New campaign by The Present Movement breaks through stigmas about homelessness

Since the launch of its 'GiveMe5' programme, The Present Movement Foundation has helped 100 economically homeless people off the streets by providing shelter in hotels and guiding them to housing. In honour of this milestone and to break stigmas surrounding economically homeless people, the foundation today launches a campaign featuring 100 portraits of both (formerly) homeless and non-homeless people. The portraits, shot by top photographer Ruben Timman, can from now on be admired on the walls of Museum of Humanity in Zaandam and on various billboards in Amsterdam.

Economically homeless people have no drug addiction or psychiatric indications besides their housing problem and, partly for this reason, are often not registered as homeless. This makes them invisible to agencies and prevents them from accessing services available to other homeless people. With GiveMe5 foundation The Present Movement offers this group temporary shelter in hotels across the Netherlands. In collaboration with local social partners, including De Regenboog Groep in Amsterdam, 100 people were thus provided with safe shelter in two years and then moved on to housing. 

These 100 people were the inspiration for the campaign launched today, called 'homeless person'. It is a visual work of 100 intimate close-ups of (formerly) homeless people and non-homeless people with the caption: 'Some of them are homeless. Do you see who? Neither do we". With this, The Present Movement shines light on the invisibility and hidden reality of homelessness. Roos Meijer, GiveMe5 programme leader: "The stigma surrounding homeless people often deviates from reality. The group of economically homeless people is growing rapidly and yet we don't see them. As a result, we forget that really anyone can become homeless, through a succession of catastrophes such as divorce, illness, job loss or bankruptcy. With this campaign, we want to open eyes and show what, as far as we are concerned, it is always about: that we all and always continue to see each other as human beings." 

GiveMe5 is co-sponsored by Start Foundation, Kansfonds and The Present 100, a group of entrepreneurs who together as 'social shareholders' carry The Present Movement foundation. Utrecht-based design agency TODAY designed the expressions for this GiveMe5 campaign free of charge.

What does 'economically homeless' mean?*
 
- An economically homeless person has an acute housing need triggered by life-changing events such as unemployment, illness or divorce;
- An economically homeless person is (financially) self-sufficient;
- Severe psychological problems and addiction are not an issue.
 
*Source: NIS.

The 100 portraits were shot by renowned photographer Ruben Timman, creative director and founder of Museum of Humanity in Zaandam, and his team. Since 2004, he has photographed 8,000 people worldwide in the same way: straight ahead, with a neutral expression and in front of a black canvas. In doing so, he portrays people with dignity and equality - whether a rich businessman or an economically homeless person. Timman: "I want my pictures to speak for the people who have no other way to reach us with their story. That ties in perfectly with GiveMe5's thinking: you never know what's behind someone's face." 

Starting today, the portraits cover the walls of the Museum of Humanity in Zaandam and several wild billboards in Amsterdam.

Want to know more about economic homelessness, or how you can do something for homeless people in your city? Then go to www.giveme5.world.