Every year, Mike Karl "goes homeless." He spends a week on the streets of Lansing to raise awareness for a cause he has a personal connection to. Even though he has been doing it for a few years, this last year, he says "It seemed to take off."
The community seemed really interested in what he was doing and he even had someone start messaging him everyday asking if he could come out and walk with him. Karl told him to come on out and he soon had company in the form of Jessep Magoon.
This collaboration was the beginning of the Homeless Angels; a community organization with the simple goal of raising awareness for homelessness.
There are around 4,500 who are homeless in Lansing, and sometimes the resources the city strives to provide just don't stretch far enough. Magoon says, "Due to shelters being overcrowded some are left to the streets with nothing, not even a blanket." Karl and Magoon want to do the things other places can't.
To put it simply, "People in need come to us, and we hook them up with resources," says Karl. Whether it's an attorney, supplies, or a place to stay for the night, "It's been our quest to make the system a little easier to navigate."
Magoon adds, "A lot of people don't need a caseworker, they just need a friend."
The Motivation
Karl knows from personal experience how hard it can be to navigate the system from his time being homeless. A priest from a local church approached him and told him he needed to change his life, "But he didn't know my story." It took more than a handout to make Karl want to take the steps he needed to take, "He took the time to build a relationship with me." It was that relationship combined with some tough love that made the difference. "That's when it hit me that I had to start making better choices."
Both Karl and Magoon also have a deep understanding of the myths and stigmas that surround homelessness. Many see those living on the streets as dead beats that take advantage of the system, but many, like Karl when he was homeless, have full time jobs.
One person that had that perception was Magoon. "I was under that black cloud, the stereotype of what homelessness was and who it involved." He says he had the "that bum needs to get a job" mentality. But after a mere 48 hours of walking with Karl, learning who they were as people and hearing their stories, he had a change of heart. Some are veterans that can't cope; others are single parents that have lost a spouse. He turned to Karl and said "Let's do this for more than one week a year."
Involving the community
Sometimes the people you see on the corners with the signs, or walking up and down the street in search of something aren't looking for money. Some have money in the form of state assistance but can't get an apartment because of marks on their record. Others need something as simple as a pair of shoes or diapers. Still others need to apply for assistance but have no idea where to begin. And sometimes, the places offering assistance cannot do enough because of legalities and red tape.
Karl and Magoon simply bring attention to the people that need help. Through social media they have been able to tell the stories of a family or individual that need assistance and within hours get them the resources they needed. Sometimes it's easier to throw money at a problem, but according to Karl, sometimes the best way to help is through "the little things that add up to big things."
One of the ways they raise awareness of their cause and give back at the same time is through their Street Team Walks. They spend a Sunday afternoon, along with volunteers, pushing a cart through the streets of Lansing, handing out sandwiches and other necessities. These walks help others see what they are doing and show the people that need the assistance that they are there to help. According to Magoon, "We provide people with hope," and hopefully, "leave people in a better emotional state of mind than when we found them."
They also conduct a "Free Street Store." An event usually organized on Facebook, they invite friends, family, vendors and volunteers to donate their time to help out the community. Through donations, the "store" can offer clothing, household items, food items, hygiene products and more to the people that need them most. "There are no requirements," says Magoon, "Just a simple need that we try to meet."
This community interaction is what sets their organization apart. "We have no red tape," says Karl, "When people donate, they (the community) can see exactly where their donations are going."
Building a Future
"If I had a million dollars," says Karl, "I would end homelessness in Lansing." While he doesn't have a million dollars, the Homeless Angels do have the support of the community and the goal of making real connections.
They are already seeing a difference in the lives of the people they help and a difference in the community. "Ninety percent of the people we help give back to others." They participate in the walks, shovel snow, or help in any way they can. "The community invested in them, so they give back."
The community has invested so much that so far the Angels haven't had to focus too much on funding. They hope to continue this momentum into the future and have big ideas for the city and beyond.
"We'd like to have a presence in all 50 states," says Karl. But for right now he says they need to "build a better service," because, "homelessness doesn't start at six o ' clock in the morning when the shelters open." They would like to fill this void by starting a hotel, or apartment buildings to fill the need for space. Or take advantage of space that's already available by putting people in the many abandoned homes in Lansing and Detroit. By putting people in these homes and teaching them to fix them up they are giving them a place to stay while teaching them a valuable skill.
While they may not have the resources to do this right now, what they are doing is definitely making a difference. "We had a guy," tells Karl, "That used to pull a knife on us every day, and now we have a video of him dancing." They've seen a teenager get out of the shelter, go back to school and attend prom, and they've provided new mothers with diapers.
"Not everyone is receptive," says Karl, "But all you need is a little time and a little seed. We plant that seed and it may take a while, but it starts to grow."
Jessep Magoon is no longer with Homeless Angels
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Allison Monroe is the innovation news editor for Capital Gains.
Photos ©
Dave Trumpie
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of
Trumpie Photography.