Rob Weigle is honored

Rob pictured with 3 fans

CONGRATULATIONS to Rob Weigle for winning Homeless Services Network's "Outstanding Personal Achievement" Award. Rob accepted the award last Saturday and led A Way Home's 3 mile walk to raise awareness about homelessness. We are so proud of you, Rob!

You can read his nomination below...........
In 2001, Rob found himself between a rock and a hard place: employers claimed he was too disabled to work, but the government claimed he was not disabled enough to receive a monthly SSI payment. Without an income, Rob was forced to move into a shelter in Boston, where he spent over a year. During this time, his disability claim was approved by the government and the income allowed him to move into permanent housing. While in the shelter, however, he made a promise to God that if there was a way he could himself without working, he would devote the rest of his life to helping individuals experiencing homelessness.

Rob has done just that. In Boston, after moving into housing, he went to work for SpeakUp!, a consumer advocacy group of current and formerly homeless individuals. When he moved to Charlotte in 2003, Rob quickly located the Homeless Helping Homeless group and became a committed member. Rob has had nearly perfect attendance at the group’s meetings since first joining. Rob has spoken before city council and county commission, registered individuals to vote, and even stepped in to serve as facilitator for the HHH group when their was an absence of leadership in the summer of 2006.

The group has deemed Rob the “ambassador of information” as he remains informed on federal and local issues through the media and attendance at HSN meetings and shares this information with the homeless community.

Rob is passionate about breaking down individuals’ stereotypes about homelessness and ensuring homeless individuals are respected in the public forum. For his tireless commitment to the homeless community, I nominate him for the Outstanding Personal Achievement Award.

Election Results

This election uncovered a skilled political commentator lurking in our midst: Elijah Kelly. Just a bit over 5 feet, Elijah makes up in build what he lacks in height. Though he has been with HHH since its inception, his landscaping job prevents him from attending meetings, except on a rare rainy Wednesday.

We were fortunate that last week was one of those rare days. Though in his 50s , Elijah claims no "senior moments." Indeed, Elijah's genius is his memory. As we mulled over the local election results, Elijah could cite with eerie precision every conversation HHH had with officials. "Parks Helms thought he had lost. Do you remember when he met with us and said.........And Ruth Samuelson won a seat in the state house. Could you believe when she wrote a letter to us......." Mention of Jim Puckett's loss brought a bit of his glee, as Elijah recalled a remark Puckett made regarding the Street Soccer team that offended him, while Jennifer Roberts' win invoked his smile, for her support and personal kindness to homeless individuals.

It was commentary you could not find anywhere else in town. Elijah gave us the election through the lens of homelessness - not based on what officials said about the issue, but rather about how they interacted with a particular homeless community (HHH). Thanks for holding us to a higher standard of public integrity, Elijah.

Mallard Creek Bar-B-Q

Last month, seven of us packed into a mini-van, fighting 5 o'clock traffic and my poor sense of direction, to attend the perennial Mallard Creek Bar-B-Q. Our goal was to shake the hands of some politicians and raise consciousness around homelessness.

We were an eclectic bunch. Rollon, with his serious stature, ensured we were prepared, buying breath mints on our journey and sharing them throughout the van. Marvin, who kept the gospel tunes rolling throughout the car trip, took it upon himself to keep an eye on Michael, who has the propensity to wander away from crowds. Once we arrived, Dianne, pared down her several layers of clothing to our HHH T-shirt over one sweater. She charmed every dog, baby and man in sight – even Ms. Tonja Damon, judicial candidate, whom Dianne told, “Your picture don’t do you justice,” when Ms. Damon handed over her political propaganda. Vincent, the scholar in the crew, went back for a second round of handshakes with politicians to ensure we covered the issues to the best of our abilities. Virgil made the good church folks hosting us smile with his happy seconds on the slaw and enjoyment of the festivities: “That must be what the state fair is like!” he blurted out on the ride home.

We met our goal of meeting politicians (though fewer than we had hoped), but also succeeded in much more. The generosity of Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church (who donate all proceeds from the Bar-B-Q to missions) spiraled outward and for a moment, we were living in the type of community for which we all long.

Introduction of HHH

HHH was born during voting season in 2002. The original intention was to ensure folks experiencing homelessness registered to vote and were in conversation with elected officials. Four years later, we continue to gather each Wednesday for lunch. Our mission is perhaps best articulated through our name - Homeless Helping Homeless. (We briefly considered a name change, because individuals are much more than their housing state, but the group decided the name was too descriptive to abandon it.)

We are currently and formerly homeless individuals (and a couple of housed ones) helping improve the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness. That includes the big picture - advocating for more supportive housing, more employment opportunities for ex-offenders, etc. and the small picture - how we can help each other reach our goals, like Rob finding a suitable job and Anna saving money. Our meetings are open to all. Sometimes they're fiesty and sometimes subdued, depending on who comes and what has happened in the last week. We start from where we are.

Our hope is to ensure the voices of those who gather for soup and sandwiches at 945 N. College St. are part of public dialogue. Sometimes folks forget, ourselves included, that we are all part of the community.

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