Logan – summer 2022
For the recording of this interview, Logan and I sat in one of the last slivers of shade in a South Minneapolis parking lot, in the intense July heat of 2022. Around us, community members were packing up folding tables and sun canopies at the conclusion of another harm reduction pop up.
In this interview, Logan speaks to the importance of relationships and belonging, including the role that encampments play in keeping people safe and connected. He names being judged as one of the biggest obstacles he sees himself and other unhoused community members face. He asks that the greater community take a moment to get to know their unhoused neighbors before leaping to quick judgments. To hear more directly from Logan, please listen.
- Interviewed by Gracie
Baron – spring 2022
I met and interviewed Baron during a Pop-up event with SHRS in the spring of 2022. During his interview Baron discusses the need for individuals to have a place to stay, even if that is in an encampement. He shares is hope that the city will allow groups to continue to set up encampements, and more importantly discontinue violent evictions that displace individuals.
- Interviewed by Kor
Anonymous – spring 2022
This participant chose to remain anonymous for her interview. The content of her interview speaks to her personal reasons for this. Individuals, especially women, living unsheltered often fear for their safety on a continuous basis. She shares how she and her community attempt to keep each other safe by staying connected.
(Additional portions of this interview were cut to maintain participant anonymity)
- Interviews by Kor
Tamaje – summer 2022
Tamaje and I spoke at a Southside Harm Reduction pop up in late July 2022. Before we began recording, we dove into a conversation about how our citie’s prioritization of profit and expansion is leaving behind community members who are living day by day. When I finally remembered to begin recording, Tamaje wanted to focus on housing; which is often a first step toward stability and yet it’s one of the most difficult services to access in Minneapolis. In the interview Tamaje points to the rapid development happening in our city and how many people in our communities still do not have access to suitable living conditions.
- Interviewed by Gracie
John – spring 2022
I met John at one of SHRS’s Pop-up events in early spring 2022. Our Pop-ups are a great place to meet individuals who are currently using SHRS services and connect new participants to SHRS and other services. This interview was my first time speaking with John. The main points that kept coming up during our interview were the need for human connection and respect. John’s candor and comfortability talking with me during the interview showed me how much trust SHRS’s participants put in our staff and volunteers, even upon first meeting. This trust is one reason we at SHRS worked directly with program participants to create this audio project to share participant voices.
- Interviewed by Kor
Jenny – winter 2022
The day Jenny did her interview it was late March and there was still quite a bit of snow on the ground. We hung out on a sidewalk in folding chairs, chatting in the bright afternoon light. We sat slightly apart from a harm reduction focused pop up in a South Minneapolis neighborhood, where community members were gathering resources and checking in with service providers (these are the background voices heard in the recording).
In her interview, Jenny speaks to the importance of being with loved ones and how encampments are a place many people feel at home. She talks about the numerous ways in which encampments are the best available option for unhoused community members who must find ways to meet their needs beyond conventional support.
As an interviewer, I was honored to hold the mic for Jenny. This was the first time we met but I had heard of her because she’s someone who many seek for guidance and support.
It’s humbling to hear about the care and wisdom that exists in the many communities around our city. Thank you Jenny for sharing a bit about yours.
- Interviewed by Gracie
Pops – winter 2022
Sitting on the tailgate of a longtime SHRS volunteers truck, outside in the cold of winter, Pops shared openly and honestly about his experiences living unsheltered. Throughout the interview Pops reminds us that individuals that are unhoused are human and want to be seen as such.
As the interviewer, I was truly honored to share this space with Pops. He has been a long time SHRS participant and does so much for his community. I had talked with Pops countless times prior to the interview but this was the first time we really spoke in depth about his experiences. Pops wants this story shared and we at SHRS are humbled that our participants trust us to facilitate this.
- Interviewed by Kor