In memoriam

Sadly, the first thread I initiate is about the passing of Les Brown, founder of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and Policy Director there since 1990.

Les also conceived of and helped found Growing Home, an independent non-profit with a mission to involve homeless persons in bringing locally-grown organic produce into the Chicago market. Details about Growing Home can be found here: http://www.newvillage.net/Journal/Issue ... ghome.html

Les was a remarkable person with a remarkable spirit. He was a 20-year heart transplant survivor. He was an accomplished jazz musician, and one of my cherished memories is of taking some (almost) homeless people to meet with a non-profit developer and then to the CCH Christmas party, where Les and the Homeless Blues Band (which he also founded and is available for events) were playing. One of the tenants I brought, a very polite and retiring late 60's woman, went up and chatted up Les. It turns out she had been a lounge singer, mostly blues, for almost 30 years in Chicago.

Les found out her favorite song, gave her the mike, and made the band find both her key and her range.

More information about Les can be found at: http://www.ChicagoHomeless.org/les.htm

I have met very few true visionaries in my life, and Les was one. I was surprised to learn a few years ago that Les knew one of the others, having served with him in the military.

He will be missed.

Peace,
Ann

Thanks for sharing this. I appreciated reading it, and I learned a few things. Keep up your good work.