Stephanie Hooker, 59, has become a fierce advocate for economic justice. Why does she fight to lift people out of poverty and homelessness? Because she has lived through the struggle, and now she travels around Illinois, telling her story “so that others don’t have to go through what I went through.”
Stephanie first became homeless in her twenties, after she left her abusive husband. Defying her mother, who repeatedly sent her back to her husband after he had beaten her, Stephanie took her young daughter and fled to New York City. Out of her husband’s reach, she found temporary solace in a network of people whom she met, sleeping on people’s couches to get by.
Eventually, she left her daughter in the care of a friend, found a minimum-wage job at a supermarket, and took to the streets. Stephanie’s personal story challenges the misconception that work cures homelessness, because she was usually working minimum-wage jobs when she was homeless. Stephanie makes sure to stress this point when she tells her story.
“I always maintained some source of income, but I couldn’t afford housing,” she said.Stephanie’s story of homelessness spans many years and three states – Illinois, New York, and Michigan. Now disabled, Stephanie returned permanently to Chicago six years ago, where she was accepted to live at Deborah’s Place, a supportive housing program for women. There she met Dollie Brewer, a community organizer for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH). Dollie was holding an outreach session, empowering women by encouraging them to fight for their rights. Stephanie immediately saw CCH as her calling.
“I wanted to help people and get my story out,” said Stephanie. Determined to eliminate homelessness, Stephanie became active with the Women’s Empowerment Project, and later, the CCH Speakers Bureau. She has completed several CCH training workshops on community organizing, implementing the strategies she learned by mobilizing her Deborah’s Place neighbors to become advocates in their own right.When CCH decided to launch the new Jerome Alexander Leadership Award, the CCH management team nominated Stephanie because of the tremendous leadership she has demonstrated. The award is named after the late Mr. Alexander, a philanthropist from Northbrook who supported efforts to address child abuse prevention and homelessness.
“Stephanie is incredibly reliable as a leader and takes great pride in and ownership of CCH,” said Hannah Willage, the Speakers Bureau organizer. “Stephanie considers herself an organizer and treats her involvement here as a job.” The women at Deborah’s Place are very proud of the work that Stephanie does for CCH. “I listen to Stephanie whenever she talks in the Learning Center,” said Kay Graham, one of her neighbors. “Basically, she’s telling the story of homelessness and why it’s on the back-burner. Why were they worrying about the Olympics when people can’t afford an apartment?”
Neighbor Anita Robinson beams when she recounts Stephanie’s accomplishments: “She’s organized the ladies, they go to Springfield, they lobby. She makes a lot of speeches about getting the homeless off the streets…”Kay and Anita both agree that this “is a calling for Stephanie” and that it’s just “in her heart; she’s got a gift.” They are impressed by Stephanie’s energy – “she is always doing something and always running around,” said one.
Fighting for justice is Stephanie’s premier priority, even though her advocacy may not directly improve her own circumstances. “I probably won’t receive the benefits of it, but I would like others to. I don’t need the services anymore,” she said.
- By Rebecca Kupferberg, CCH Organizing Intern
