I left home this morning; I have been working, doing errands all day and getting ready for this event. I have spent about $30.00 today; close to the average, I spend every day. It has been a long day. But hopefully later tonight I’ll be back at home resting.

Homeless people cannot do that. Why? Well… they are homeless and they do not have any money. But I don’t think that the answer is that simple.

My name is Jose Vazquez and my art project is a documentary called “Five Dollars For My Story”. I want to go to homeless shelters, overpasses and other public areas where homeless people gather, and offer them $5.00 in exchange for their story. I want them to tell us, first, how and why did they end up homeless? Was it because of bad friends, family tragedy, bad luck, or disappointment with life? Secondly, how far can they stretch $5.00? What do they buy with it? How often do they get a $5.00 bill in their hands and third, do they have any talents? Singing, acting, can they play an instrument, do they write? Would they be interested in performing and showing their talents at the premiere of this documentary?

I also want to put a face and a voice to those people that we see every day, but don’t really pay attention to. They were once cradled in their parents’ arms, and it is very likely that their families once had dreams and hopes for them. Now they find themselves homeless while living in one of the greatest countries in the history of the world. I want them to tell us what has happened, and what may be next in their lives.