PHOTOS BY KAREN MOORE

For me, “Community” is the word that best describes the magic of Occupy Eugene” says Karen Moore who joined in November of 2011. “The community that emerged from Occupy was like nothing I had ever seen before. We knew we had connection through our united effort to address economic inequality, but it wasn’t until we started sharing our personal experiences and stories that we really felt that connection.

Like so many activists, I never expected to advocate for the Unhoused, but it was those personal stories and the connections I made that left me feeling that I could not walk away. I came to admire the unhoused Occupiers as some of the most hard-working and resourceful people I knew. The effect that a broken system had had on their personal lives only increased the strength of their dedication to fixing it, and I found them to be just as political as us “housies” who occupied side by side.

In my photos, I hope to offer a personal view of an issue that, too frequently, our society views as a statistic. While the photographs cannot offer a complete understanding of these issues and those affected by them, I hope they will at least catch some of the “magic” that made the Unhoused Communities so amazing and special. The uniqueness and beauty of their individual members and the strengths of the bonds they share can be an inspiration to everyone.

Occupy Eugene – Events & Direct Actions

Occupy Medical

Gorilla Hair Salon

SLEEPS (Safe Legally Entitled Emergency Places to Sleep)

Roger Making Jewelry in his Conestoga Hut behind Community Alliance of Lane County (CALC)

Eugene Avant Gardeners