FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C. (Sept. 27, 2017) — A small print newspaper has rebuilt itself into a modern multimedia center in an effort to empower men and women experiencing homelessness, providing a blueprint for how diminutive nonprofits can use creative strategies to amplify their messages. Street Sense has formally rebranded as Street Sense Media, completing a multi-year transition the organization believes will bring the stories of those living without permanent housing to a wider audience.
The new name comes with a new logo, color scheme and website design, but the change goes deeper than aesthetics. Originally founded as a print-first publication sold on the streets of D.C. by people experiencing homelessness, the organization has in recent years expanded its programming by adding workshops in various creative mediums.
The homeless and formerly homeless members of Street Sense Media are now much more than newspaper vendors. They perform plays across the city, display photography at esteemed art galleries and shoot, direct and produce documentaries as members of the nation’s first homeless filmmakers cooperative.
“Our content aims to challenge perceptions of homelessness and those it affects,” said Brian Carome, Executive Director of Street Sense Media. “It also aims to create common ground upon which we can build a stronger community.”
While the organization still revolves around the concept of using in-person interactions to create that common ground, part of the media center’s evolution includes shifting the way it creates and delivers digital content. The use of web-first articles, social media and email campaigns serves to dramatically expand the number of people hearing the stories of those experiencing homeless.
On Oct. 11, the organization will also launch a cashless payment app that allows customers to use smartphones to make direct purchases from newspaper vendors—a groundbreaking development aimed at countering the decline in cash being carried by commuters.
For more information on how Street Sense Media is using a range of creative platforms to empower people in need, please contact Communications Manager Jeff Gray at [email protected] or 202-347-2006 (x16).
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