Art4The Homeless

About me:

Hi, my name is Johnna. I remember my tenth birthday. We were living in a condemned trailer and had no utilities except for water. It was cold and my mother broke the news to me. We were going to be homeless again. We left Georgia and drove west until we ran out of gas.

We ended up in Shreveport, LA, my hometown of my heart. My mother's family wanted nothing to do with us and my father still denies that I am his.

Being homeless has shaped much of my life. I was homeless after Katrina and Rita--though not directly because of the hurricanes. Kevin Costner and his crew for the movie The Guardian rented out my landlord's building and I was homeless again. I went to Atlanta and signed up for Job Corps. During the time I was in Job Corps, my mother was living on the streets.

Now, she is on disability and I am working. We are fine now just to let you know :)

During all this time, Art4TheHomeless was born. Art4TH was my artistic outlet while being homeless, and I researched it.

Art4TH is my dream to use my art to help others. Now it has transformed into not just helping others, but becoming an outlet for artists, musicians, and writers, who want to use their art to show support and create awareness.

THE AVERAGE AGE OF A HOMELESS AMERICAN IS NINE 9 YEARS OLD.

Art4TH started as a blog--one of thos paid things that I am using to raise money for US homeless shelters. The original blog was called Colors of Ink but has been changed to Art4TheHomeless.

http://art4thehomeless.nutang.com

After that came the ArtTheHomeless Gallery which at first sold only my own art, but now sells art by other artists around the world who donate their art--or rather jpegs of their works. The link is in my own name because the name Art4TheHomeless wasn't thought of at the time.

http://www.zazzle.com/johnnacrider
.. Art4TH Zine is an online bi-monthly magazine that unites the arts to promote homeless awareness. The main page is a feature shelter. Then we have visual arts, musicians and bands, and literary arts. On the whole site, the music from the feature musician is played.

http://art4thehomelesszine.tripod.com

The Homeless Network is a website created by Art4TH that has vital info on your basic Constitutional rights, online homeless shelter directories by state, info on getting documents such as your birth certificate or even Naturlization papers replaced without having to pay the $245 replacement fee. The Homeless Network has a lot more as well.

http://thehomelessnetwork.tripod.com

Art4TH Community is sorta like a Myspace for the artists, writers, musicians, and friends who support Art4TH and have been featured in the Art4TH Zine. Membership is free and you are welcome to join.

http://art4thehomeless.ning.com

Art4TH also has an online bookstore that sells ebooks to raise money for US homeless shelters. The ebooks features literature, poetry, art, and photography from different writers and artists from around the world.

http://stores.lulu.com/art4thehomeless

All sales from the Art4TH Gallery & Bookstore, and revenue from the Art4TH Blog will go to help US homeless shelters.

To learn more about Art4TH go to
http://art4thehomeless.webs.com

Follow Art4TH on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/Art4TheHomeless