Harrison is one of 350 members of a speakers’ bureau run by the National Coalition for the Homeless and recently profiled on the ‘All Things Considered’ program on NPR radio in the US.
According to Pam Fessler’s report, the National Coalition is an advocacy group that addresses religious groups, universities, government agencies, and even medical schools to help new doctors learn how to treat the homeless in emergency rooms.
“Harrison, now in his mid-fifties, says homelessness snuck up on him,” NPR reported. “He came from a good family and had a good job. But then came a series of unfortunate events, and some bad decisions, that set off his downward spiral…
“He lost his job in a merger. He didn't have a college degree, so he had trouble finding another job. Then, his house burned down. He didn't have insurance, so he lived in a shed behind a friend's house for awhile. Then he lived in his car, until that broke down. Suddenly, he found himself without a home.
"Seemed like all of a sudden, people walked by me like I wasn't even there," Harrison tells the group.
You can read and hear more about John’s story and the National Coalition for the Homeless here.
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