Project Vacant Streets is Frank Kelly's initiative to get the homeless back on their feet one job at a time. Each participant undergoes a series of transformations — emotional, professional and physical. The idea is that in less than a month, they gain the confidence to land a job through the skills learned. Kelly says he has helped nine people find jobs in the nearly two years since he started.
Kelly, a 32-year-old product director at Johnson & Johnson, describes the program's candidates as everyday Americans. He said most are not mentally ill or drug addicts, they have just suffered from chronic homelessness.
"They have an incredibly difficult time getting back into the work force," Kelly said.
As a second career, Kelly was already a motivational speaker, giving lectures at college campuses and work settings about leaving lasting impressions while achieving your goals. A friend suggested that Kelly speak at the Community Partnership for the Homeless in Miami, which each night houses about 700 of Miami-Dade County's estimated 4,300 homeless.
"My first reaction was what could I possibly convey to the homeless? I was almost afraid of walking into the shelter," he said. Once Kelly stepped inside the shelter, though, he said the room's energy convinced him that he needed to change Americans' misconceptions about homelessness.
Full Story @ MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32494577/ns/us_news-wonderful_world/
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