Cherry Willow Apparel

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...

      Currently, over 12,000 Community Housing and Homeless Shelters operate in the United States, according to this article  by Ibis World.  At the same time, the homeless population that these organizations exist to serve is at an all-time high of 653,104 people, according to HUD's annual point-in-time report. A lack of affordable housing plays a significant factor in causing this all time high. States and cities that have more expensive housing tend to have higher populations of people experiencing homelessness. Thiis commonal though as there are examples of cities that have done a good job getting people off the street twithmore expensive housing. In reading about how these cities have approached tackling the issue I noticed a common theme, collaboration.      In Topeka, Kansas housing coordinators and other local officials are bringing the community together to gather ideas from citizens, instead of relying exclusively on the local governme...

     I very much enjoy the peace and serenity I feel while biking. On my rides, I switch from listening to and absorbing nature to listening to music, audiobooks, or podcasts. Many people who are currently homeless use bikes as their primary form of transportation, and aside from my love of biking, I feel it is crucial to document and highlight what relying on a bicycle as your primary form of transportation looks like.  Before I plan the trip, I want to elaborate on the importance of going on a bike trip to raise awareness for homeless people. When a person is homeless, the primary mode of transportation they rely on is public transit. However, many cities and municipalities need reliable public transportation options. Once people who are homeless are on the street, this lack of transportation makes it even more difficult for them to find work due to the limited amount of places they can reasonably get to consistently. That leaves many people who are homeless to rel...

     People in  Evanston  who are homeless won't have any choice but to camp or try to get to a different part of the area where beds are available with Interfaith Action of Evanston's shelter program ending for the year. Many people may also turn to the public transit system to attempt to get some rest. When riding on the CTA buses and trains during college, I often encountered a homeless person sleeping. No one should be forced to sleep on a train or a bus as thousands of people use them daily. It is not safe, as some people harass and abuse homeless people, which is an awful site. I believe society's role is to support and empower individuals who cannot care for themselves. Yet our capitalistic society only values people if they can generate a profit for someone else. Many non-profits and church organizations are working to support people who are homeless, but it will require the entire community to get involved to solve the problem. We need to work with loca...

     Whenever I am looking for an article or a news story to write about for my weekly blog, there is always a supply out there. What I am always shocked by is the number of people who exclusively blame the people impacted by homelessness. This is the  article  I read this week, and there are many quotes from residents and business owners who claim to feel "empathy." Still, they are more concerned with how the homeless population is affecting them, their business, and their customers.     P eople experiencing homelessness are not the problem. The problem is we live in a society where stray dogs and cats receive more compassion and resources than people battling mental health or addiction.  The United States GDP is the largest in the world by  Ten Trillion dollars,  over 2nd highest nation's GDP (China), and is more than the 3rd-10th nations' GDP  combined.   With this wealth and resources, there is no reason why everyone living...

 Hostile Architecture is not a solution.      I was reading a News article from KTLA discussing how business owners were taking measures into their own hands by installing planters on the sidewalk to deter homeless encampments. LA has the 2nd highest amount of people impacted by homelessness in the US, with the most recent figures estimating over 75,000 people are homeless there. While I understand that having a bunch of tents set up in front of the business isn't ideal for the business owners or customers, installing planters isn't helping, nor is it a solution. Using hostile architecture to purposefully guide behavior is familiar to urban design. This style of architecture is designed to impact people who rely more heavily on public spaces, like people affected by homelessness. Think about any time you have been at a park and saw a bench with an armrest in the middle. Think of concrete ledges that are sloped or that have metal studs to prevent people from resting ...