About Portraits of Homelessness
Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry’s Men’s Shelter at 2100 Lakeside is the largest shelter in Ohio, serving over 4,500 men who are homeless each year. The Portraits of Homelessness collection has been showing throughout the Greater Cleveland area since 2010, including Cleveland’s City Hall. Full funding for the exhibit was provided by The Dominion Foundation and Community West Foundation.
According to Lydia Bailey, Volunteer Coordinator at the shelter and photographer of the collection, “When you see the expression on a person’s face; hear the inflection in a person’s voice; work with a person who is homeless and know their strengths, begin to know their challenges– you pick up on the individual. These are individuals with concerns and hopes like yours and mine. Through this show, I hope to convey their gifts and vital personalities as well as the confusing, fearful and damaging elements of homelessness.”
Michael Sering, Director of Housing & Shelter at Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry said, “In this show we can see a powerful microcosm of humanity and society- strength and frailty, brokenness and resilience, hope and sorrow, and indeed potential.”
For further information on Portraits of Homelessness, contact Lydia Bailey at 216.649.7723.
The Portraits of Homelessness collection features 45 photographs and stories of residents from the Men’s Shelter at 2100 Lakeside
Read some of their stories below
Willie Maddox
Willie died in August of 2009. A friend remembers: One night we both were at a meeting. He missed his ...
Willie Griggs
I wrote Black poetry in the 60s to the mid-70s. It was a flavor of the times–about opening your eyes ...
Tim Mruk
I was the oldest son of 10 kids. I heard a lot of abuse in my family. After my dad ...
Steve Golak
My name is Stew Golak, but I never go by that anymore, only “Tiger.” I’m 73 but don’t feel that ...
Raymel Johnson
I became homeless after a few wrong choices back on New Year’s Eve, 1999. I put all my belongings in ...
Ralph Pack Williams
There has been a strong upswing of people sliding through the cracks, becoming homeless. Thirty years ago there were tons ...
Marvin Harris
I was an issue, for years trouble at the shelter. You’d see me under the influence, raising hell, and good ...
Marco Henderson
Between living, volunteering, and now working at 2100, I understand these guys pretty well. There’s guys here who have done ...
Jeremy Moses
I’m 19, one of the youngest people here, and my 3rd time in a shelter. Before 2100 I was at ...
Hector Castro
I wanted to help at 2100. So this summer I oversaw the shelter’s vegetable and flower garden at 23rd and ...
Frank Goulding
The old one sat there drinking his coffee. It should have been a joyous day. He had his housing voucher- ...
Eric Asazawa
I was good with computers, but I didn’t have a degree. People asked me for help with computer problems everywhere ...
David Majka
I started out in a little town on the west coast of Scotland. We had a fairly big family, 7 ...
Benigno (Ben) Rivera
I was at the end of a vicious cycle when I arrived at 2100. For the last 25 years I ...
Barry Harris
Today I am happy for the simple things; fixing breakfast, clothing myself, seeing someone else smile, knowing God is in ...
Lynn Anderson
2100, a place so supposedly dismal, is where I had the opportunity to garden and do murals. I always lived ...
Willie Fischer
I’m alive. – Willie Fischer
Robert Moncrief
It’s lingered in the back of my mind: I served my country, protected people, and now, being a veteran, nobody ...
