Why I did this

I'm a teenager. I like a lot of normal teenager-y things: Harry Potter, superheroes, Gilmore Girls and being with my friends. Like a lot of my peers, I was born into a very privileged life. I have never known what it's like to not know where I'll be sleeping or to not have food to eat. So I wanted to do something to reach out to those who don't have the same privileges.

 

I wanted to shed some light on the needs, wants and experiences of Chicago's homeless. Now, I know that this has been done before. I thoroughly understand that, but, I tried my best to make it slightly more helpful and applicable to the everyday reality of most people's relationship with homeless people.

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I also didn't want to be the "voice of the homeless." I wanted them to get their message across themselves. I just sort of amplified it to a broader audience by recording a series of interviews one rainy Sunday afternoon on Michigan Avenue. This is purely to give visitors a glimpse of their world, and a way to see Chicago's homeless as people.