Gary aka John Doe
Spare Change News
Coming to a realization, such as the fact that you're going to be homeless in a couple of weeks, one tends to start to scratch and claw in misguided desperation, for anything that will soften the blow.
For me, there was a therapeutic connection to writing, so I started a blog and began documenting what I was feeling and experiencing. Once it was up and in place, I figured I'd want to share it with the world.
Now when I was growing up, communication with the outside world, from home, was limited to handwritten letters, dialing a rotary phone, or a garbled conversation with your friend across the alley with two cans and a string.
However, these days we literally have access to the entire world at our fingertips. That is a lot of power that far too many take for granted. So once I wanted to share my experience, I immediately signed up as @bostonhomeless on Twitter, and oddly enough, within days, my life changed.
I began meeting people in similar situations, as well as people who were there to help people going through tough periods of their lives. Some help professionally, some just there to show you that they care and understand, as well as support you.
Suddenly the lonely dark world that I had created for myself over the past decade had become more open to outsiders. Little did I know that these connections would have profound impacts on my life.
Two days into homelessness my glasses had broken, and I was not only newly homeless and trying to navigate my way through the system, in a relatively new city, but I couldn't see two feet in front of my face. Then suddenly an amazing women, Fran Held of the Mitzvah Circle Foundation in Philly, who had been following my story on my blog, reached out to me to help.
Within Days she had arranged for me to pick up glasses here in Boston, and once again my life changed a bit more. Now I had not only felt a deeper connection to world outside of my “wall,” but I became fascinated by this idea of helping others.
Quickly I started making contacts with more people who used social media to reach out and make major impacts on other people's lives, and their own.
One person in particular, stood out in this new form of national outreach; Mark Horvath of http://invisiblepeople.tv/blog/
Mark, for an eight-year period of his life, was also homeless, yet not only had risen above the situation, but was utilizing the web and the streets in perfect unison, to make profound changes in peoples lives.
Just days before I was out in the street I remember reading of Mark's first night homeless. Him telling a story of being cold, scared, and finding a bench where he could feel safe enough to get even a small amount of rest.
I could feel my heart pounding, and my nerves heightened as the realization came to me that in roughly 48 hours, that was going to be me. However as I continued I learned about a guy who overcame some of life's toughest obstacles, and turned his experience into something bigger than himself, and now changes peoples lives.
I soon became friends with Mark, and as I sit in the soup kitchen writing this, am preparing for his arrival to Boston in a couple of days. Together we will be attending the Social Media Summit here in town, three days of workshops and speakers, geared to utilizing the most influential marketing tools of our generation. To think that only months ago I read his story, frightened of what was to become of me; I now have the greatest resources, contacts, and opportunities that someone in my position could have thanks to social media. It's how this very newspaper first stumbled on me and asked me to write for them.
As well as how I'm not just homeless, but I can reach out to others to assist me in bringing help directly to the streets for those in need, through one on one outreach, up to planning public events to benefit homeless, Human Service Agents, as well a social media experts, by getting together to help inform each other.
People like Mark Horvath, Fran of Mitzvah Circle, or Shay and Shane of Project 50/50, are amazing examples of the power that social networking can provide, and it's through them, and others like them, that have helped empower me to not only take my life back, but to dedicate it to helping others do the same.
All I can suggest to people, is when you feel absolutely alone and lost, feeling nobody else could understand your situation ... All you have to do is log into Twitter, Facebook, or others and find a million others feeling the same. We are no longer alone, the entire world is within reach.
GARY AKA JOHN DOE writes for Spare Change News and blogs at http://homelesslife.com/
Awesome article Gary I am
Awesome article Gary I am sorry for all the jerk comments on here Don't let them get to you. Keep doing what you are doing and ignore the haters ;)
Thank you for the post
It is a great post that reveals the upside of social media for the homeless or for anyone as far as that goes,I also value opinions of others and believe that any one has a right to their opinion weather it be in support or opposition to mine, while all previous post have tried to point out that It is a hijacking of your post Gary, I would like to point out the obvious It is a Post about homeless and the social media and it's effect on them I do not see any clear thinking of accusing a homeless man, of Hijacking a post about the homeless and social media in a homeless publication.it turned into once again a crying out of a perceived attack by a man who just does not like any opinion that differs from His and takes it personally if His work are in any way Questioned, And the first comment by Mr staffa was to the point of the post by you Gary again a wonderful post.
But that It Questioned the actions of the focus of homeless and the social media, by Mark horvath It is perceived as an attack and not a valid opinion well he and his actions were included in this post and anyone can have an opinion on it weather He likes it or not.
but, I digress anytime someone post about the homeless and social media you should from the outset expect the Homeless to have an opinion on it, and to think it is only reserved for people who are advocating for homeless social media and not the homeless is to live In a dream world and to think someones opinion of you is invalid is just plain stupid because the key is it is their opinion.
but know that every time a post comes up on the issue people will have opinions ,this is after all what we have tried to achieve is it not by claiming to give the homeless a voice How the hell are we then going to dictate the direction thereof.
Freedom of Speach
I may not like or support the direction this has taken, seeing as this paper is my ONLY source of income.
That being said, as a writer I support free speech ALWAYS, so I'm just staying out of it.
However I will say I just spent the better part of a week with Mark Horvath, and he was fantastic. Smart, respectful, caring, sincere, and very good at getting word across to both homeless and corporate America.
That being said, if nothing else let's all keep it civilized if no other reason than I don't go back to $0 income. Let's not forget, I AM HOMELESS TOO.
THANK YOU
Gary,
It was an honor to spend some time with you these last few days, and I am so very grateful you held a picnic for myself, @project5050, and our homeless friends. I felt it was a huge success and shows how amazing you are.
What first caught my attention about you was how you put others first. Almost daily you would tweet about how you were helping someone, and I am sure you did far more offline that we don't know about. Your heart is huge and it shines brightly everywhere you go.
Over last few months I've seen you come alive with possibilities of an incredible future. Interesting, your heart still wants to help others and I think that is amazing. Hosting you at the social media conference was a high light of this road trip. Not only did I see you get so much out of the conference, I saw other people literally changed simply because they sat at our lunch table and you had the courage to say "I am homeless". Over the years @padschicago, @lostawareness, and @careyfuller have joined me at conferences and I am so very honored you joined me. It was awesome to hear you speak for the first time and I am sure that won't be the last.
Social media, when used for good, can be very powerful. from helping a homeless family have a better holiday http://hardlynormal.com/blog/2009/12/19/magic-of-twitter-brings-miracle-... to activism that went all the way to the Governor of California's office (yes, Arnold) to allow National Guard armories to stay open during a storm http://hardlynormal.com/blog/2010/12/19/why-do-we-kick-homeless-people-o... social media can influence real positive change.
I often thank Twitter for not only saving my life but helping me to help other people.
Thanks so very much for all the love and support. It was truly a pleasure to spend time with you and it's an honor to call you friend.
Hugs,
-M
The Honor was mine
In just a week my knowledge has gone up ten fold, I've learned even more on how to help others, and I made a great friend... several actually.
So thank YOU
Response to Greg Staffa
Hi Greg,
You state I exploited you for We Are Visible, yet you wrote and edited that copy specifically for the site. We sent several emails back and forth, you were happy and excited about being included and even requested business cards to pass out. Everyone was treated with respect. When you asked to be removed I did so as soon as I could raise the money to have the work done. We Are Visible has never asked anyone for money. It is a site 100% to help homeless people learn social media. There is absolutely no way you or anyone else could have been exploited.
You always seem to leave out lots of facts. Two years ago you got in a fight with a homeless man in Twin Cities as I was driving there. I tried to help you by pointed out you're only hurting yourself by having the argument online. You took it as I was trying to help him, but I had no contact with him and was only trying to help you. You got upset and stopped following me on twitter and said you didn't want anything to do with me. Immediately I started to received emails from a woman named Anne. This woman was actually you sending me emails pretending to be a woman. You were, as a woman, insisting I give you another chance and interview you on IvisiblePeople.tv. It was very strange so I detached.
When your car battery died and you were tweeting how awful your situation was, and that you'd have to use the last bit of money you had on a battery, I sent you $100. There was no strings whatsoever, yet you try and spin it as a bribe. That is ridicules.
Because of your continued attacks, and because you tried to get me fired from the shelter where I work (where I help homeless families & my only income), and because you tried to get me fired from a speaking event, legal authorities suggested I send you a cease & desist letter. I will never intentionally hurt you or anyone, but I was forced to protect myself. The cease & desist letter is your fault not mine. It's in response to your actions over the last two years. Freedom of speech is a right, but posting defamatory statements is not only wrong it is illegal.
You keep mentioning the cease and desist letter, but you never include what it was you did to cause the letter. You need to take responsibility for your actions. You not only threatened the conference I just spoke at you tried to hijack the conference hash tag with your fake account and defamatory videos and photos. That's so very wrong and is cyberterrorism. http://www.dogwalkblog.com/the-i-could-do-it-better-syndrome.html/commen...
It is the foundation of InvisiblePeople.tv to respect everyone. Everyone gives permission to be on the site without exception, and at no time is anyone ever manipulated, coerced or forced. Also, at no time is anyone with sever mental illness or intoxicated ever asked to be on video. Not so much out of legal issues but because I respect everyone.
The videos on Invisiblepeople.tv are never edited. That means they cannot be spun for any other agenda except for what was originally intended. As far as I know, invisiblepeople.tv is the only homeless activism site that has these principles as a foundation. You've taken screen shots out of my twitter stream and made videos using them out of context. Your complaint is the InvisiblePeople.tv flickr group. That issue you'll have to take up with Yahoo as they are responsible for Flickr. But taking tweets out of context and making defamatory videos is a personal attack and not a way to engage in healthy discussion.
It's also our policy that if anyone ever wants their video removed it's removed without question. Brinna Karp's claims are false. The only truth is she did record an invisiblepeople.tv video. I offered to remove her video several times if she was uncomfortable with it. She wanted it to stay. She was after a book deal I guess. I have the exchange in emails with her. I also have proof that each one of her claims is false. I mean, anyone that knows me knows I have never tried to win anyone to Jesus. I actually thanked Brianna for putting that in the book as it shows how false it is. Not sure why Brianna included me, maybe she was hoping to start a controversy to sell books. Not sure. What I do know is Brianna and her publisher, if they are smart, probably will not have the part about me in any future printings. Also interesting, if you read her book, she lists her boyfriend as a credible reference against my character, but then goes on to slam his character for the remainder of the book. Sadly, many of us were hoping Brianna's book would be used to help fight homelessness. It has very little do to with homelessness at all. I feel for Brianna and what she went through in life, but defamatory statements are not only wrong they are illegal. By the way, you cannot believe everything you read. I hate to break it to you but Harry Potter is not real. You keep using Brianna's book as fact because it's in a book it's real. Her claims are just as false as yours, and just as illegal as yours.
Although you have continued an ongoing hate campaign for last few years to hurt me I will still use whatever resources I have to help you get out of homelessness. That's a very real fact. After I started to receive emails from you pretending to be a woman I didn't feel comfortable promoting your tours online. This whole conflict started because I was trying to help you from engaging in a online battle with another homeless man. It wasn't for the "cause" but for you. People see what we do. Future employers search google before they hire. I was trying to help you, but you took it as though I was on the other guy's side and have never let go of the hatred.
Greg,
if you took the time you spend every day grabbing screen grabs from my twitter feeds to make defamatory videos, the time you spend every day to send out attacks from fake accounts, the time you spend everyday trying to cause me harm and put that time to getting yourself out of homelessness you may even have a job and be out of homelessness by now. People see through your attacks http://www.dogwalkblog.com/the-i-could-do-it-better-syndrome.html (read the comments) and people have posted how stupid this all is http://www.povertyinsights.org/2011/09/07/how-trashing-each-other-solves... yet you still spend most of your time trying to cause me harm both online and off.
I have said this several times to you. I am sorry for whatever it is that I did to cause you to hate me so much. I ask you to please forgive me. This ongoing hatred you send my way in unhealthy and wrong. The person who is getting hurt the worse here is you.
Instead of spending your energy trying to hurt others why not use that energy to help others today?!! If you want support from people, you have to be somebody worthy of support. This smear campaign you continue to engage in is showing the world who you really are. Be kind to people and think positive today. That's what we need more of.
Mark, do you realize your
Mark, do you realize your response is basically a cut and paste from previous responses to Greg? You're running out of ways to defend yourself now, because you have no defense.
Look, I don't care what blog posts you link to. We know how much support you have; Jane doesn't know better and is looking through rose-colored glasses. You think we don't know why you keep urging detractors to "use that energy to help others today?" "Be kind to people and think positive today, etc."??? You hope that by doing this, our attention will be diverted. No such luck, Mark. We're not going away.
this is not the place for
this is not the place for hate Juana.
Thank you Gary / AKA John Doe!
@Gary: Nicely worded. Thank you for the insight. I congratulate you not only on providing a clear point of view, but for your courage and energy. I adore Fran, Shane and Shay -- I've learned much from them. Thank you for helping me connect!
@Greg Staffa comment: I know Mark well. I'm one of the homeless he's presented thru his journeys. I'm also one of the people who has listened to your point of view. Has the young woman you reference given you permission to make the accusation you are writing about Mark on her behalf? You can connect with me on Twitter @lostawareness, since I rarely have time to check a post like this more than once.
Thanks again Gary, your writing inspires me.
Good points RD aka Lost
Good points RD aka Lost Awareness. As Gary pointed out Social Media has allows us to watch things.
I do not need permission to defend someone especially a homeless woman in Brianna's case.
Just as you wouldn't watch a rape happen and wait to ask the woman her permission to defend her.
A homeless woman told Mark
DO NOT GIVE OUT MY NAME AND LOCATION for my own protection....... MARK did
Im not sure how you can spin or twist that. And watching that play out on social media should we just ignore it?
Too many attacks on the homeless have happened especially to women. It is no wonder Brianna would not want her name and location given out.
Shouldn't her wishes especially given the situation be respected RD? And if they are not, don't we have a moral and ethical obligation to say "hey, you crossed the line"
As I pointed out in my first comment, im not attacking Mark and I agree he has done some good. But doing good to people like you and Gary does not give him the right to go against his word.
You can't say "well Mark has done some good therefor any crossing the line is ok" and I know you are not saying that.
But RD we also can't pretend it did not happen.
Are you ok with a homeless woman being outed after she directly asked NOT TO because of fear of her own safety because Mark is trying to tell a story? I cant
If a woman says no, if security says don't take a picture. You don't do it. Thats not a attack that is a fact
Greg - my final reply on this site
I asked you to connect with me on Twitter. I do not see a tweet from you yet.
Taking a moment from my current project, I followed my intuition, I came back to re-read this and see if I missed anything.
Boy-howdy did I miss something. And if you choose to ignore my request for the second time and reply here, I'll miss your response again.
If you want to debate your perception with me, kindly have the respect to do so off the page rather than infringing on Gary's article. It is rude, inconsiderate in my view to hijack someone else's page/article.
I hear you feel upset. I listen. That doesn't mean I agree.
Listening and agreeing are two entirely different things.
So, I ask you again, if you wish to listen to your viewpoint, and discuss this, do so on Twitter or on my blog page, which you can access from my twitter profile.
Rd Plasschaert
@lostawareness
http://www.gregstaffa.com/Gre
http://www.gregstaffa.com/Greg_Staffa_Road_Trip.Com/Blog/Entries/2011/9/...
Greg Staffa - let's be honest!
Greg,
Let's be honest, you don't care about any of these other people you are "trying to defend". You search through all my social media and online assets looking for ANYTHING to use against me.
I have support from federal, state and local governments. I have the support of other countries. I have the support of thousands of homeless service organizations on several continents. I have the support of all the homeless activism organizations in the U.S., including legal organizations that fight for homeless rights. I have the support of thousands of people all over the world, many of them people currently experiencing homelessness
Our friend Gary, who is homeless, writes a great post to show his support and you crap all over it. That's not only wrong in many areas you hurt Gary's voice and what he is trying to say with your smear campaign of lies.
Go and read this post and the comments again http://www.dogwalkblog.com/the-i-could-do-it-better-syndrome.html
Greg, you are wrong trying to post here. You are trying to hurt me, yet you are hurting Gary's message. Let's be honest here, Greg. You don't care about other homeless people. You only care about yourself.
This ongoing smear campaign is wrong and it needs to stop. In your attempts to hurt me you just hurt yourself.
again - take all the energy you spend every day taking my tweets out of context to make defamatory videos to tweet out of fake accounts and use it to 1) help others 2) get yourself out of homelessness
Positive things happen to positive people. Try it!
Gary, aka John Doe makes some
Gary, aka John Doe makes some valid points. As someone who has been homeless since 2009 I too have seen the power of social media both good and bad.
More and more homeless have blogs and websites like Gary's http://HomelessLife.com or mine http://www.gregstaffa.com we have twitter and facebook. We are connected
The great thing about America is we all can have opinions. I will admit Mark Horvath has done some good to some homeless people. I've seen what he has done to help people like Gary and it is good work.
But the down side to social media boom is ethics and morals don't seem established or defined as well and In my opinion I have watched as some including Mark Horvath have crossed the line.
Take Brianna Karp. Mark wanted to do a video on her and her only terms was that he was not to give out her name or location. As a homeless woman I am sure many would agree the streets are even more dangerous. Mark agreed. She was shocked a few days later to see that Mark had included both her name and locations against her wishes.
To me, no means no. I assume Gary would agree that we can not put the cause before the people. The people have to come first I don't know why Mark would go against a homeless woman's wishes and post something she clearly said not to.
Another point Mark and I disagree on is taking photos of homeless people in the streets even if security is around saying not to. Maybe it creates a better story but to me human dignity comes first. Taking photos of people or sneaking shots of homeless to me is wrong. The same goes with videos of Mentally ill people or kids.
Social media does do good and I will admit Mark even does some good but its a very fine line between empower and exploit and I just wish Mark Horvath walked that line better.
The sad thing is Mark will view this as a attack and it really isnt. A few weeks ago when he tried to give me a much needed $100 I had to return it because I do not support Mark because I personally felt exploited by him. within 36 hours of returning the $100 Mark got layers involved trying to silence me after the $100 did not work. A homeless advocate claiming to give homeless a voice using lawyers to try to silence homeless that don't agree?
I appreciate Gary's post here and I am glad he has allowed BOTH sides to form a opinion and have this debate on here. I look forward to more articles written by Gary aka John Doe
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