Moving Forward Without Forgetting Those We’ve Lost

Hello dear friends, supporters, and advocates of the Homeless Empowerment Project!

My name is Mimi Bouchouar, and it is with great pleasure and joy that I introduce myself to you as the new Executive Director of the Homeless Empowerment Project, publisher of Spare Change News. I am ecstatic and grateful to be a part of this organization and look forward to my new adventure leading the Homeless Empowerment Project into its next chapter.

On Oct. 3, we lost one of our long time vendors, Fred Boykin, to his ongoing battle with cancer. Fred was a Spare Change vendor for over 20 years, and he shared his personal story with Spare Change News readers in a piece published last summer.

I remember each time he stopped by our offices to pick up newspapers, he was always full of positivity and in high spirits in spite of whatever he was going through. One of Fred’s favorite mantras that he would always share with me, James, and Samuel was, “Attitude and gratitude, don’t forget it.” He has personally touched me along with many others over the years. Fred will always be missed and have a special place at SCN and in our hearts.

We dedicate this year’s Fall/Winter appeal to Fred. His joy in selling Spare Change News to his customers and the relationships he built with them are at the heart of what our founders meant when they wrote our mission statement: “Building a Bridge between the haves and have not.” That was one of our primary goals when SCN was created 25 years ago, and in Fred’s memory we will continue to do that. We hope you will too.

Thank you.
Mimi Bouchouar

director@sparechangenews.net