Laura Ferro is fundraising
Documentary: Pregnant on the Streets
ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!
DESCRIPTION:
We’re in the final stretch of our production— a documentary that chronicles the individual battles and personal victories of homeless pregnant women in the San Francisco Bay Area. Struggling without a home, they desperately desire to raise their children in a safe and healthy environment. We are seeking funding to complete the film, and we can't do it without your help! The issue is urgent, and the results can be transformational for the many women suffering in this situation.
YOUR MONEY AT WORK:
BraveMaker acts as the fiscal sponsor for the project and since they're a 501(c)(3) organization, all donations are tax-deductible.
Once we have the funds, thanks to generous supporters like you, we can start filming again in the early months of 2021. Your support will help us to hire the crew, cover the equipment rentals, legal expenses, insurance fees, travel, and other costs.
WHY NOW:
Largely unseen, even invisible, pregnant women are part of the homeless population in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is in sharp juxtaposition to a region that is brimming with wealth, due to the high-tech sector.
Over 200 women in San Francisco were both homeless and pregnant at some point during the 2018-19 fiscal year, according to an analysis of individuals using DPH and HSH services. These homeless pregnant women are living in cars, RVs, hotels, and encampments.
With the advent of COVID-19, the situation has become even more acute. Finishing this film would bring faces, histories, experiences to the numbers. It would spotlight this problem and hopefully, alleviate the situation of so many mothers and children who are at risk.
In fact, a study by UCSF’S California Preterm Birth Initiative found housing instability during pregnancy increases the odds of preterm birth by 20 percent. The average cost of hospitalization for one premature infant is $55,393. That dwarfs the cost of placing them indoors.
WHO ARE WE?
LAURA - Producer and Director. A few years ago, I was horrified after watching the news about a homeless woman giving birth in a bus stop. At the time, I was also pregnant and, by sharp contrast, I gave birth in one of the top hospitals in the U.S. I understand my privileged position and this is unacceptable to me. I’m the creative director/owner of a video production company in Silicon Valley but, my early work was as a director-choreographer in South America and Europe. Teaching in cities all over the world, I became very aware of the sensitivities of interaction and the importance of openness in mind and body. This is how I came to direct and produce this film—connecting with people in my community no matter their background or their situation. Due to my curiosity and willingness to enter into other lives with compassion and care, I came to befriend Shawn, who spent time on the streets while pregnant 14 years ago. Shawn has been the bridge that has helped me navigate the complexities of the situation in the San Francisco Bay Area and the multiple emotional facets of abuse and drug addiction in the homeless community. She has been there and knows how lives can be turned around. This is how we became a team and why we are determined to finish this film.
SHAWN - Line Producer. For the past 8 years, she has been working with the homeless community doing female outreach at Street Life Ministries, a non-profit organization —providing resources for services and other means of support. Part of her work involves visiting the homeless camps and working to build trusting relationships with women who are destitute. She also coordinated several fundraising campaigns in the past to benefit communities in need. Thanks to her experience and knowledge of the Bay Area streets, she has been crucial for the project, scheduling interviews with experts, doing location scouting, and establishing contact. Shawn graduated with a BA in Psychology at Azusa Pacific University and has nearly completed her graduate degree in counseling.
FUNDING USED FOR:
We need to finish our production stage before entering the post-production phase. We will be filming stories from pregnant women that reveal diverse facets of this intricate issue and interviews with some key experts in this matter. From a medical doctor who works with homeless mothers with addictions and mental health issues, to managers of homeless pregnant women programs, and more.
For more information, visit pregnantonthestreets.com
Thanks a lot!
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