One of the most continually engaging and intriguing Nashville-based blogs is THE HOMELESS GUY by Kevin Barbieux. The blog has received national attention, and is heavily “digged” and “stumbledupon.” According to Barvieux’s blog, he’s been in and out of homelessness for over 25 years and lived in “just about every homeless situation, in a car, in a rescue mission, in an alley, etc.
“But, I haven’t always been homeless,” he writes. “I served in the U.S. Navy, attended College (for a year), managed a convenience store, bought a house, was married and had a couple beautiful kids. I suffer from depression and social anxiety which prevents me from holding down a job for an extended period.”
I happened to be reading his blog this morning, when the listing for Friday night’s NOW episode showed up in my inbox. The subject? “In this holiday season, is there a solution to chronic homelessness? Next time on NOW.”
Not necessarily a coincidence, but interesting enough because a lot of folks post comments on Barvieux’s blog questioning what’s behind his chronic homelessness. Perhaps the episode offers some answers.
More about the episode:
What do homeless people most need to reenter the fabric of society? Some say the answer is right there in the question: homes. On December 21 at 9:30 pm (NPT’s broadcast time), NOW investigates a program that secures apartments for the long-term homeless, even if they haven’t kicked their bad habits. If you think that sounds crazy, think again. Advocates say this approach reduces costs, encourages self-help and counseling participation, and restores self-esteem. NOW follows a man nicknamed ‘Footie’ who invited us to see this idea in action.
The NOW website at www.pbs.org/now will provide additional coverage, including a web-exclusive video report about how some homeless earn a living on the street, and assumption-busting truths about America’s homeless population. Also, the Top 10 NOW reports of 2007.