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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (June 26, 2015)
Page 10 • Street Roots • June 26-July 3, 2015 News Of image and art Seattle-based architect, photo-journalist and community activist Rex Hohlbein built his nonprofit, Facing Homelessness, on the back o f a Facebook page called Homeless in Seattle. The page shares true stories o f homelessness. BY AARON BURKHALTER CO N T R IB U TIN G W RITER ex Hohlbein built a nonprofit on the back of a simple Facebook page on homelessness called “Homeless in Seattle.” Hohlbein’s more than 16,000 followers see beautiful black-and-white portraits of homeless people or someone working around homelessness with a small story or an inspirational quote. Sometimes the posts include a request. On April 24, Homeless in Seattle posted that a friend of the organization, Joseph, had found work in Alaska and needed a good hiking backpack for his journey that would begin in June. Within a couple weeks, several people had dropped off backpacks. Social media has a reputation for distraction and noise, but on Homeless in Seattle, Hohlbein’s enthusiasm and emotion bleeds through every word. In response to the donations, Hohlbein shared his signature “wowWOW” response, with an all-caps emphasis fitting for the man’s bottomless well of energy. “You must already know this, but it bears repeating,” he wrote in response. “That all of you in the Homeless in Seattle community are changing lives through your unconditional LOVE, each time you touch someone struggling on the street you give HOPE.” Hohlbein started as an architect designing million-dollar buildings for wealthy clients. After forming several friendships with homeless people outside R See HOHLBEIN, page 11 P H O T O B Y R gA L C H A N G E g aow to go m aaoinag ftas a prof<mnd e ff | sHcoess at people aaw gattog the available systems, aad that*s hom e ea t a litt le h it b v ih e stetutaes th a t say the laager you are ia hemeiessaess, the aiore d iific a it i t is to e e l a o t ^ L . why it s c ritic a l that the ariaate someone slips tote homelessness to q u ic k ly g e tlh e m L a S x t x * “ “ * • « ■ * s x dx r . d.
