(All photos contributed by Leah den Bok)

In February, my partner and I explored the streets of Philadelphia, and the Mutter Museum was one of the must-see sites on our bucket list.

The museum upholds the mission of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia “to advance the cause of health while upholding the ideals and heritage of medicine.” A fascinating array of exhibits and collections are on display that explore the complex history of medicine to expand understanding of the human body and a mandate to “lessen human misery.”

One of the exhibits, Unhoused: Personal Stories and Public Health, features photos by the guest on this podcast, Leah den Bok. She is a photographer from Ontario, whom I wrote about a few years ago when she spoke online during a United Way event, Faces of Homelessness. I was intrigued by the opportunity to see her photography on display at the Mutter Museum along with a mural by another artist raising awareness about people experiencing homelessness, Willie Baronet.

Den Bok has a talent for capturing the humanity in the subjects she photographs. Her Humanizing the Homeless series of photos and the accompanying stories do a lot to share the personal stories of people who live unhoused. The images have also been collected in a series of books entitled Nowhere to Call Home, which raise money for several charities that do frontline work on the streets of communities across Ontario to help people experiencing homelessness.

Den Bok speaks about her experiences documenting the lives of people who are living unhoused, what she has learned through those experiences, and how, although a lack of affordable housing is the main factor leaving people homeless, more needs to be done than simply giving people homes to help solve the homelessness crisis.

The music on this podcast is from a performance by the Dallas Street Choir for the American Choral Directors Association in Little Rock, Arkansas, on March 3, 2022. They will be featured at a future exhibit den Bok will participate in in Texas beginning in the fall of 2024.

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Links related to this episode.

Micah Projects – https://www.micahprojects.org.au/

Medicine Hat Community Housing Society – https://mhchs.ca/homelessness-initiatives/plan-to-end-homelessness/

Salvation Army Barrie Bayside Mission Centre – https://www.facebook.com/SalvationArmyBBMC

Home Horizon: Transitional Support Program – https://www.homehorizon.ca/barbara-weider-house

Stepping Stone (formerly Welcome In Drop In Centre) – https://steppingstonegw.com/

Inn From the Cold – https://www.innfromthecold.ca/

The Homeless Experience in North Perth – https://ocnaorg.shoutcms.net/uploads/files/2021%20BNC/PC17_3rd_Listowel%20Banner_Full.pdf

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