Thursday, November 17, 2011

Invisible Homeless Families Not Forgotten

To call attention to hidden homelessness, often plaguing women and kids, Diane Nilan will share her award-winning documentary on the edge, seven women revealing their journeys in and out of homelessness, at a public screening on Monday, December 5,  7 pm, at Rosary High School's McEnroe Auditorium.

Free-will donations will be accepted, divided between Mutual Ground and HEAR US. Download the PDF flier about this event to circulate.

Nilan, former shelter director at Hesed House, points to this year's 2000+ foreclosed upon homeowners and 950+ evicted households in Kane County.  Not all will become homeless, but some will, and it's likely they won't land at shelters in the county, just yet anyhow. "Vulnerable families typically spiral into homelessness, often accompanied by domestic violence," Nilan points out. They're often invisible, many in motels or doubled up with family or friends.

For the past six years, under the banner of her national nonprofit organization HEAR US Inc. Nilan has racked up over 130,000 miles of mostly backroads travel in her motorhome chronicling and calling attention to homelessness. She and Dr. Laura Vazquez, media professor at Northern Illinois University, have teamed up to film and produce documentaries on homeless families and youth. on the edge was recently featured at the Naperville Independent Film Festival and it won first prize at the Broadcasters Education Association festival.

Members of the Human Rights Club at Rosary approached Nilan about showing the hour-long video. She arranged her travel schedule to accommodate the opportunity. She'll address Rosary students Monday morning and will also be speaking to adult education classes at St. Timothy Lutheran church in Naperville Sunday morning, Dec. 4. She then leaves for a 3,000 mile cross-country tour, greatly aided by winning a $5000 CITGO gas card in a recent contest.

Rosary High School is located at 910 N. Edgelawn, Aurora. For more information contact the school at 630/896-8392 or HEAR US, 630/225-5012.

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