Ready, Willing & Able | The Doe Fund

In the Doe Fund's Ready, Willing & Able program, one of the leading fighters of homelessness in New York City, 62 percent of the men and women who enter the program graduate to permanent jobs and remain housed for follow-up periods of up to 3 years. Trainees forego welfare benefits in favor of an hourly wage, funds paid toward their room and board, and money placed into a savings account. The foundation is supported by charitable contributions (which includes the $1 million plus raised at the October dinner) and by volunteers. Harold Dow, a correspondent for CBS News' 48 Hours, suggested that at this year's dinner held at the Pierre Hotel, the organization honor McDonald by weaving clips of the founder's work into a film.

Of course, there were many clips to include. Doe Fund Founder and President George McDonald started his crusade to eradicate homelessness more than fifteen years ago. The 700 consecutive nights he spent distributing sandwiches to homeless people in and around Grand Central Terminal while listening to their stories has made him a non-profit legend. The Fund is named for all of the anonymous homeless John and Jane Does who live and die on the City's streets.

In September, to capture the stories of the participants that McDonald has impacted, Doe tapped the expertise of Ronit Avneri from 9-year old Nonstop Pictures, a film production company based in New York City. She developed From the Street in 6 weeks. Although Nonstop Pictures primarily produces television commercials worldwide, it welcomed the opportunity to create documentary film for such a worthwhile organization.

Over a two-week period, Avneri and her crew, camera operators Rae McGrath and Jason Harvey, sound recordist Anna Rieke and gaffer Steffen Unger, interviewed almost twenty people associated with the Doe Fund, including its founder. In addition to visiting the Brooklyn and Harlem facilities, they spoke with formerly homeless individuals whose lives were dramatically changed by the Ready, Willing & Able program. Larry Rhodes, for example, was a drug addict living under a bench in Central Park before getting involved with the organization. Now, he is the co-program director in Jersey City, New Jersey and a member of The Doe Fund's Board of Directors. There are facilities in New Jersey and Philadelphia; however, the film concentrated in its New York presence because the theme of the 8th annual fundraising dinner was "What New York Needs."

According to Avneri, "the film shows McDonald's inspiration for creating the Ready, Willing & Able program." Avneri decided to shoot the interviews in black and white against a black background in extreme close-up to produce a portrait-like effect. "My objective was to show the humanity of these people," Avneri said.

And show the humanity she did. In 15 minutes, the political, business and other leaders in attendance understood that George McDonald believed in the potential of the homeless and, according to one interviewee, did not give up on people when people gave up on themselves. At its core, the Doe Fund treats men like men -- the essence of humanity.

The film was shot on digital video in order to minimize cost. It took two weeks of editing by Richard Mettler at New York City-based Consulate Editorial to develop the final footage. Following this project, Avneri looks forward to having the chance to work with the Fund again. She noted, "George McDonald and this organization have had such a profound effect on so many people allowing them the opportunity to totally change their lives."

From the Fund's perspective, the film shared the organization's message in a way that was "exciting and stimulating for the audience," highlights Development Director Fell. It may also be used at future promotional events.

For the cameramen, this project was a great opportunity to enhance their artistic vision with the commitment to documenting the human condition. Harvey is a freelance cinematographer operating Cinema Inferno, his New York City-based production company making TV shows, music videos and commercials. He was "amazed that the men they were interviewing were willing to tell their stories -- many of which were not pretty. Now they are so proud of themselves."

For McGrath, the common man has always been a focal point of his work. Four years ago, he outfitted a hollowed out boom box radio with a digital video camera and roamed the streets of lower Manhattan capturing extreme close-ups of the homeless. In Lefty-Right, his recent short feature film that received worldwide critical acclaim after premiering at Slamdance in Park City, Utah, Clermont-Ferrand in France and Belo Horizonte in Brazil, he followed his main character on a journey along the road between hope and despair, using black and white film to reflect this contrast. People complain about waking up and going to work each morning. According to McGrath, "for someone who has been homeless and living on the streets for years it seems like a dream. The Doe Fund has been providing this dream for people and I have witnessed it first hand."

Apparently it is true -- film works.

Ari Kaplan, an attorney and freelance writer based in New York City, can be reached at www.arikaplan.net.

Click here to order a copy of the "From the Street" Documentary.