Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA - National Coalition ...

HATE, VIOLENCE, AND DEATH ON MAIN STREET USA2008ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe National Coalition for the HomelessThe National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) thanks all of its advocates, service providers, <strong>and</strong>homeless individuals for providing information for the report. We are extremely grateful for thetime <strong>and</strong> efforts of our volunteers, interns, <strong>and</strong> staff who have assisted in the publication.The following individuals <strong>and</strong> organizations assisted in the publication of this report:Sean Cononie, Lois Cross, <strong>and</strong> Mark Targett are homeless activists with the Homeless Voice/COSACFoundation, located in Hollywood, Florida. All three have dedicated tremendous time <strong>and</strong> energy tostop hate crimes/violence against homeless people. Cononie’s organization is the most active localorganization nationwide doing work on the hate crimes/violence issue. He is viewed as both a local <strong>and</strong>national expert/spokesperson on this issue. Targett is best known for video broadcast work of the newsto advocates across the United States on vicious attacks to the homeless by using the latest technologyin multimedia means. Cross does all the media/public relations on this issue for both Helping People inAmerica <strong>and</strong> assists the National Coalition for the Homeless in getting the word out to the media.Michelle Lee, Webmaster/Graphic Designer, did the final editing <strong>and</strong> layout.Brian Levin, director, Center for the Study of <strong>Hate</strong> <strong>and</strong> Extremism at California State University, SanBernardino, served as an advisor for the report.Michael O’Neill, director of Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau. He speaks on hate crimes<strong>and</strong> violence issues to thous<strong>and</strong>s of young people across the country annually.Adam C. Sloane, an attorney with Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, provided pro bono legalassistance for this 2008 report, plus the nine previous reports published from 1999 through 2007.Michael Stoops, executive director of NCH, provides ongoing staffing support for the Civil RightsWork Group/Grassroots Organizing Committee, a nationwide network of homeless advocatescommitted to documenting <strong>and</strong> stopping civil rights violations of homeless individuals plusdocumenting hate crimes/violence against homeless people. He is also the project director forNCH’s National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project (NCHROP). He has served as theoverall editor of this 2008 report <strong>and</strong> the nine previous hate crimes/violence reports published from1999 through 2007.The following NCH interns: Tony Taylor, American University, Aaron Gaide, Dartmouth College,<strong>and</strong> Sam Bowhay, Grinnell College, provided necessary research, editing, <strong>and</strong> lobbying assistance.Stephany Whitaker, Emerson National Hunger Fellow of the Congressional Hunger Center, didresearch, writing, <strong>and</strong> editing.5