New Executive Director New Executive Director of of

The Chicago Coalition The Chicago Coalition for the Homelessfor the Homeless

CCHCCH

Established in 1980, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is a large social change organization that organizes programs and advocates preventing and ending homelessness.

CCH believes that housing is a human right in a just society.

With the help of community organizers, pro-bono attorneys and policy specialists, the CCH is on a mission to change public policies and address the lack of affordable housing in Chicago.

Why I chose CCH…Why I chose CCH…The CCH offers outreach programs which connect formally homeless people turned field advisors to those experiencing homelessness now.

I became familiar with CCH in 2008 while taking a junior-year social justice course at DePaul University. I was required to volunteer at CCH for a total of twenty five hours throughout the quarter to gain community service credit hours for the course.

During my time with CCH, I worked with a formally homeless woman turned CCH advisor named Miracle. Miracle let me film her personal story of how she overcame poverty and now is helping others who are less fortunate through CCH’s advocacy programs. (Unfortunately, my computer crashed in 2010 and I lost the video of Miracle’s story)

Another Important Inspiration…Another Important Inspiration…

The success of now the famous documentary The success of now the famous documentary KONY2012 KONY2012 (most (most watched video on YouTube of all time) watched video on YouTube of all time) showed me how a high showed me how a high glossed thirty minute social justice film has the power to evoke glossed thirty minute social justice film has the power to evoke emotion and curiosity in viewers. Athough the campaign fizzled emotion and curiosity in viewers. Athough the campaign fizzled out, the film was quite excellent to watch.out, the film was quite excellent to watch.

Strategy: Make my film a Strategy: Make my film a YouTube and social YouTube and social

media Hit!media Hit!Overnight success is not likely and my target audience are area college Overnight success is not likely and my target audience are area college students who can volunteer for CCH, politicians, and their constituentsstudents who can volunteer for CCH, politicians, and their constituents

Why are we targeting Why are we targeting Illinois politicians?Illinois politicians?

“Last summer, the General Assembly passed a FY 2012 state budget that slashed funding to homeless shelters and transitional housing by 52%, from $9.1 million to $4.4 million. Before the $4.7 million cutback, shelters across Illinois had to turn away people more than 45,000 times last year – it’s estimated the cutbacks mean 6,700 more people will be turned away this year”(Chicago Coalition for the Homeless).

The film would be a superhero/villain premise where Miracle and other field advisors are the “superheroes” and certain politicians who voted for slashing funding for homelessness programs are the “villains”. They will share their story while real facts concerning homelessness in IL are sprinkled in.

Specific Illinois politicians will be called out!

Film Title: Film Title: Chicago’s Invisible Chicago’s Invisible HeroesHeroes

Careful consideration will have to go into the process of combining the real life stories from the field advisors into this dramatic way of storytelling so that no one feels disrespected or that their struggles are being used for any other purpose than to inspire and help others.

YouTube=More Social MediasYouTube=More Social MediasThe film on YouTube will be spread by first The film on YouTube will be spread by first contacting Chicago area YouTube beauty “gurus” contacting Chicago area YouTube beauty “gurus” and asking them to mention the film in their and asking them to mention the film in their tutorials, (popular “gurus” get thousands to tutorials, (popular “gurus” get thousands to millions of views on their videos with millions of views on their videos with demographics in the range of women 18-34!) word demographics in the range of women 18-34!) word and posts of the film will likely spread to and posts of the film will likely spread to Facebook and Twitter and expand to larger Facebook and Twitter and expand to larger Chicago audiencesChicago audiences.. This was actually how I first This was actually how I first learned about Kony2012-while watching a makeup learned about Kony2012-while watching a makeup tutorial on YouTube, the young lady mentioned the film tutorial on YouTube, the young lady mentioned the film and caught my attention. and caught my attention.

Haha just making light of the situation!

Lastly…Lastly…

We need to create a sense of urgency and set a We need to create a sense of urgency and set a time limit! While working with the coalition, time limit! While working with the coalition, I learned that they target the period during the I learned that they target the period during the Illinois State Budget review. I want the film Illinois State Budget review. I want the film to stamp the deadline of the budget review to stamp the deadline of the budget review date and call on volunteers to urge area date and call on volunteers to urge area politicians bring the CCH’s programs up in politicians bring the CCH’s programs up in review meetings and to allocate funding for review meetings and to allocate funding for the homelessness prevention programs and the homelessness prevention programs and shelters. shelters.