Cherry Willow Apparel

     It was a few minutes before 10pm on a fall Saturday night on the west side of Chicago. I just met up with a friend from Ohio for a drink at a fantastic Irish sports bar. I was walking back to my car, parked a few blocks away, to head to a friend's 33rd birthday party when I passed a man who was a bit unkempt on the street. He asked me if I could spare some change; unfortunately, I had no cash. He then asked for one of the alcoholic beverages I had just bought, and I told him, "I'm sorry, I'm on my way to a party." As soon as I walked past him, I felt terrible. I was in a hurry, a couple hours late for the party, but that was no reason not to give him time.      I got to my car and ventured in the direction he was walking. I saw him, found a spot, and hopped out of my car to talk to him. I introduced myself, and I asked his name. I do that every time I meet someone on the street. He told me his name was Shawn. I remember the spelling because my brothers...

     I read a great article by  Cynthia Griffith  a freelance writer dedicated to social justice and environmental issues. The article is linked  here  for your reference. In this article, Cynthia discusses the framing of the homeless problem when it is discussed by politicians. Her article cites a few specific examples, which I encourage you to read. In this post, I will discuss more societal misconceptions and how politicians and other government officials contribute to the disconnect.      Far too often, when discussing homelessness, political leaders seek to blame the people impacted rather than the actual problem, which is a lack of affordable housing.  Crime is a societal problem and occurs when there is a lack of opportunity and resources. Drug use is a mental health issue that has been around for many years but is more prevalent and visible in communities due to the housing crisis. By trying to associate homeless people with...

     Aggressive homeless encampment sweeps have begun in California following the Supreme Court ruling and Governor Newsom's executive order. You can read the article I am referring to  here . At 2:04 in the YouTube video linked here , the Mayor of San Francisco discusses her plan for the sweeps, which is quoted below.  "This is not just about cleaning and clearing because these are people and they gotta go somewhere but we are going to make them so uncomfortable on the streets of San Francisco that they have to take our offer. That really is the goal of what we are trying to accomplish"       If you are a fan of Game of Thrones you will recognize this quote from Jon Snow "everything before the word but is horseshit." I don't know if you have spent time on the streets of San Francisco, but I wouldn't use the word comfortable to describe them. It is evident to me that this approach, intentionally trying to make a vulnerable population of peopl...

     Governor Newson's executive order today, which more information can be found here , is going to have a severely negative impact on people experiencing homelessness. Living in a camp is already a stressful circumstance. Imagine getting a notice that you have 48 hours to pack up your belongings and go. Where are they supposed to go? Governor Newsom does not provide an answer. California only has around 71,000 transitional housing beds available, and there are currently over 180,000 people impacted by homelessness in the state. California has a higher population of people impacted by homelessness than any other state, with over 25% of the nation's total population affected by homelessness residing there.      This order does not acknowledge the primary driver of homelessness: a lack of affordable housing. With more institutional buyers purchasing single-family homes to rent out, this problem will only worsen. Before 2011, there were no examples of institu...

I have been involved in service work for most of my life. I currently volunteer at my local homeless shelter, Hesed House, and have been doing so regularly for over a year. Over that time, I have gotten to know many of the staff and guests. Mark Horvath, the creator of Invisible People, inspired me to document the stories of any of the guests at the shelter who would be willing to share with me. I recently conducted my first interview with a gentleman named Jeremy. I recorded the interview, and it will be released in podcast format soon! I picked Jeremy up from the shelter around nine, and we went to Society 57, a local event venue and coffee shop. We ordered drinks; I got my typical order of a hot chai latte (I always go hot, even in the summer). I struggled to set up the microphones and camera and eventually decided to scrap the camera and record the audio. We had an excellent conversation and talked for about an hour and a half. During our conversation, we saw many other guests ...

     I was involved in service work from a very young age. My parents believed wholeheartedly in giving back to people in our community. We would often volunteer for Church functions and would serve migrant workers who were traveling to our community. Although I did not fully understand as a kid, the sacrifice that the migrant workers make to support their families is incredibly admirable. When I originally founded Cherry Willow Apparel, I did not know exactly how I would contribute to the mission of ending homelessness. Still, I knew there was an ability to serve the people impacted. My experience in the business world made me confident in my ability to create value through apparel, as I have already done it successfully. Beyond that, I knew the mission was significant enough that I had to give it my all! Before I get into my career and what led me to start my own business, I want to give you a glimpse into my thinking and how I operate.        I...