Speak Up

Street Voices

Personal essays and creative work from writers facing homelessness.

New Top Community

The smell of urine burning my nostrils as I walked the streets I once slept on just a month earlier.

5 hr ago

It was the most painful time of my life, but I was determined that it wouldn’t drive me down.

Sep 9

I write. I run. I hope.

Sep 3

By the time Doug met Speak Up, he had faced—and overcome—years of homelessness and drugs. His story was one of crippling darkness, humiliating rock bot…

and

Aug 31

With the right one, anything is possible.

Aug 25

I've encountered many miracles large and small that have shaped how I see hardships.

Aug 18

Trying to find a shower while facing homelessness.

Aug 13

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts