Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Calendar Features Homeless Women

Aired January 10, 2004 - 12:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR: A fundraising calendar turns into an educational tool. It features women who struggle with homelessness in Seattle.
As CNN's Kimberly Osias report, the women have become a different kind of calendar girl.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Amazing grace...

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under bridges, under tarps, on benches, they live on the streets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are dying out here. This is for real.

OSIAS: And now the faces of some of America's homeless women are living on a calendar.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The title is "Beauty and Strength." It actually came up as a fund-raising idea, but it's become much more than that. Now we see it mainly as an educational piece.

OSIAS: Hester Garrett's face kicks off the year. She says she doesn't mind the moniker of Miss January.

HESTER GARRETT, FEATURED IN CALENDAR: I was honored. I was able to say, let's get the voice in about people who are needing some help to get off the streets.

OSIAS: The women of Mary's Place in Seattle say help comes with an open door and an open heart.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to increase the amount of compassion in the world for people who are homeless.

OSIAS: Seattle's Homeless Coalition estimates on any given night, about 8,000 can be on the streets.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They come from all kinds of different backgrounds, religiously, in terms of class and education.

OSIAS: Hester Garrett remembers the dark times.

GARRETT: Oh, it was pretty difficult. I had dealt with two tragedy deaths in my family. I lost my only son and about six months later my sister passed. OSIAS: And an illness forced her out of work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Homelessness is not an identity. It's a bad situation that people get into.

OSIAS: But these days Garrett isn't crying.

GARRETT: I have peace of God. I have peace of mind. I have joy. I have happiness.

OSIAS: And a job, a new apartment and new desire that this calendar will help get others off the streets.

In Seattle, Kimberly Osias reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 10, 2004 - 12:43   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR: A fundraising calendar turns into an educational tool. It features women who struggle with homelessness in Seattle.
As CNN's Kimberly Osias report, the women have become a different kind of calendar girl.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Amazing grace...

KIMBERLY OSIAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under bridges, under tarps, on benches, they live on the streets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are dying out here. This is for real.

OSIAS: And now the faces of some of America's homeless women are living on a calendar.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The title is "Beauty and Strength." It actually came up as a fund-raising idea, but it's become much more than that. Now we see it mainly as an educational piece.

OSIAS: Hester Garrett's face kicks off the year. She says she doesn't mind the moniker of Miss January.

HESTER GARRETT, FEATURED IN CALENDAR: I was honored. I was able to say, let's get the voice in about people who are needing some help to get off the streets.

OSIAS: The women of Mary's Place in Seattle say help comes with an open door and an open heart.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to increase the amount of compassion in the world for people who are homeless.

OSIAS: Seattle's Homeless Coalition estimates on any given night, about 8,000 can be on the streets.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They come from all kinds of different backgrounds, religiously, in terms of class and education.

OSIAS: Hester Garrett remembers the dark times.

GARRETT: Oh, it was pretty difficult. I had dealt with two tragedy deaths in my family. I lost my only son and about six months later my sister passed. OSIAS: And an illness forced her out of work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Homelessness is not an identity. It's a bad situation that people get into.

OSIAS: But these days Garrett isn't crying.

GARRETT: I have peace of God. I have peace of mind. I have joy. I have happiness.

OSIAS: And a job, a new apartment and new desire that this calendar will help get others off the streets.

In Seattle, Kimberly Osias reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com