Home gives us a sense of belonging and stability. It’s so much more than just a physical structure. Yet, so many people in the U.S. face housing instability and homelessness on a daily basis. A shocking 76% of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck (Bankrate.com Survey 2013). They are just one accident or injury away from losing everything, including a place to call home.
To advocate for increased public housing assistance, ReThink: Why Housing Matters, an initiative to change the misperceptions surrounding public housing, has created a documentary film “Our Journey Home. The documentary, produced by Emmy-Award winning filmmakers, Stillmotion, and narrated by singer-songwriter, Jewel, follows three families supported by public housing and examines how their relationship to home has shaped them.
One such story featured in the film is of Ventura County resident, Rosalio Galaviz, whose family immigrated to the U.S. at a young age, in search of a better life. However, shortly after, Rosalio’s mother was left alone to raise five children on a minimum wage job. While public housing provided a safe and stable place for his family to live, Rosalio decided to become the change he wanted to see in his community and overcame his circumstances by enrolling in the Ventura Police Academy.
“Public housing offered us the tools in life to become successful,” says Galaviz in “Our Journey Home.” “If you want to see a change in the world, then you have to be that change in the world. A police officer can make that change.”
Rosalio is currently a police cadet in training and striving to give back to Ventura County, the place he calls home.
On Apr. 20 ReThink in partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura will be hosting a public screening event for “Our Journey Home.” The screening will be followed by an invigorating panel discussion with notable members from housing authorities, the Ventura County police chief and Rosalio Galaviz.
Wednesday, April 20
Century 10 Downtown – 555 E Main St.
6:30 – 7:30 PM: Film Screening
7:30 – 7:50 PM: Panel Discussion
Price $9.00
The tickets can be reserved online at: www.tugg.com/events/93414
