Tragic Beauty - Michael Larson and Humans for Housing

"When I sit down with someone and hear their life story —when we’re just hanging out and I’m getting to know them and getting to be with them, there’s this feeling of mutuality in getting to be together, of getting to melt down the walls between us. There’s something really beautiful about that,” says Michael Larson, the founder and visionary behind Humans for Housing. 

When Michael Larson was just two years old, his parents went to prison. He and his two siblings, found themselves on a journey that would inform the rest of his life. As they navigated their journey through various foster homes in the foster care system, they finally landed with a family that would eventually adopt them, and one that afforded them the stability, love and support they would need to succeed. Michael and his siblings were some of the lucky ones.

As a sociology major at Gonzaga, Michael learned about the stark reality of homelessness among youth aging out of foster care. This revelation ignited a passionate commitment to serve at a local homeless shelter and eventually to leading a student-group named Meals in the Margins. He directed “Humanizing Spokane”, a documentary that told the powerful stories of four unhoused individuals and helped to build empathy for those experiencing homelessness across the city. 

It is those experiences and others that led him to create Humans for Housing, a Portland based nonprofit organization that aims to tackle the critical issue of homelessness through powerful storytelling, education and community engagement. In this wide-reaching conversation, Michael’s journey to pay it forward has something to inspire all of us.

As you listen to this episode consider:

• Stories have the capacity to bring us together and teach us something new. Invite friends to watch a documentary about a topic that you know little about. Have a conversation about what you learn.
• Learn about the issues facing your community. Attend a city council meeting or a talk about affordable housing in your community. Sign up for a shift at the local food bank. 
• There are many local organizations that are already working to make sure everyone has safe place to call home. What is one way you can do to support their work in your community?

You can learn more about Humans for Housing here.

Learn about the film, No Place to Grow Old here.

Do you know someone who has a story to tell? Someone who is giving back to their community? Working to make our world a better place? Send an email to suzanne@suzannemaggio.com. Nominate them for a future episode of From Sparks to Light.

To learn more about Robert Maggio, the composer of "Where Love is Love," our theme music, please check out his website.

To learn more about Suzanne, visit her website.

To learn more about the inspiration for this podcast, please check out Suzanne's memoir, Estrellas - Moments of Illumination Along El Camino de Santiago

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