2005 Conference Offers Training and Inspiration
On October 10 and 11, 2005, Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless and Minnesota Youth Service Association hosted their annual conference: “Our future without homelessness: How do we get there? What role do we play?”
More than 370 people from across Minnesota gathered in Alexandria to lean how to utilize the tools that they will need to use in order to participate in creating a future in which systemic homelessness does not exist.
Lynn Thunder Horse Braveheart, founder of Ghost Dance Productions and formerly of Ain Dah Yung Center, a culturally specific emergency shelter and transitional living, kicked off this year’s event. She challenged attendees to do their part to help others recognize that many people in need face racial and economic discrimination. She added that we will not end homelessness unless we each do our part to end such discrimination.
Later that evening, Herb Bergson, Mayor of Duluth, delivered the keynote address. He spoke about the need to elect officials that follow through on what they promise. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever heard an elected official honestly talk about and admit that most people in positions of power aren’t really trying to help those most in need,” stated Mike, a conference attendee.
The Mayor continued by saying that it is really important to respect and listen to what your constituents’ needs are. In fact, Mayor Bergson regularly goes back to school, picking a different grade each time, to learn what his younger constituents think.
When asked what she thought about the Mayor’s speech, Liz Kuoppala, MCH Local Policy Director stated, “I really liked the Mayor’s speech. He really does practice what he preaches.”
Following Bergson’s address, the Coalition for the Homeless awarded the 2005 Bruce Vento Distinguished Service Award to St. Louis County Commissioner Steve O’Neil for nearly 30 years of work for social change, with a focus on homelessness and affordable housing issues.
“This isn’t just work for Steve; he embodies what he does. This is a way of living for him, of showing that people have a right to be treated with respect, and to have homes and be safe,” said Rachel Kincade, Executive Director of Life House, a teen drop-in shelter.
Attendees kicked off their Tuesday morning with a panel discussion with three people who had recently experienced homelessness. They shared their thoughts about being homeless and discussed what attendees could do to end homelessness.
When asked what it takes to get someone off the street, one panelist answered that instead of demanding that a homeless person leave behind their new homeless “family,” street outreach workers should accept them where they are.
In the panelist’s case, her outreach worker decided to enter her world. This allowed him to offer her badly needed services and resources, which eventually resulted in her securing permanent stable housing.
Workshops and institutes were wide-ranging, including topics such as HUD policies, homeless youth policy, homeless outreach, domestic violence in rural Minnesota, Native American housing, and using alternative media for homelessness organizing.
One conference attendee summed up their experience: “Inspiring conference–helps put focus back into what we do.”
