UNDERCOVER: What it is Like to Be Homeless Right Now in Rochester, MN

The Homeless Experiment To Expose The Hostility in Rochester, Minnesota

ONE WORD:  undercover.

With a hidden camera and me dressed up as someone who appeared to be homeless, I had a plan - sit in downtown Rochester, specifically in front of some of the businesses where it is known that people are rude to those experiencing homelessness.

MY GOAL: expose the reality of what it was like to be homeless in our community.  I wanted to see if people would yell at me, ask me to leave a public place, spit on me, call a shelter or the cops about me rather than help me, or throw their food at me - all things that I've been told are happening to human beings in our town that are experiencing homelessness.  I just wanted it to be on camera so I could show the rest of the world.

Then the pandemic hit and, well, our city shut down.

If hearing about the experiment above made you uncomfortable, I have to ask you...

...why?

Is Rochester, Minnesota a City That Shows Compassion and Care to All?

Here is what I know I would have found four years ago and four days ago:

Rochester, Minnesota might be home to the Mayo Clinic and world-class medical care, but this community has a huge, gaping hole of services it is providing.  People talk about it all the time - some with love and others with hate.

We are thriving in many ways but once you start pulling at some layers, you get to see the real truth of our community.  We are city with a very large hospital that cares for celebrities and world-famous leaders from all around the world but we are not a compassionate city for our own who are experiencing homelessness.

While you wait and see if I take my makeup off and go undercover, I challenge you to open up Facebook and just take in all of the hostile conversations people are having right now about those experiencing homelessness in our community.  I could screenshot those for you - they are on public pages - but I'll let you go find it on your own.  Once you find them, imagine that those individuals are speaking about YOU.

The past few months, I've had many conversations with people who are working day-to-day and volunteering with our homeless community.  I've stood next to and had conversations with those experiencing homelessness.  Unfortunately, there seems to be a trend.  Anger, hostility, and ignorance towards those experiencing homelessness is increasing in our community.

It is time for our city to quit walking around the issue and actually talk about this problem of hate, and you can take the first step.  Below is an opportunity to learn more about the families experiencing homelessness in our community.  Yes, people who have children are homeless in Rochester.

Learn WHO the people are that are homeless.  Learn WHY it happened to them.  HEAR their story and you will SEE them as people, not a nuisance.

To Those Who Are Showing Compassion in Rochester

We do have compassionate people.  You might be a business that donates food, an organization that volunteers, or someone that makes sure they stop to give money to someone asking for it on the corner.  There are lots of ways to show compassion.

Now, I know you probably don't want to rock the boat or draw attention to this but I'm going to say what the homeless community needs you to say...please be a louder voice for them.  Our city needs this from you right now.  They need you right now.  

Get An Inside Look at One of the Nonprofits Helping Families That Are Experiencing Homelessness in Rochester, Minnesota

"...the odds of experiencing homeless in the course of a year are about one in 200 for the general population though the odds vary by economic circumstances. For someone at or below the poverty line, the odds fall to one in 25." - housingfinance.com

Homelessness could happen to you.  It could happen to me.  For families that are facing that reality right now, one organization in Rochester has been stepping up to fill that gap and is giving you an opportunity to look inside their shelter specifically for families at Family Promise Day.

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Everything You Need To Know About Family Promise Day in Rochester, Minnesota

• WHAT: Family Promise Day
• WHEN: Wednesday, June 26th, 2024
• LOCATION: 913 1st Street NW, Rochester, MN, United States, Minnesota 55901 (Get Directions)
• WHAT: Please join us in celebrating Family Promise Day! Come to The NorthStar House for treats, games, and music. Keep an eye out for a post of in-kind donations that could be brought to the event!
• WHAT IS THE NORTH STAR HOUSE?  This is a shelter for families who have at least one minor child in their care.  Families can access this shelter for 30 to 90 days, receive case management services, as well as receive the resources to secure permanent housing.
• LEARN MORE: RSVP and learn more at the Facebook event here.

I was asked a few months ago if I had "passion" for our nonprofits.  The answer is "yes".  I actually help the nonprofits in our community have a louder voice with a program called Townsquare Cares.  If you are a nonprofit and you haven't had a conversation with me, send me a note at jessica.williams@townsquaremedia.com, I'll fill you in.