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Change starts with creating connection & compassion through hearing a story

Founded by Amanda & Mike Hedgepeth | OUTER BANKS, NORTH CAROLINA

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What does homeless look like?

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These two love birds 😍😍😍 Their interviews are so sweet. We did their interviews separately and SO many of their answers matched up hahaha! We just dropped off some things with them in their NEW APARTMENT (praise Jesus! God is so good! I am SO glad they’re out of the cold!) and I’ll share more on the blog soon! We just shot our last wedding of the year and I’m having surgery in a few days so thank you for your patience in hearing our new stories coming to the blog! 🗣🗣🗣 #homelesslookslike

What a JOY to have a new member on our team! Firefighter, photographer, mom, wife and overall badass @amandadawnseniors is going to help us spread the mission of @homelesslookslike and I couldn't be more thankful. She is a gem of a human who has always been someone I can talk to and hug so tightly and we are SO grateful for her!!! We're heading to Richmond together this week for a special project and we can't wait to share more!!!! :) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #homelesslookslike

Stevie, you COMPLETELY made my day on Saturday, November 17. Mike and I were heading into a Starbucks in Woodbridge, Virginia before going to shoot a wedding and there you were - smiling and joyfully greeting everyone who walked in. I said hi, I asked if you wanted some breakfast and you said you just had a sausage egg and cheese biscuit and said OOHHHH it was GOOD! LOL! I told you I would be back with the change from my $20 and instead when I came out, I gave you my $20 and Mike gave you a spare set of gloves he had from the car. You were more excited about the gloves and immediately started putting them on, then hesitated and asked "are you SURE it's okay if I have these?" and we said YES! Please! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We had a really good laugh when Stevie told us he was born September 4 and it was back to school time so growing up no one really cared about his birthday at school...LOL...because Mike and I are September 5 and 7 babies and we get it! He grew up in Old Town Alexandria and he told me he couldn't smile because he didn't have teeth and I said um, yes you can, so he did :) And then we hugged. We were on a time crunch to get to our wedding on time so I wasn't able to sit down with him but let me tell you, I would have sat right down on that sidewalk with him if I could have. You know what you guys? The CRAZIEST and most awesome part about this guy? He was *SO JOYFUL*. He has next to nothing but damn if he wasn't happy and so kind. Kind enough to laugh with me and tell me about him and even let me hug him and invade his personal space, LOL. He was so happy you guys. I know people in really big expensive houses who won't ever know joy like this guy has. It's all about your attitude. Stevie, I will never forget you! Mike and I left with tears in our eyes. I loved this guy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #homelesslookslike

He chose to remain anonymous but if I see him again, I'll remember him. "D" and I decided in Richmond on the day we met that we were officially friends because of our mutual love for marketing and entrepreneurship. A man who loves business as much as I do and studies it when he's able to access the internet. He has been homeless for three months and works catering & banquet jobs when he can but he was hungry this day and really wanted to get some dinner. I could have talked to him all day, he was so incredibly kind and his smile was perfect. He wasn't anxious talking to me at all - he wasn't worried about all of the cars going by that he could have been asking for money, he really just enjoying "talking business" and I am thinking of him the colder and colder it gets. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #homelesslookslike

Last month I sat and talked with these gems (Jessica & Dr. Sarah Scarbrough) from the Real Life Center in Richmond, Virginia...and then I cried. I cried because I think what they're doing is amazing - helping those who have been incarcerated and those suffering from addiction to get on their feet well and gain meaningful employment and avoid homelessness. SO MANY PEOPLE who have been incarcerated have already experienced homelessness and so many will experience it immediately after - and like homelessness, there is an immediate judgement and stigma attached to those who have been in jail before but trust me, YOU NEVER KNOW until you ask what led them there. Some people grew up with unimaginable circumstances and we are adamant at @homelesslookslike that hearing a story is the most important factor in creating connection and compassion versus jumping to conclusions and judgement. I wish my older brother who passed away from an overdose in 2015 would have been through a program like this and come out on the other side. I cried during our meeting because I wish I had known about them because of him instead but it's okay - I know he would be proud of the work I'm doing now. I look SO FORWARD to doing more work with them!!!! :) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #thereallifecenterrichmond #reallifecenterrichmond #thereallifecenter #homelesslookslike #yourstorymatters

This wasn't something I had originally planned on doing... but the first interview for @homelesslookslike is MY DAD. George or "G-dog" as he's known to my girls. One of the things I remember the most distinctly about my dad growing up was his work ethic. He was always up at 4 or 5 in the morning, starting his day and making sure all the things were done and we were taken care of. Someone who made good money, LOVED to work and who so many people love...did he ever think he'd end up homeless? This interview might surprise you. Find out on the blog at the link in profile and THANK YOU for joining this mission to change the conversation on what homeless looks like! 🗣 #homelesslookslike

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: This is me literally waiting to hug you and hear your story. Thank you for being BRAVE!

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