Homeless not Hopeless, Inc.

That voice extends to advocating for changes in a system that needs refinement. A voice that would be instrumental in changing the bias against the homeless. A voice that is involved in the debates. A voice of the homeless, not for the homeless. We are a strong voice, a hopeful voice, a healthy voice.

Our concept is simple. We have been there, we have seen the issues that homeless men and women face every day, we have experienced many of these issues ourselves.

We are now in a position to help facilitate changes that will take into consideration the homeless perspective. We are now in a position to put a new face on the homeless.

Mark comes from the mountains of West Virginia. Having set out on a mission to explore New England, he came to Cape Cod as a tourist. Whether it was bad luck or destiny, his car started having problems on the Mid-Cape highway. He managed to limp it to Hyannis, figuring that he could get work long enough to make enough money to fix his car and continue on his way. As luck would have it, work was not as plentiful as he hoped and he found himself on the streets. He was led to the NOAH shelter, where he met a wonderful man, Alan Burt, who invited him into the Overnights of Hospitality program. With the help and support he found in this program, Mark was able to get back on his feet. But instead of choosing to leave Cape Cod, he decided to stay and do what he could to help others who were experiencing the plight of homelessness.
Mark has many years experience in working with large corporations. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration and a A.S. in Computer Science.

Mary Ann started life in the plains of Iowa. Her life has been a series of homeless experiences, in large part due to mental illness and domestic violence. At one point, 10 years ago, she spent 6 months in the woods of Hyannis, struggling to survive as her fear of the shelter was so overwhelming that she could not stay there. Her last experience with homelessness was aided by her stay at Champ House. Carolyn and Paul Hebert, founders of Champ Homes, Inc. helped her a great deal. Through their love and support, she was able to get back on her feet, and begin with a fresh start in life.
Mary Ann has owned several businesses and holds a A.A. in Hospitality Management.

Billy was born and raised on Cape Cod. He was a commercial fisherman for most of his life. "Most people never get the chance to work at what they love. If I had never gotten paid, I still would have been a fisherman." Billy ended up on the streets and in the homeless camps due to alcoholism. The disease is one that is frequently found among the homeless on Cape Cod. Billy was able to obtain recovery through the Pilot House program. To date he is often found at the Pilot House, helping those who are struggling to overcome this addiction. If he isn't there, he can often be found at the Sunny Side Restaurant where he looks for those who have not been seen. He has truly become the eyes and ears for many service providers on Cape Cod.

Alan is a long time advocate for the homeless. When the Overnights of Hospitality program began 8 years ago at the Salvation Army, Alan took on the responsibilities of running the program. 8 years later, the program is still running strong. Alan was instrumental in the formation of Homeless not Hopeless, spending much time with Mark and Mary Ann discussing the best ways that the homeless could help themselves. Alan holds a LMSW degree and will utitlize this in his day to day interactions with the house managers and clients who are and will become a part of Homeless not Hopeless, Inc.

Besides having experienced homelessness herself, Dianne has been involved with the homeless community in several capacities over the years. She was employed with the Salvation Army as the head of the soup kitchen and volunteered at the Calvery Baptist Church evening meals. Currently she is focusing on our new project home, organizing food and meals. She has been given several awards for her volunteer work.

Jennifer first came to us on loan as a social work intern. She has a Bachelor's degree in Education and has spent a number of years teaching English and working with at risk youths. She became involved with working with the homeless in this capacity. She has since moved on to working in a transitional group home for homeless young men. She is currently working on her Masters in Social Work thru Boston University. She is a single mom of 3 boys.

Jennifer is a captain with the Eastham fire department. She spends much of her free time in the political arena, advocating for human rights. She can often be found gathering blankets for NOAH shelter, talking with state representatives, or working on political campaigns. If that wasn't enough, Jennifer is also a single mom of 4.

Terance is a labor lawyer in the Boston region. A partner in the law firm of Noonan and Noonan, Terance does an imense amount of advocacy work and sits on the Needham housing board. It is not uncommon to see Terance in the Barnstable District Courts, attending to Pro Bono Cases for homeless and poverty stricken individuals. As if his life wasn't busy enough, Terance spends most weekends taking his daughter to hockey practice and games across the region.

We have gathered together a group of people who have a variety of experiences and a diversity of backgrounds. In this way, we are able to give a wide range to the voices of the homeless. As we grow, so to will our board of directors grow. It is our hope that in time our voices will strengthen and we will be heard through-out the communities that we are involved in. It is our hope to give visibility to what has long been an invisible portion of all communities in which we are involved.