Street Sights Successes

We fight injustice, we mourn our losses, we beg for understanding, and every so often we get to pause and celebrate.

This month there is much to celebrate in the Street Sights community. This past month staff writer Pamala Therrien was accepted into the Rhode Island College School of Social Work for her masters degree. She is committed to using her first-hand experience to help others. After one year in the Crossroads Women’s Shelter, Pamala plans to move in to her own apartment. We are sure her grandson will love to visit her in her new home!

After six years living in the streets and shelters, staff member Don ‘Sarge’ Mather moved into his own apartment at Dexter Manor. There is nothing like seeing him walk into our office with a pair of keys in his hands and to hear him yelp with pride, joy, and relief.

Photojournalist Brian Young had his article about Tent City printed in East Side Monthly. We are grateful that Brian continues to volunteer countless hours to Street Sights. His talent is clearly respected in the larger field.

Dave Eisenberger will start working at the Veterans Administration. Dave looks forward to a range of employment options at the VA. We are sure that the VA community will greatly benefit from Dave’s passion and life experiences.

We are happy to announce that Fred Pece moved from the Urban League Shelter to transitional housing run by Oasis. We support Fred as he moves into a stable home environment.

Dan Meltzer, staff writer, jack of all trades, and Brown University student, completed his thesis, titled, “Dissemination of Information about Health Care to Homeless People in Providence and Surrounding Areas, and its Effects on Health Outcomes.” Danny points to the need for clear and transparent sharing of health resources information within the homeless community. Health care, along with needed and often-neglected dental care, is indeed a human right. We urge the service provider community to submit your health care services to Street Sights which we will happily publish.

Street Sights hopes that our successes this month are among a greater many success stories in our community.