The Asheville Street Sentinel is the online news source and blog of the Asheville Homeless Network.
Mission
The Asheville Street Sentinel is dedicated to reporting news related to homelessness and life on the street in the Asheville area. It is also a point for Network members to find out news specific to the Network.
It intends to be a Sentinel, a Watchman, and Guardian of the rights and stories of those who live on the streets of Asheville.
If you would like an account to post comments or submit an article, e-mail your request to: ashevillehomeless@yahoo.com. Make the subject of the e-mail “blog account request”, and include your real name, your desired user name, whether you are a member of AHN, and what homeless related organization, if any (not required), you are affiliated with. Only AHN members will be allowed to write articles, but other people can post comments.
Articles in this blog do not reflect any official position of the Asheville Homeless Network, unless that is explicitly stated.
Asheville Homeless Network is the first, and, to date, the only membership organization for the homeless (and the formerly homeless and other allies) in the nation. We don’t do much officially except have a meeting every week (except holidays); but when we have had money, we have had a major impact on the homeless situation in Asheville. We currently have over 260 enrolled members. Like all nonprofit organizations, we are always in need of donations, but we don’t rely on them. Our organization is totally volunteer-based, and our by-laws state plainly that no Officer of the organization may receive payment for his/her work as an Officer. We may someday hire staff (right now we pay $100 per year to our webmaster, but he has donated that back to the Network most years) and could pay them. Our expenses are few (computer, website, PO Box, stamps, ink and paper). Please find it in your heart to donate. There is a PayPal button on the website, or you can mail it to us at PO Box 205, Asheville NC 28802.
I curious about this, because I have seen aggressive propaganda against the homeless here in Asheville and elsewhere, and a very good friend of mine who was formerly homeless has an eye on such things domestically and internationally.
Also, are the contributors homeless individuals or just sympathizers?
It would be wonderful if this was more a voice of the homeless and former homeless rather than a voice FOR the homeless.
Galahad,
“It would be wonderful if this was more a voice of the homeless and former homeless rather than a voice FOR the homeless.”
Absolutely, 100% YES, YES, YES.
Unfortunately, at this time, the blog articles are written primarily by sympathizers (ie. me). However, we are looking to drastically change that. The Asheville Street Sentinel, as written in our description, is run by the Asheville Homeless Network. Members know about the existence of the blog and its nature and are encouraged to submit material to be published.
My hope is that once the blog gets established in its character as a news source, that the Network will be able to devote time separate to our regular meetings (every Thursday, 2pm at Firestorm Cafe on Commerce St. in Downtown Asheville) to form a sub-committee from which journalistic assignments/beats can be given out and to which articles written by members will be submitted for editorial approval and subsequent publication.
We hope to always maintain the balance between the Sentinel being an open voice to the homeless population and journalistic integrity/integrity to the Sentinel’s mission.
Thanks for your interest. We hope that you’ll continue to follow us and add commentary to what we write.
David