WFHB broadcasts for Homeless Marathon

Sitting on a black leather couch in a cozy Bloomington home, 7-year-old Will Hanlon waited quietly for his cue to speak into the microphone.

As part of the Homelessness Marathon, an annual national broadcast to share the stories of people experiencing homelessness, Hanlon’s voice would broadcast to nearly 200 radio stations across the country.

Hanlon is not experiencing homelessness, but he has already taken steps to aid those who are.

He and his mother, Cosima, collected clothes, food, toilet paper and other essential items to give to homeless shelters in Bloomington.

“I don’t like to have people being homeless,” Hanlon said on the broadcast.

The hour-long program was sponsored by Bloomington’s community radio station, WFHB, live from the New Hope Family Shelter, a year-old homeless shelter specifically for parents experiencing homelessness with their children.

The house was transformed into a makeshift radio station with microphones, headphones, soundboards and computers spread around the living area.

WFHB News Director Alycin Bektesh led the broadcast and featured New Hope Director Elaine Guinn and Stepping Stones Independent Living Coach Stephanie McGee on the panel.

The group had technical difficulties that prevented it from taking calls and forced the broadcast to be cut short.

Still, their message was just as clearly communicated in 30 minutes.

“I think the key thing to realize is we are the answer,” Guinn said. “The community has to take action.”

WFHB was in charge of focusing on a specific thing for the Homelessness Marathon and chose New Hope because they wanted to highlight something unique, Bektesh said.

New Hope is the only organization that allows families the option of staying together in a shelter. Other shelters separate men from women and children.

New Hope also has a broader definition of family, including single parents and same-sex couples. Even couples who have been in a long-term relationships and have children qualify, Guinn said on the broadcast.

She described New Hope’s process and history of helping the homeless and shared her personal experience of living in a camper for six months as a child.

She urged people to remember that even if someone is addicted and living on the street, they have a family, and that family might have tried to help them.

Guinn said the families at New Hope build relationships and network with volunteers and with each other. The shelter’s focus is on keeping families together.

McGee discussed the issues of children who are experiencing homelessness and struggle in school as a result. She also talked about how the stress of homelessness can affect brain development in young children.

The show ended with Hanlon, who talked about his project to help the homeless and expressed his desire to one day open a restaurant called “Feed the Homeless.”

Though New Hope consists of only one house, a second one is being built, and the goal is to expand further, Guinn said. The current house proudly displays a colorful “I Spy” quilt by Holocaust survivor Ruth Rives.

Guinn said Rives makes sure every child who comes through New Hope has a birthday party.

The shelter has a kitchen, and the Campus Kitchens group gives guests cooking lessons.

Families are encouraged to eat together as it keeps their spirits up, Guinn said.

New Hope’s research found that Bloomington has the highest poverty rate in Indiana, Guinn said.

“We do not have affordable housing, and there just aren’t jobs here,” she said. “It’s impossible to keep up.”

Still, she exhibits New Hope’s facilities, from bedroom to compost heap, with pride.
“I love to show these things, so people can see what working together can do,” she said.

After the broadcast, Bektesh said she was glad for the opportunity to highlight what is going on in Bloomington.

“Hopefully, it helps people who haven’t taken that step between being aware and being active,” she said.