The terror that comes with being poor, aging, disabled
By Jack Bragen on Fear is a constant burden for people living in poverty, but it can also be a helpful guide.
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Poor in public
By Martha Cast on In the introduction to her book, Poor in Public, Marta Cast explains her relationship to homelessness.
How I celebrate Pride in prison
By Lexie Handling on Despite being incarcerated, people in prison find a way to build community and celebrate Pride.
Why would anyone want to live on the street?
By Timothy Busby on Accepting one’s homelessness can yield a kind of psychological peace, Busby writes.
The real-world impact of Trump’s crackdown on government benefits
By Jack Bragen on Bragen received an unprecedented amount of mail from Social Security starting in the year 2020, forcing him to engage in a rigorous process of proving his disabilities were legitimate. This was the result of a policy change by the Trump administration.
The power of one’s voice as a nonviolent form of self-defense
By Jack Bragen on Your voice can be a useful tool of self-defense when a situation begins to escalate, Bragen writes.
Josh: Sailor, diver, ‘decent human being’
By Martha Cast on Josh, who is 47, maintains simple, attainable goals: to be happy, and to be a decent human being.
The lingering feeling of homelessness
By Andy Pope on Even after moving inside, one may never stop "feeling" homeless—as if they might be "found out" for their past at any moment.
Prison currency: noodles, fish, stamps
By Brian Hindson on In prison, many things are used as currency. Cost is dependent on an object’s value.
Poverty and hardship are obstacles to health and happiness
By Jack Bragen on Living in poverty leads to bad health and premature aging, Bragen writes.
My teacher lives on a bench
By Janny Castillo on "This beautiful elder is my teacher. In other parts of the world, she may be considered holy because of her ability to sit in the same place for so long"
Lockdown food: eating the same bag meal day after day
By Brian Hindson on Prison lockdowns have been a common response to the coronavirus pandemic. With incarcerated people locked in their cells for days on end, writer and illustrator Brian Hindson talks about the food that is served during lockdowns.