info@sagaesc.org 
708.320.8146 Sharing Our Stories
SAGA wishes to get closer to the people it serves, through the Art of Storytelling.
Storytelling, sharing personal experiences, and contributing to the larger cultural, history and landscape are what this pilot is about. We want to better understand how we all fit within the context of our time on this earth and the society we live in today. We want to recognize these connections to increase a sense of identity and awareness to the roles that these individuals play in shaping history and cultures in homeless communities, and how it impacts the world around us. While we gather these stories, we want the interviewees to think about where they might see themselves in a broader scope and not just in the existing cultural and social conditions they are currently living in.
To compliment SAGA’s Sharing on Wheels program, we are introducing our new storytelling project designed to help us collect stories of the people we serve. We refer to this project as, “Sharing Our Stories.” The Sharing Our Stories Project connects homeless and the poor & needy to resources that are essential and of immediate urgency.
To connect them to resources, we provide wristbands with SAGA’s 800 number and URL to each participant on interview day. These wristbands are provided as an extension of our resource services where we have 24/7 phone support to direct participants to critical information. With this project, SAGA becomes the conduit to give folks living in marginalized lodging situations the information they need to get immediate help in the following displaced categories: chronic, episodic, transitional, and hidden.
When these services are offered, we collect simple information that’s not too intrusive, such as: first & last name, phone and/or email. We also want to know their current state of condition and whether they need any resource immediately. If possible, we want to keep records of any known relative or family members they know of.
We help them set goals to move forward and from this we conduct case studies to follow their journey. These case studies are designed to learn if the goals set have been met or does further work need to be done.
SAGA will start a pilot program to test the waters beginning on the next Sharing on Wheels event scheduled for February 2022. We are in the process of connecting with new resources and affiliates to support both the Sharing on Wheels (SOW) events and story collection through the Sharing Our Stories Project.
We are asking for your support. We would like to team up with you and your organization to have a chat about how we can work together to service the homeless. Please let us know a good time when our Sharing Our Stories team can begin these conversations.
Help Us Help Others
If we can help just one person, we are delighted, and our efforts would not have been in vain.
