“Robertisms”: Mantras of Joy and Hope
As we stand in the wake of our country’s election stress, many Americans yearn for a glimmer of hope. Meanwhile, Greenville local Robert Shell goes about his days sharing the mantras he lives by with anyone willing to listen.
Robert’s friends have grown fond of his inspirational phrases such as, “It ain’t what you go through; it’s how you come out.” In fact, staff at the Greenville Homeless Alliance have set about the task of collecting these “Robertisms” and using their light as a way to educate, advocate, innovate, and collaborate with the city’s diverse community.
About Greenville Homeless Alliance
According to the 2019 Report on Homelessness in Greenville County, at least 3,633 people experienced homelessness in 2018-2019. Of those individuals in emergency shelter, 48% were minorities as compared to 18% in the census population and 1,106 of the total 3,633 were school-aged children.
Residents and visitors are largely able to remain detached from or unaware of these figures; however, the Greenville Homeless Alliance is hard at work trying to make an impact on one of our population’s most vulnerable subgroups.
Loosely formed in 2015 and formalized in May of 2018, the Greenville Homeless Alliance is a true coalition of over 75 community partnerships. The organization does not provide any direct programs or services; instead, it seeks to fill the gaps between people and the resources available to them. This helps the struggling parts get back to a place of sustainable stability through education, advocacy, collaboration, and innovative ideas. This approach aims to make homelessness brief and rare for the people of Greenville.
Greenville Homeless Alliance’s mission is always to strengthen partnerships and increase resources for people seeking a safe, affordable home. Small but mighty, its staff use office space in the United Ministries building on Pendleton Street in the West End Neighborhood, and channel all donations through the Community Foundation of Greenville as Greenville Homeless Alliance does not currently hold its own 501C3 status. This structure is called a “collective impact model” and allows startups to be effective with dedicated staff supporting the cross-sector partners who are working to do something no one organization can do alone.
The nonprofit diligently works to improve Greenville's bus system through advocacy for increased funding and help the city mindfully roll-out its new campaign to discourage panhandling downtown. To keep up-to-date on the group’s activity, follow its Facebook page and be on the lookout for the Instagram account launching later this month!
Unexpected Involvement
My participation with Greenville Homeless Alliance is relatively new. This past summer’s protests left me trying my best to be informed and involved in conversations surrounding racial tensions in America. I felt frustrated with many of the people in my life who refused to face their prejudices, but the more I dug into myself, I came to realize that I too carry implicit bias.
Driving down Wade Hampton Boulevard one afternoon, I began to feel convicted by the fact that I am irrationally intimidated by people experiencing homelessness. I live downtown and have often found myself nervously avoiding the men and women loitering on Main Street, but I never had much (if any) data or experience to validate my fears. Moreover, I felt that if I were going to spend so much time and energy pleading with others to reflect on and shift their perspectives of people with different life circumstances, I had to be willing to be honest with myself too.
I decided to reach out to Greenville Homeless Alliance, having seen a few of their social media posts, and ask if the organization had some way someone with my background could be of service. I’m a content creator with a background in marketing and education. I sent an email, attached my resume, and expected to hear nothing back and say, “Hey, I tried.”
However, not long afterwards, founder Susan McLarty responded asking if I would like to be part of 2020’s Homelessness and Hunger Awareness campaign. She also invited me to join her and a man named Robert in the parking lot of United Ministries. I brought my own chair and showed up with no idea what to expect.
Amazingly, my work experience, skills, and Greenville connections made my role as a volunteer seamless and obvious. Robert really took me by surprise as he talked to me about his past and his hopes for how his sayings might inspire others to find hope and better themselves. We and Susan planned how to pair our favorite “Robertisms” with local photography, and I left my first meeting with a long to-do list and an elated attitude.
A Day with Robert Shell
A week later, I spent an entire day with Robert guiding me through his Greenville. He walked two miles from his home and met me at Place of Hope, a facility that offers essential toiletries, lockers, showers, laundry, and other services to people experiencing homelessness. As he talked and I snapped pictures, we warmed up to each other, and by 3 o’clock, we were getting lunch at Grill Marks and chatting like old friends.
Robert’s story is one of restoration. After overcoming addiction, serving time for dealing cocaine, and sleeping outdoors, Robert reclaimed his life. He’s been clean for nearly a decade now and is about to celebrate nine years in his own house. Robert is also a regular at Buncombe Street United Methodist Church and beams when he talks about his relationships with the people there.
One would never know from talking to him that Robert has had such a difficult past or that he’s still dealing with the loss of his brother who died earlier this year from COVID-19. On the contrary, his upbeat demeanor radiates joy. As we strolled past downtown Greenville’s picturesque storefronts and restaurants, Robert pointed out places where things used to be: clubs, bars, a fish market, and the ice cream shop he fondly remembers frequenting near what’s now Smoke On the Water.
Several people recognized him and waved to us as I gained a fuller picture of our city, a place that, like Robert, has undergone massive renovations, to the point of being almost unrecognizable, especially to those who had not previously been familiar with it.
Pop-up Art Show at Open Art Studios
Snapshots taken on my day spent with Robert have been carefully matched with meaningful “Robertisms.” He played a part in every step of the selection process and helped pair each individual image with its motivational phrase.
The photos taken for this project contain recognizable elements of Greenville’s downtown, but they depict unexpected angles and details that challenge viewers to see beyond the shiny glow of tourism that heavily colors the city. Each location holds personal significance to Robert, and the works will be displayed in pre-owned frames to add depth to their “second chances” theme.
These artworks will be printed, courtesy of Lumenbright Art, and available on Tuesday, November 17th at Open Art Studios at 14 S. Main St. Greenville, SC 29601 from 5-8 PM.
Prints will be limited to a set number, but masks with Robert’s phrases will also be available at the event. RSVP via Facebook for updates, and be sure to bring something for the donation bin! We will be collecting essential items and non-perishable foods for United Ministries.
Robert, Susan, and I will all be present for the pop-up show, so stop by, sign our guest book, and say hello!
Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week
If you’re not able to make it out on the 17th, find out what other events you might be interested in by reviewing the full list activities Greenville Homeless Alliance and its partners have lined up for their campaign.
This effort follows a 2019 declaration from Mayor Knox White and Greenville County Council Chairman Butch Kirven that November 15th should mark the beginning of Hunger & Homelessness Awareness week. Proceeds will directly benefit homeless and cost-burdened members of our community, and a portion of all monetary donations collected during Open Art Studios’ pop-up show will go directly to Robert Shell whose ability to do yard work as a source of income has been negatively impacted by coronavirus restrictions.
Get Involved
Regardless of the way you choose to participate, everyone has something to offer in terms of joining the fight to make homelessness brief and rare in Greenville, SC. Let’s all work together to make our city a place that’s not characterized by the same anxiety we see reflected in this year’s election cycle; instead, we can make somewhere that’s known for being gracious and kind towards its most vulnerable groups.
To learn more specific information about homelessness in Greenville, check out Greenville Homeless Alliance’s 2019 report. As you take the time to educate yourself, I hope your experiences are as rich as mine have been and that you will learn to see the humanity in people who are different from you by developing new relationships with them.
Most of all, I hope you can experience the joy and hope that Robert does as he spreads positivity through his wise words, words like, “The same God that made me made you too.”
- Courtney Madeira