Pass the Mic
Profiles
Started in 2022, "Pass the Mic" features the voices and stories of people with a lived experience of homelessness. Each narrative is driven by what's important to the person who shared their insights and anecdotes. And storytellers are compensated for their time. (You'll also see stories from before we adopted the Pass the Mic approach.)
To know the people we serve and the people who make that care happen is to know Health Care for the Homeless. Our promise to you: Getting to know them will make your life just a little bit richer.
"At 66 years old I’m still looking for new ways to give back." Read this story from client and community builder, Woodrow McCoy.
Albert Miller is a Board of Directors member and was featured in our 2023 "We are a Mirror of Love" original documentary. He has used yoga, meditation, and "constant volunteerism" to process the anger that weighed him down for much of his life. "I am patient, creative and full of life."
"Yo soy de mi país." Oscar is a barber and family man, seen here in a jersey for the Honduras national football team. This story was translated from the original Spanish.
Women in crisis have a safe space and excellent care because of you. Your support makes sure women like Linda Mason get care when they need it most.
When you first meet Kara Demindes, you’re struck by her unshakable resolve. Born at just 24 weeks, Kara spent the first nine months of her life in the hospital, fighting to survive. “I held on,” she says. “And I’m still holding on today.”
Vanessa has the kind of smile that lights up a room. But those perfect teeth, and the joy behind them, once seemed out of reach.
“I never thought I’d be able to have teeth,” she said, fighting back tears. “I thought I would never smile again.”
We don’t know what the future holds for David.*
Before he could get his late-stage cancer treated, David’s oncologist told him that his mouth had to be cleared of all infection.
Kara Nelson signed up to volunteer as a way to get to know her Constellation coworkers better. But after helping nearly 200 people get warm coats and hearing their stories, Kara walked away with an entirely new understanding of homelessness.
I’m a proud two-year member of the Rock Your Socks 5K team, A Solid Case of the Runs.
All credit for the punny team name goes to my social work friend and team captain, Kim Riopelle—your Supportive Housing Coordinator at Health Care for the Homeless.
Kicking a bad habit doesn’t happen overnight. Many of us struggle with things like quitting smoking or cutting out junk food from our diets for years. But we keep taking baby steps—until finally, it sticks.
The same goes for substance use.