This is amazing.
We hear so much about the disenfranchised, the people without a voice in our society. Now one homeless shelter near London, UK is doing something about it … in print.
“Providing a voice for people who have become homeless is the aim of a magazine produced by people at Arlington House, the homeless centre in the heart of Camden Town,” writes Dan Carrier in the Camden New Journal.
“The monthly publication, titled Emma, draws on the writing and art skills of people who use services at the centre,” Carrier continues.
The publication is clearly a labor of love and service. As volunteer Brian Baderman notes, “I have a background in publishing, and I thought it would be good to produce a magazine drawing on the stories and the creativity of the people who come to Arlington.”
Contributor John Watts, who has lived in Camden Town for more than 40 years, sums up his experience of being homeless, and the impact the magazine can make:
“You lose your home, your money and your friends and family,” Watts explains. “The point of the magazine is to give a voice to those who have experienced homelessness. The magazine is a tangible way to express what you have seen and gone through – and it is lovely to see your work in print. It is refreshing and therapeutic, and allows us to express our ideas.”
For now, the magazine is available locally at select outlets. Yet we somehow think this could grow into something much larger than anyone could have predicted.
A voice for the voiceless, in a society where the individual is so often overlooked or outshouted — this just might be the most heartwarming use of print we’ve seen in ages.