A handful of not-so-likely-to-succeed homeless people started a newspaper 20 years ago. They were staying at a homeless shelter in Harvard Square, and they had a dream. A big dream. It was a little crazy. They dreamed about rising above their plight, their misery, their station in life. Staying in homeless shelters, frankly, was a…
20th Anniversary Gala for Spare Change News – June 21, 2012
It’s hard to believe, but Spare Change News is all grown up. For the past 20 years, Spare Change News has been empowering persons experiencing homelessness and other forms of social and economic adversity to improve their lives through self-employment. Through the voices of its vendors and the content of its pages, Spare Change has…
Public Housing Commision Eyes Consensus Recomendations
By Colleen Quinn STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE BOSTON, JUNE 12, 2012….A commission created in the wake of the Chelsea Housing Authority scandal has completed its work, and come up with 37 specific recommendations, including one requiring all housing authorities to hire independent auditors to look over their financial statements. The Commission on Public Housing Sustainability…
The Need for Public Restrooms: One Plight of the Homeless
Samson Howard Special to Spare Change News Have you ever seen a sign that says, “Bathrooms for patrons only. Do not even ask!” If you are homeless you probably have. So what does one do? Relief is essential and public urination is a criminal offense. In this matter, dogs have more rights than human beings…
New Leader Appointed at Homeless Empowerment Project/Spare Change News
Adam Sennott Spare Change News The Homeless Empowerment Project (HEP)/Spare Change News recently announced the hiring of its new Executive Director. Vincent Flanagan, who previously served as Development Director for Legal Affairs for Give Us Your Poor, was hired to replace outgoing interim Executive Director Bob Woodbury on May 17. Flanagan stated that he and…
IN BUDGET, STATE EYES WAYS TO REDUCE HOTEL USE FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES
From State House News Service: By Colleen Quinn STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE BOSTON, STATE HOUSE, MAY 29, 2012…..When House and Senate lawmakers debated the annual budget this year, homelessness – and the question of what to do with the thousands of families living in motels and hotels across the state – took center stage for…
What the Walk for Hunger Accomplishes
Robert Sondak Spare Change News On May 6, 41,000 walkers participated in the 44th Walk for Hunger and helped to raise $3.6 million for a wide range of hunger relief organizations in Massachusetts. The executive director of Project Bread, Ellen Parker, addressed the crowd of walkers: “We’re all heartened that our economy is showing signs…
More Housing Hijinks
James Shearer Spare Change News Back in early March, local housing authorities in Massachusetts gathered with local lawmakers. The reason? Well, basically the greedy housing barons were crying in their overpriced beers that the Governor was being unfair to them just because one bad apple did indeed try to steal the show. You may remember…
Down and out in Harvard Square: Warm weather brings return of homeless ‘travelers’
Tom Benner Spare Change News Maxine Brandeis came to Harvard Square for the same reason Willie Sutton robbed banks — because that’s where the money is. “The police are more tolerant of panhandling here than in other places we’ve been,” said Brandeis, 21, who is spending a few weeks in the Square with her 25-year-old…
We Are All In The Dumps: Remembering Maurice Sendak’s Fiction on Homelessness
Noelle Swan Spare Change News Maurice Sendak was being driven through Los Angeles in the early 1990s. It was the kind of journey into darkness found in his children’s books, only more real and scarier. The nation was struggling to emerge from the recession that had followed a worldwide stock market crash in 1987. Big banks reported…