Mark Spiro, award-winning songwriter, producer, recording artist, and founder of Trash Prophets, joins host Robert Strock to discuss Spiro's work with the unsheltered. Trash Prophets is a mobile recycling organization that helps train the unsheltered in collecting recyclables for a profit. In Spiro's work with the homeless, he's learned that many factors come into play, keeping people homeless. If they make too much money, they can lose the few benefits they get. Taxes and other laws may take what wages or inheritance they may have at their disposal. It turns into a repeating cycle. Yet, the unsheltered are often people who've hit the bottom and developed humility and openness that accepts people in their darkest hours. They're not afraid of the bottom because they've already seen it.
Spiro discusses his findings that the majority of the unsheltered are ready and willing to work to improve their lives with great motivation. Many times all they need is an opportunity and an infrastructure to support them. Spiro's wish and goal is to use Trash Prophets to launch people into permanent programs that include permanent housing and job training as a gateway program. They provide the infrastructure, meeting the "prophets" where they are, whether it's a park or underpass to pick up the recycling and help them earn a wage. They work on connecting with people, seeing them for who they are, yet letting them make decisions about their own lives. It's all about providing the infrastructure that can give them a gateway to the next step in their journey.
View the transcription and listen to the episode at The Global Bridge Foundation
