The heart of homelessness

Five formerly homeless people photograph the struggle of life on the street

NEW LIFE CHURCH Honolulu is putting a face on homelessness.

The church opens a photo exhibit called "God's Heart for the Homeless" on Friday during the First Friday art gallery shows in Chinatown. This month's offering features photos taken by five formerly homeless people and a professional photographer.

Artists to offer testimonies at First Friday exhibit The photo exhibit "God's Heart for the Homeless" will be displayed at New Life Church Honolulu, 1190 Nuuanu Ave. at Beretania Street, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday. The artists will give testimonies and volunteers will provide music. Light refreshments will also be served. Call the church at 531-0303 for more information.

"Art is the vehicle for communicating these stories about people and how their lives are transformed," said Francis Oda, senior pastor of New Life Church. "From our perspective, God has a heart and loves these people."

The church has exhibited cultural themes during past First Friday events, featuring Chinese and Japanese arts and an exhibit on surfing. A forthcoming show will feature Filipino art.

The "God's Heart" theme grew out of a suggestion by a formerly homeless church member because the church works closely with the River of Life Mission and the Salvation Army, helping the homeless around Oahu.

Disposable cameras were given to five formerly homeless people, who are members of the congregation or introduced by either River of Life or the Salvation Army.

None of the five people contributing photos are trained photographers.

Most of the photos are grainy black-and-white pictures, enlarged to 18 by 24 inches and mounted on cardboard, portraying the gritty condition of their lives on the street.

Short descriptions written on cardboard provide explanations of their struggles with homelessness.

"I started using crystal methamphetamine in 1992 in Las Vegas ... when I was 16 years old," said one description next to photos taken by a man named Mark, who completed a drug treatment program in 2005. "I was introduced to it by a friend in high school and was hooked my first time."

Jasper Thompson, another of the artists, spent 15 years on heroin before receiving help from the Salvation Army's drug rehabilitation program. He completed the program and now heads five retail operations and distribution centers for the agency.

Noel Kawaa, who was homeless for three years, photographed the homeless she works with at River of Life. "It's reality. Those are the people that walk into River of Life. I just took their pictures because they were there," she said.

Ten years ago, Kawaa lived in a car on the Big Island while working three jobs to make money to support her nieces and nephews. Now she lives in a room of the church that she barters for doing maintenance until she can afford her own apartment.

Ed Hope was one of Honolulu's hidden homeless, living in his office in 1987 as the owner of Physician's Laboratory Corp.

He credits friends for feeding him even though he owned a company. Eventually, Hope was able to sell his business to Diagnostic Laboratories Inc., where he is now vice president of marketing.

Being homeless marks you, said Hope, who is also on the board of River of Life.

"After that whole experience, I wanted to get involved serving other homeless people. It's a crippling feeling you get when you don't have a place to stay," he said.

About 40 portraits of homeless people of all ages and ethnicities at the River of Life Mission during the 1990s were provided by professional photographer Paul Spalding.

Many of the people have died since, said Spalding, who has never been homeless.

Spalding took the portraits to relate with his clients living "life on the edge" and used photography "to show the humanity of these people."

"Many people, they don't have an appreciation of how beautiful they are," he said. "Sometimes it takes somebody else to show them."