A veteran, a father, and a felon, Charlie shares the harsh reality faced by older Americans with a criminal background on the hunt for employment. In this week’s episode, we learn a little bit about the physical consequences of social stigma and how popular belief about the worth of former inmates as people creates a prison system that never ends.

First, because we believe that stories are the currency of human connection. The sharing of experiences can break down boundaries, forge new paths, and force us to see each other as individuals with complex and varied histories instead of “types†dictated by circumstance.

Second, because anyone who has heard the clink of quarters against pennies, be it in a plastic cup or the bottom of a purse, knows that one has to move beyond spare change to impact chronic homelessness.

Lastly, the show is called Beyond Spare Change out of respect for the work the men and women who have passed through Liberty House have done on themselves and their lives. It’s no mean feat to find work after unemployment and homelessness. It’s no mean feat to struggle with addiction and maintain one’s sobriety. Above all, Beyond Spare Change is dedicated to our hardworking residents.

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