Home. Less.

By now, if you are not familiar with the name Ted Williams (not the baseball player who played for 21 years with the Boston Red Sox) then you have had little or no media exposure for the last week.

Discovered with a sign in his hand by Columbus, Ohio online web producer Doral Chenoweth, Williams stated he had “God-given voice.” Most people who would have seen this sign would have laughed it off as they drove past him---except Chenoweth. (He actually gave him a dollar and then came back a week later to learn more.)  

If you have seen the video he asks Williams to “say something with that golden radio voice.” The rest as they say is “his-story.” If you are completely burnt out on this story, click this link---if you can’t get enough, click this link. It really is an amazing story that demonstrates belief, curiosity and the world we live in on a number of different levels. (http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/01/07/ted-williams-doral-chenoweth/)

Most homeless people do not have golden radio voices---most have little or nothing more than what they can carry. It has to be terrifying, humiliating and degrading. But it doesn’t have to end with that.

Glen Ellyn is a bridge community; before writing today’s “Our Town” I had no idea what this was all about. 

Here is what I learned.

“Bridge Communities is a dynamic, grassroots, non-profit organization committed to transforming the lives of homeless families through partnering with talented, resourceful individuals and groups in our community. Our program of housing, mentoring and empowering families focuses on moving them towards a goal of self-sufficiency.”

More than just a mission statement, this group delivers. I went to their website and found success stories that were certainly not on the level of the Ted Williams experience---but equally as important.Ted Williams story demonstrates how viral marketing works in today’s Internet world; his is obviously not the norm. But whether the norm or not, I have learned something about those less fortunate than myself. 

Whether on a large platform like the Internet, or a much smaller one found in “Our Town,” we are all humans and are lucky when people stop and say, “May I help you?

If you know someone who needs help, or can help a complete stranger, why not? You probably will not end up on Good Morning America, but you will be able to feel good about waking up each day.

Thanks for stopping by.