The 3rd Annual New Face of Homelessness Symposium, presented by Project Flipmode and Bridge Communities and sponsored by the College of DuPage Human Service Department, takes place Wednesday, October 3, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at College of DuPage (SRC 2800); registration begins at 7:45 a.m. The free event will be of particular interest to those who find themselves responding to the needs of the homeless. CEUs are given at no charge for attendance at this event.
Author, filmmaker, blogger and activist Diane Nilan will be showing a film and will be discussing homelessness and children. In November 2005, having sold her house, car and most of her possessions, Nilan purchased an RV to set out on an extraordinary venture: to create a documentary featuring kids talking about their homelessness.
Six breakouts will be presented and facilitated by Peggy Radke of Family Shelter Service, Mark Milligan of Bridge Communities, Robert Adams of Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans, Beth Webb of DuPage PADS, Debbie Carr of 360 Youth Services, and Christy Hasselson of Youth Outlook.
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“If we could do one thing with the Symposium, it would be to create awareness on who the new homeless are: families, you, me, kids, seniors,” says Jill Markussen, creator of the New Face of Homelessness Symposium and Director of Project Flipmode, a non-profit organization that provides for families in dire need. “The biggest misconception is that people think the homeless are just like what they see in the movies; they don’t realize that the new faces of homelessness are suburban families with kids. If we could all be more aware of what’s going on in our society, that’s the first step. A lot of people don’t realize that it could happen to you and me. And when they realize that, that’s when people start taking action.”
To register for the Symposium, email info@projectflipmode.org or register in person at the event.
