Fall transforms to winter and we wonder how the days and months pass so quickly. We settle into the hustle and bustle of everyday life and often forget which path we chose to travel as time sends many twists and turns our way. When People Seeing People started, Gracie was a junior in college and Charlotte was a first year professor at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. We, Gracie and Charlotte, could not predict how our story would unfold.

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This week we bring you another unscripted podcast. We will discuss the multifaceted layers of displacement as is relates to homelessness. We often think of displacement when we refer to the physical displacement of humans, yet physical displacement carries multiple complexities. 

Our podcasts remain rooted in research, our experiences, and the stories others who work alongside the homeless community and those who experience homelessness share with us.

Please take time to listen to this month's podcast to understand a bit more about how displacement  affects those experiencing homelessness. 

​As rays of sunlight beamed down on our faces in early August, we joined Artemis in a conversation that offered a different perspective on homelessness. “My childhood was hell. That is the only way to describe it. I started my life with my biological parents. Then I was in the foster care system for some time, and ended up with my adopted parents. I have siblings that are both biological and adopted. I have lived all over. Apparently I was born in Iowa, but my first memories are in Utah. I have been in La Crosse for a while now.”

Homelessness combined with mental illness represents our topic for the week. We bring you this topic through our very first unscripted podcast. Our earlier podcasts remained scripted and felt somewhat rigid. As we continued to listen to other podcasts we noticed the conversational elements, and thought we would try talking to each other.

Similar to our previous podcast, we conducted research on our topic and thought through the flow of the podcast. We also discovered ways to fold in stories from our ongoing experiences working with those who identify as homeless. 

Please take time to listen to this month's podcast to understand a bit more about how mental illness plays a role in some people's lives who experience homelessness. 

The sun beamed across the sky on a warm midmorning at the end of August. We sat down at a damp metal table and a light humid breeze touched our faces. We conversed with our newfound friend, Shedrick. His deep brown eyes tell their own story and his kind smile welcomes us everytime we see him. He commenced his story by sharing about his childhood. “It was violent. I was born in the projects. I was always hearing gunshots. That’s how you survive. ​

We challenged students to consider a time when they felt hopeless. We asked them to reflect silently on a piece of paper. For some students, hopelessness resulted in their lego set breaking and not knowing how to find new parts. Other students shared they felt hopeless when they did not know if they would have food at home. ​