By Amber Alarid, JVA Consulting

The problem

Across the nation, homelessness is a growing issue. Particularly vulnerable homeless populations, such as homeless individuals who are gay, those who live in rural areas or are elderly, and homeless families, are often overlooked in mainstream media.

The solution

The Kindling Group, a Chicago-based organization that produces and sponsors socially-charged documentaries and cultivates community engagement around the issues it spotlights, is one group that has turned its attention to the urgent problem of homelessness in the United States. The latest Kindling Group documentary, @home, which is currently in production, is the story of Mark Horvath—a formerly homeless individual—who is using his skills to give voice to those homeless individuals typically overlooked, while revealing his own story of homelessness.

The Kindling Group, Mark Horvath and their partners are committed to raising awareness and spurring action surrounding issues of homelessness. Beginning with short webisodes on Horvath’s vlog invisiblepeople.tv, which serve as an inspiration for the larger @home documentary, the awareness campaign will lead the way for an interactive component in the form of a mobile app. Each webisode is the story of a homeless individual and the challenges he or she faces, all based on interviews conducted by Horvath. Among those videos are the stories of Lanny and Catherine, two people who longed for a home and at times lost hope that that dream would come true. Their stories and more can be seen on the Kindling Group’s YouTube channel. More webisodes will be added throughout the summer, highlighting individual stories and larger movements—including activism on behalf of homeless individuals being driven out of neighborhoods in Chicago, like the one Kindling Group is based in.

Next spring, the Kindling Group will debut another cutting edge engagement tool—a mobile “game,” built to raise awareness about homelessness in various neighborhoods that draws players into the solution. The creative game allows for groups to listen to real stories of homelessness, explore neighborhoods near them that have higher-than-average rates of homelessness and to complete tasks that then deliver real “prizes” in the form of donations to organizations that work with homeless populations. This game is still being created and tested, but a video from daily doGooder gives a preview of what’s to come. The purpose of the game is to encourage and track solutions-focused action, such as philanthropy, volunteering and activism.

Through these tools, the Kindling Group hopes to reach as broad an audience as possible, especially “younger, socially-minded people, who are digitally savvy,” says Laura Wilson, associate director of the Kindling Group.

The @home documentary, in its entirety, will debut at the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ 2013 National Conference on Ending Homelessness in July. After that, the film will be screened throughout the nation. To find out when the film will be shown near you, continue to watch Kindling Group’s website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. You can also follow Mark Horvath on Facebook and Twitter.