McKinney awarded Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation grant

This summer, TSUSP’s Dr. Kacy McKinney received a $10,000 grant from the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation to support her ongoing research project, “Changing the Narrative: Stories of Homelessness and Housing Instability.” Dr. McKinney and her research assistant, Olivia DelGandio (a student in the Art and Social Practice MFA program at PSU), are using this grant to work on a new book and exhibition called “Epilogue.”

“Changing the Narrative” began in 2021 with a grant from the Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative (HRAC). With partners Street Roots and the Independent Publishing Resource Center, Dr. McKinney’s team released ten stories from PSU students with lived experiences of homelessness. The stories were illustrated as comics by ten established and emerging artists The purpose of the project was to “increase awareness, manifest dialogue, and move toward both policy and social interaction based in respect and dignity” in regard to homelessness and poverty. “Epilogue” continues this vision by inviting artists and storytellers from “Changing the Narrative” back to reflect on what their participation in the project has meant to them professionally, personally, and creatively. The exhibition is planned for late spring 2024.

The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation supports nonprofits in Oregon and Washington that seek to alleviate human suffering and promote thriving communities.