The voices of the homeless community are oftentimes unheard — but it’s not their fault, it’s ours. The general public doesn’t listen to these stories, and consequently this community faces harsh stigmatization and judgment.

I got the chance to talk to some members of this community and highlight their voice in the first episode of the “We Care” podcast. The second episode focuses on people who have taken it upon themselves to help the houseless. The goal of this mini series is to change attitudes. Listen to them with an open mind and heart because it’s easy to judge, but it’s hard to care.

It’s easy to judge someone when you only see what’s on the surface. In this episode, you will hear from Mona Lisa, Jesse, Anthony and Kevin, who are all homeless. I met with them at community listening sessions held at Paz de Cristo in Mesa.

They share the challenges they face with their living conditions, housing barriers and overcoming judgment. You’ll learn about Mona Lisa’s choice to live in her car rather than a shelter, how Kevin found a community and what it’s like when someone sees you as “not human.”

Ordinary people from our community have taken it upon themselves to help the homeless. In this episode you will hear from Jon Linton, who is the founder of Let’s Be Better Humans. Linton’s LBH bus rolls through the streets of Phoenix and is packed with essentials for the homeless community.

You’ll also meet Austin Davis and learn about the AZ Hugs for the Houseless Sunday meal service. Davis also talks about the personal connections he has made with this community.

Lastly, you’ll hear from Carol Reed who is the empowerment manager at Paz de Cristo. This local nonprofit is dedicated to helping the homeless community, including the people you met in episode one. Reed discusses her love for her job and how she is always motivated to help people.