About the Finding Grace Homeless Initiative Origin "Finding Grace: The Face of America's Homeless" is a book of 103 black and white photographs of homeless individuals across America, taken by Lynn Blodgett, President and CEO of Affiliated Computer Services Inc. and published by Earth Aware Editions, a publishing imprint of Palace Press International. The photos show the grace and humanity that reside in us all. The Finding Grace Homeless Initiative is an emerging coalition of individuals and organizations aiming to increase awareness and raise money for homeless organizations. The coalition was founded by Lynn Blodgett, his publisher Raoul Goff of Palace Press International, John McGah of Give US Your Poor, Mike Rawlings of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, and VP of Public Relations for Fraser Communications, David Langness. Mission Statement The mission of the Finding Grace Homeless Initiative (FGHI) is to educate and inform the public about the realities of homelessness and to raise awareness about the issue. FGHI will serve as a spotlight on those organizations who are solving the problems, and a mouthpiece for their messages to the media. Images are power: The images in "Finding Grace" show a different perspective on the homeless issue. The people who are homeless in America deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and they need to be given access to programs that will allow them to reintegrate back into society. The FGHI's ultimate goal is to work towards a day when homelessness is eradicated in American society. The FGHI will work towards that goal by focusing press attention on, and financially supporting innovative projects that work. Together we can restore the grace and human dignity that the men, women, and children who find themselves homeless deserve. Objectives The Finding Grace Homeless Initiative intends to partner with a series of events taking place in conjunction with the Homeless Walk in November in cities around the country. In addition, FGHI will host fundraising and awareness dinners in several select cities around the U.S. The events will include books for each attendee, a showcase of prints for auction, and a presentation which highlights programs that are proactively addressing homelessness in the host city. The goals of the events are: > To raise awareness - while fundraising is a part, the educational benefits are key > To attract community leaders and political figures to the events > To garner local and national media attention > To forge partnerships with like-minded organizations > To create relationships within the local and federal political strata to legislate change > To bring awareness to thousands through the art shows and other public venues > To convince all participants that a solution is possible, and that they can make a difference.