You are cordially invited to a unique experience that will
open your eyes, touch your heart and reveal part of our community that is often invisible.
In celebration of 10 years of
service,
The Catholic Action Center
introduces the
Street Voice Council Players
in the premier performances of their
original production:
Please Don’t Call Me Homeless...
I Don’t Call You Homed
Produced and Directed
by the Actors Guild of Lexington
Performances:
Friday August 20,
2010 7:30 pm
Saturday August 21,
2010 7:30 pm
Location: DOWNTOWN ARTS CENTER
141 East Main Street
Lexington, KY 40507
Tickets: Reservations Required
Call (859) 514-7210
Donations will be accepted at
performances.
Reception will follow each
performance.
Come understand their stories...
Hear their
journeys...
Join in their laughter....
Celebrate
their success.
Success made
possible....by people like YOU!
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The Street Voice Council (SVC) is an organization formed by the homeless for
communication and advocacy issues. Made up of individuals who are currently
experiencing or have previously experienced homelessness, the Street Voice
Council has been formed to give voice to a historically underrepresented segment
of the community. The Council seeks to create awareness about issues faced by
those experiencing homelessness in the Lexington community and to create
connections based on shared concerns, goals, and values with members of our
community who are currently homed.
“We felt that forming into an organization would help us communicate better
with the community,” said the newly elected co-chair Binta Baracka. She and Eric
Munday meet each month at the Central Library with approximately 60 other
members of the Street Voice Council at the Central Library to share news
relevant to the homeless community, including information about job
opportunities, health resources, and related services.
A leadership committee within the organization has also been named and the
eight members have been selected to represent areas in Lexington where
individuals experiencing homelessness congregate. This will include a SVC member
representing the different segments of the homeless population in Lexington
community.
Organizing support for the Street Voice Council came from the Catholic Action
Center, various faith based organizations, several social services
professionals, and community activists.
‘The SVC will provide a face and voice to this segment of our community.
It will provide a centralized
source and resource for these folks and our community who face inherent
communication challenges,” said Ginny Ramsey, Director for the Catholic Action
Center.
In the months leading up to today’s announcement the SVC has been involved in
several projects including being named as a Complete Count Committee (CCC) for
the United States Census Bureau and HUD. On January 28, 2010, over 150 homeless
individuals—members of the SVC—participated in a day-long count that resulted in
a 170% increase in the recorded homeless population for Lexington. The count
found over 2,000 individuals experiencing homelessness.
The SVC is also involved in providing facilitators for community
conversations centered on the book Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron
Hall and Denver Moore. Also planned for June 2010 is a community performance
based upon the experiences of those experiencing homelessness in Lexington. This
event is coordinated through the Bridges outreach program with Actor’s Guild of
Lexington.
SVC Blog at http://homelessvoice.wordpress.com.
