Place Speakers’ Bureau in order to increase community outreach. They actively work with congregations in the D.C. area as well as the local schools and whoever requested a speaker. The Speakers’ Bureau has a two-fold purpose: first, to help others understand homeless issues through real life stories from the formerly homeless and secondly, to help people learn about CCHFP and how they can make a difference.
CCHFP’s Speakers’ Bureau has about two engagements a month, but they are working on doubling that number. They have five speakers, three of whom also speak for NCH.

Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place
4713 Wisconsin Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20016
Phone: (202) 364-1419 x 23
Fax: (202) 364-8767
Contact: Bill Long
Email: blong@cchfp.org
Website: www.cchfp.org

COLORADO

Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs began a speakers group in January 2009 with the help of the National Coalition for the Homeless. The group started with six men and women who are, or have been, homeless in our city and want to share their experience with others. The Street Church is coordinating this effort to break stereotypes and inform the public on the causes and solutions needed to end homelessness in our community. Presentations are now being offered at churches, schools, with city leaders and support agencies in El Paso County.

The Street Church
P.O. Box 782
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Phone: (719) 494-9912
Website: www.TheStreetChurch.com
Contact: Robert Moran
Email: Robert@TheStreetChurch.com

Denver

Randle Loeb
Vice-president of Metropolitan Denver Homeless Initiative
RandleLoeb@gmail.com
1615 Ogden St.
Denver, Co. 80218
303-832-4929 [Office]
303 620 1999 [Message]

FLORIDA

Fort Myers

The Fort Myers Speakers Bureau began in 2006. The group works with a team of homeless and formerly homeless Individuals, who saw the need to bring awareness of hate crimes against the homeless. The speakers Bureau aids this purpose by making people aware that there is hate crimes being committed against the homeless in Fort Myers. The Fort Myers speakers Bureau has 7 or 8 speaking engagement a month with a diverse group of 3 men and 3 women, one with a young child. The group speaks at local churches and schools. One of the keys to success is the close relationship with many teachers in area schools, who regular arrange for the speakers Bureaus meeting for their students.

City of Fort Myers Community Development Dept.
1825 Hendry St; #101
Ft. Myers, FL 33901
Contact: John Wages
Phone: (239) 878.0270
Email: jwages@nationalhomeless.org

Gainesville

Gainesville’s Faces of GRACE Speakers’ Bureau began in the summer of 2008. It is progressing quickly, though, as AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteers focus on developing the program. The name “Faces of GRACE” coincides with “Project GRACE,” the city of Gainesville/Alachua County’s 10-year plan to end homelessness. Project GRACE calls for increased public awareness about issues related to homelessness.
Despite the newness of the program, Gainesville’s Faces of GRACE Speakers’ Bureau has eleven speakers, including five women.

Gainesville/Alachua County Office on Homelessness
703 NE 1st St.
Gainesville, FL 32601
Phone: (352) 372-2549
Fax: (352) 373-4097
Contact: Gail Monahan
Email: gail@ahca-fl.com

Key West

The Southernmost Homeless Assistance League (SHAL) in Monroe County, FL sponsored the introduction of the Key West Speakers’ Bureau in late 2007. The purpose of the Speakers’ Bureau is to educate the public on issues surrounding homelessness in Monroe County. The Key West Speakers’ Bureau has approximately two gigs a month, and they are working on increasing this number with the help of their six speakers, including three women.

SHAL and the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), in association with AmeriCorps*VISTA, is developing an online course designed to increase the learners' knowledge and awareness on the realities of homelessness in America. This five-module course addresses the social, political and personal issues associated with poverty and homelessness. A 'service-learning' model as employed to develop the course content, utilizing the talents of five VISTA summer volunteers. Through their work with SHAL member organizations and the clients they serve, the volunteers have gained first hand experience with the many different faces of homelessness. The course will be made available free of charge to individuals, high schools and institutions of higher education.
Video segments from the course can be viewd on YouTube.com:
Our Veterans
"I'm just down on my luck."
Domestice Violence
Addiction

Southernmost Homeless Assistance League
P.O. Box 2990
Key West, FL 33045
Phone: (305) 294-9105
Fax: (305) 294-9105
Contact: Wendy Coles, Director
Email: flshal@comcast.net

Miami

The Miami Coalition for the Homeless began a speakers group in May 2009. With the goal of reaching as wide an audience as possible, The Miami Speakers’ Bureau is working within the community to recruit homeless and formerly homeless individuals willing to share their stories of struggle and survival. The small but dedicated group of speakers has met with college and high school students, giving an honest and powerful presentation to portions of the population who were unaware of the trials faced by the homeless in America today.

Miami Coalition for the Homeless
3550 Biscayne Blvd. Suite 610
Miami, FL 33137
Phone: (305) 571-8101
Fax: (305) 571-8157
Contact: Emily Richburg
Email: Emily@miamihomeless.org
or Ronald "Preston" Montes
preston@miamicoalition.org

Orlando

Orlando has the newest Speakers’ Bureau, beginning late in 2008. The goal of Orlando’s program is to educate people about the causes of homelessness and the stereotypes and myths directed against homeless individuals. Orlando’s Speakers’ Bureau hopes to change attitudes towards homelessness through this education and empower those who participate in the program.
Orlando is averaging two speaking engagements a month, but they hope to greatly increase this number as the program develops. They believe they will have around ten speakers of differing ages, races, and genders.

Homeless Services Network of Central Florida
1940 Traylor Blvd; 2nd Floor
Orlando, FL 32804
Phone: (407) 893-0133 x114
Fax: (407) 893-5299
Contact: Jacqueline Dowd
Email: jdowd@nationalhomeless.org

Oviedo

The Speakers' Bureau for Seminole County was started in June, 2009. Our purpose is to rid the public of stereotypical thinking regarding the homeless, to educate them regarding hate crimes perpetrated against the homeless, and to promote involvement in homelessness issues. We currently have seven speakers and are averaging one engagement a week, but we believe this will increase as our bureau gets more established. We plan to give speaking engagements at civic groups, at-risk youth groups, church youth groups, public and private schools, and community colleges. We are looking forward to a productive and rewarding year.

The Hope Foundation
149 E. Broadway
Oviedo FL 32765
407-921-0354 / 407-496-5525
Contact: Hugo Esquival / Christine Tudhope
E-mail: Hesquival@nationalhomeless.org
ctudhope@nationalhomeless.org

Pensacola

Escambia Speakers Bureau:
In the developmental stages, the target is to raise awareness of homeless related issues, dispel myths and stereotypes, provide the public with actual statistics and facts, providing a chance at better community relations with the homeless.

EscaRosa Coalition on the Homeless
P.O. Box 17222
Pensacola, FL 32522
(850) 439.3009

Pinellas County

The Pinellas County Faces of Homelessness Speaker’s Bureau is a group of Homeless and formerly homeless individuals who speak to churches, schools and civic organizations, in an attempt to put a face on homelessness and to humanize the phenomenon. Our speakers try to create peerage with the audience, and level the playing field so empathy can take its course.
Our bureau is made up of displaced homemakers, veterans, people who have aged out of foster care and women trapped in the cycle of abuse.
It is hoped that through our efforts we would instill knowledge in one laboring under misconceptions and stereotypes and create a new era of cooperation and understanding.

Pinellas County Faces of Homelessness Speaker's Bureau
Contact: G.W. Rolle
Email: gw@pinellashomeless.org
Phone: (727) 424-1088

Tallahassee

The Tallahassee Speakers’ Bureau began in late 2007 and we were able to have our first speaking engagement soon after. Our host organization is The Shelter, which gives us an opportunity to interact with homeless people on a daily basis and determine which guests would make good speakers and strong representatives of their struggle. We currently have over a dozen active speakers, but we meet incredible new people every day with stories we are eager for them to share. We have presented with elementary, middle, high school and colleges as well as churches, synagogues and other groups.

The Shelter
P.O. Box 4062
Tallahassee, FL 32315-4062
Contact: Frankie Messier or Jacob Reiter
Email: theshelterthsb@embarqmail.com
Phone: (850) 222-0499

Tampa

The Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County launched their “Unexpected Faces, Unexpected Places” public awareness campaign in September of 2007. When an AmeriCorps*VISTA joined their staff in mid-2008 they were able to expand the campaign with the addition of the “Unexpected Faces, Unexpected Places” Speakers Bureau. The addition of the speakers’ bureau has allowed HCHC to work with more homeless and formerly homeless individuals to help educate the community about their experiences and needs. This has helped HCHC dispel the myths, stereotypes, and misconceptions about homeless people that often keep community members from stepping forward to help.

Since the launch of the campaign, HCHC staff and volunteers have had over 100 speaking engagements including brown bag displays panel discussions conducted by the UFUP Speakers’ Bureau. Currently 10 speakers are participating with the UFUP Speakers’ Bureau. Some of the speakers are single, some have families, all have a story that will break your heart and educate you at the same time.
You can learn more about HCHC and the “Unexpected Faces, Unexpected Places” campaign at:
www.unexpectedfaces.org and www.homelessofhc.org

Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County
PO Box 360181
Tampa, FL 33607-0181
Phone: (813) 223-6115
Fax: (813) 223-6178
Contact:
Margaret Djekovic
mdjekovic@gmail.com
Phone: (224) 545.2898
OR
Tracey Crocker
Email: traceycrocker@verizon.net
Phone: (813) 935.4038

Volusia/Flagler County

The Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau of Daytona Beach was established in May of 2009 in an effort to change many of the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding homelessness in the Volusia County area. The two Speakers’ Bureau Coordinators, Kara Bane and Caitlin Kilgallin, work with the Volusia/Flagler County Coalition for the Homeless which has been involved with the community and improving the lives of the local homeless population for 10 years. Kara and Caitlin have worked to recruit 14 speakers and are looking forward to future speaking engagements at public and private schools, religious congregations and various community groups. If you are interested in being a speaker or in booking a speaking engagement, you can reach the Speakers’ Bureau Coordinator at:

Phone: (386)258-1855
Fax: (386) 258-1854
Email: speakersbureau@vfcch.org
Mailing address:
Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau
Volusia/Flagler County Coalition for the Homeless
P.O. Box 6498
Daytona Beach, FL 32122

West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach's Speakers' Bureau began in the summer of 2008.
The name of the Speakers' Bureau is *The "Faces of Homelessness" Story Tellers*. There are currently 15 speakers. They have been able to have several engagements with different colleges and universities including Florida Atlantic University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Berry University and Northwood University. The Story Tellers have also spoken to church groups ranging in ages of 11 to 50 years old. Over the past five months the Story Tellers have spoken to a total number of 150 people.

The Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County, Inc. is now working with the public school system trying to get the homeless sensitivity curriculum into their classrooms as well as the Story Tellers. Some of the schools have been receptive to the homeless sensitivity projects in there classrooms and they have collected change (Every Penny Counts) and another group collected blankets for the cold days.

Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County
2100 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd
West Palm Beach, FL 33409
Phone: (561) 478-5351
Fax: (561) 478-5356
Contact: Rita Clark
Email: ritaclark@homeless.fdn.com

GEORGIA

Atlanta

Seth C. Clark
Legal Protection Program Director
Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless
477 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
http://www.homelesstaskforce.org/
(404)-230-5000 ext 123

Savannah

Union Mission, Inc.
120 Fahm Street
Savannah, GA 31401
Contact: Laura Webb
Email: lwebb@unionmission.org
Phone: (240) 577-5566
Or
Contact: David Acuff
Email: dacuff@unionmission.org
Phone: (912) 238-2777 x101

Other Speakers’ Bureau’s from GA VISTA’s—coming soon!

ILLINOIS

Chicago

After a short hiatus, Chicago reinstated their Speakers’ Bureau in 2007. A team of homeless and formerly homeless individuals saw the desperate need for a Chicago Speakers’ Bureau in conjunction with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless’ mission: to organize and advocate to prevent and to end homelessness based on the belief that housing is a human right. The Speakers’ Bureau aids this purpose by educating people about homelessness, helping the community understand that homelessness can affect anyone, and showing that there is hope for a future without homelessness.
The Chicago Speakers’ Bureau had 75 speaking engagements in 2007, with their diverse group of twelve speakers, including five men and seven women, one with children and one who is a youth.

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
1325 South Wabash Ave. #205
Chicago, IL 60605
Phone: (312) 435-4548 x239
Fax: (312) 435-0198
Contact: Hannah Willage, Speakers’ Bureau Organizer
Email: Hannah@chicagohomeless.org

MASSACHUSETTS

Cambridge

Spare Change News – Homeless Empowerment
1151 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Contact: Emily Johnson
Email: director@homelessempowerment.org
Phone: (612) 497-1596

Springfield

Arise for Social Justice
94 Rifle Street
Springfield, Massachusetts 01105-1632
Phone: (413) 734-4948
Fax: (413) 781-3712
Email: Arise @ riseup.net
Website: http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/arise/

MINNESOTA

Minneapolis

Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless
122 West Franklin Ave, Suite 306
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Contact: Mike Davey, Organizing Director
Phone: (612) 879-9437
Email: davey@mnhomelesscoalition.org

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Manchester

NH Under the Bridge Project is a group of formerly and currently homeless persons who work together to egage and empower ourselves and others to address the issues related to homelessness in New Hampshire. Our speakers panels began presenting our lives through "faces of the homeless" panels at the 2000 Cool Conference. We have spoken at every college in New Hampshire and even Harvard, Ma. If you are looking for speakers for your event for school, church or civic groups please contact us via email and also visit our blog at www.nhunderthebridge.blogspot.com

NH Under The Bridge
PO Box 331
Manchester NH 03105
(603) 624-8320
nhunderthebridge@gmail.com
www.nhunderthebridge.blogspot.com

NEW JERSEY

Lawrenceville

Connie Mercer, ED
HomeFront
1880 Princeton Ave.
Lawrenceville, NJ 086648
ConnieM@homefrontnj.org
609-989-9417

NEW YORK

Bronx

Picture the Homeless
2427 Morris Ave
Bronx, NY 10468-6577
Contact: Lynn Lewis
Phone: (646) 314-6423
Website: www.picturethehomeless.org

OHIO

Cincinnati

Cincinnati first began their Speakers’ Bureau program in 1996. In 2001, the program saw significant growth when the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) hired a full time education coordinator. In 2007, GCCH speaker’s bureau addressed 115 different groups reaching over 5,500 people. In 2008, the speaker’s bureau presented 127 times.
GCCH believes strongly in education as the method to end homelessness. This includes educating people about the erroneous myths and stereotypes about homelessness, its causes, and the people who experience it. Because these myths lead people to believe that homeless people are either beyond help or undeserving of help, GCCH uses the ‘Voice of the Homeless’ Speakers’ Bureau to eliminate these harmful myths and replace them with understanding and compassion.

Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless
117 E. 12th St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Contact: Education Coordinator
Phone: (513)-421-7803 ext. 11
Fax: (513) 421-7813
Contact: Lynne Ausman
Email: lynneausman@yahoo.com

OREGON

Portland

Street Roots’ Speakers’ Bureau
Street Roots
211 NW Davis Street
Portland, OR 97209
Contact: Israel Bayer
Email: Streetroots@hotmail.com
Phone: (503) 228-5657

PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Speakers’ Bureau (Oradores de la Calle) began in 2006 as part of La Fondita de Jesus’ Social Justice work group. The group works to “Humanizar la vision que se tiene de la personas sin hogar, eliminar los mitos, romper los estereotipos y falsas concepciones,” or, “Present the human face of the homeless person eliminate myths, and break stereotypes and false concepts.” This mission statement presents itself in a threefold mission: by proclaiming the rights of the homeless person, by sensitizing public opinion about the realities and injustices that impact homeless people when in relation with different groups, and by allowing the public to see a human face and history to those who are or have been homeless.
The Puerto Rico Speakers’ Bureau performs one to two speaking engagements a month with their seven speakers.

“Oradores de la Calle" (Speakers of the Street)
Caleta San Juan 55A
San Juan, PR 00901
Phone. (787)-722-7306
Contact: Glorin Ruiz Pastush
Email: glorinba@prtc.net

TENNESSEE

Nashville

Nashville Homeless Power Project
42 The Arcade
Nashville, TN 37219
Contact: John Zirker
Phone: (615) 733-0633
Email: info@homelesspower.org
Website: www.homelesspower.org

VERMONT

Burlington

The Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS)
PO Box 1616
Burlington, VT 05402
Phone: (802) 864-7402 x108
Website: www.cotsonline.org

WASHINGTON

Seattle

Speakers’ Bureau
Real Change News
2129 2nd Ave.
Seattle, WA 98121
Contact: Craig
Phone: (206) 441-3247 x214
Email: craigk@realchangenews.org

WYOMING

Cheyenne

Virginia Sellner
Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless
907 Logan Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82001-5247
307-634-8499
307-634-9089 fax
http://www.wch.vcn.com

If you know of one that is not listed on here,
please contact us and we will make sure we post that information here.

202.462.4822 ext. 222
moneill@nationalhomeless.org

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