Faces of Homelessness

Posted: Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Liz Moxley never was supposed to end up homeless.

Kelly Wegel
Kelly Wegel

The 48-year-old was a nurse for 25 years. She was the one helping other people, not someone who was looking for help.

Then her life flipped upside down. She found out last year she has Hepatitis C, a contagious disease that forced her out of her job.

"I have an active nursing license, and I'm homeless," she said. "The doctors didn't know how long I had Hepatitis C or how I got it. But it's incurable, and I can't practice with it."

She struggled to find another job and quickly ran out of money because she had to pay for her prescriptions out of pocket. Now she is staying at the Salvation Army along with Janice Thornton.

Thornton doesn't just want to work; she needs to work. Her time at the Salvation Army is up this week, and the 60-year-old doesn't quite know where to turn.

Both women - and countless other homeless Athenians - never thought they'd be where they are now. But as the Faces of Homelessness Speakers Bureau points out, their stories are becoming more and more common.

Thanks to the bureau, their stories also are being heard.

The majority of homeless people want to work or work part time, but they fell into bad circumstances - some of which were beyond their control. Many struggle with health issues, while others can't find living-wage jobs or affordable housing, said Lynne Griever, who started the bureau with her husband, Bubba.

Thornton and Moxley know all three factors well. They must compete with the college crowd for both service industry jobs and affordable housing.

"A lot of us would like to work and support ourselves," Thornton said. "But they're hard to find. I mean, I'm 60. I don't think I'm going to find anything permanent."

"Everybody needs housing, work and health care," Griever said. "We've got to look at what we have and the gaps we have and what needs to be done."

The Grievers are quick to point out there are several charities and groups in Athens that are here to help the homeless. Organizations like Athens Urban Ministries and the Athens Community Council on Aging - the council got Thornton a part-time job - also help.

Still, there is a lot more need out there, which the Faces of Homelessness Speakers Bureau talks about to different audiences. Speakers in the bureau now have a platform to explain their lives and the problems they face.

The first step, Griever said, is to show people that homelessness isn't some sort of disease. It's an experience that people from all walks of life go through.

"We want people to understand the nature of the problem and the people," she said. "A lot of people come away feeling totally different about the issue."

As speakers like Thornton and Moxley tell their stories, the audience starts looking at homelessness completely differently, Bubba Griever said. It goes from a numbers problem to a personal problem.

"I see a lot of reconnection to the humanity of the problem again," he said. "It's refreshing, because you see a lot of people as human beings again."

The speakers get something from the program, too, he added.

"Talking about it empowers people," Griever said. "They realize that they're valuable, and their story is worth being heard."

Thornton admits she isn't much of a talker, but she has found a little release from speaking.

"I'm not trying to make people feel sorry for me," she said. "I just tell my story - the truth."

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