Orange County's Partnership to End Homelessness invites the public to participate in a "Community Read" of the book The Soloist by Steve Lopez. The event is the first in a series of community education activities that will explore the issues of homelessness.

The Soloist is the true story of the friendship between Steve Lopez, a Los Angeles reporter, and Nathaniel Ayers, a gifted musician and mentally ill homeless man. The book was made into a movie starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. that recently was released in DVD.

Community Read participants will read the book (or see the movie) and can post comments to our blog, www.ocpehdiscussions.blogspot.com. Books are available at Orange County, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro public libraries.

Discussion groups will be held around the county in September and will include mental health and homelessness professionals. We hope to have a diverse group of Community Read participants including people who have experienced homelessness. The discussion groups will be held in the following locations:

In addition to learning about the issues of homelessness and mental illness, the discussion groups will be an opportunity for the community to learn about how they can become involved in helping to end homelessness.

For more information about the Community Read, please contact Jamie Rohe, Orange County Homelessness Program Coordinator, jrohe@co.orange.nc.us. To learn more about the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness and the Community Read, go to our website: http://www.co.orange.nc.us/housing/endinghomelessness.asp.

Related Links

1. http://www.ocpehdiscussions.blogspot.com
2. http://www.co.orange.nc.us/library/cybrary
3. http://www.co.orange.nc.us/housing/endinghomelessness.asp