Fighting Homelessness, Renowned Social Media Activist, Mark Horvath, Puts a Face on Canadian Homelessness as invisiblepeople.tv Cross-Country Roadtrip Gains Momentum Heading Into Central Canada

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Aug. 15, 2011) -

Ever doubt the power of social media to make true change? Let us introduce you to Mark Horvath, Huffington Post blogger, @hardlynormal on Twitter and founder of invisiblepeople.tv. Mark puts power into the hands of Canada's most vulnerable people: those experiencing homelessness. By giving individuals a voice, he is building awareness and support to end homelessness.

Mark, once homeless himself, understands the issue. He is midway through the Invisiblepeople.tv cross-Canada Roadtrip coordinated by The Community Action Committee (CAC) and the Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF). Socially-responsible companies General Motors, Petro-Canada, Virgin Mobile Canada, Hanes and Delta Hotels are sponsoring Mark as he gathers and posts these real, raw and unforgettable stories on: www.invisiblepeople.tv with mainstream media networks demonstrating the value of his message.

"We're exposing the un-natural disaster of homelessness in Canada through the personal stories of those experiencing it." said Tim Richter, President and CEO of the CHF "As Canadians see their homeless neighbours through Mark's lens, they are compelled to act and join the growing number of Canadian communities committed to ending homelessness."

"The power of social media is that we associate names, faces and stories with homeless individuals." said Barry Davidson, Chair of the CAC. "Canadians are listening and communities are galvanizing to take action to end homelessness."

Roadtrip Stops
City	Date	City	Date
Victoria	July 5-6	Regina	August 5-6
Vancouver	July 7-10	Winnipeg	August 8-9
Kelowna	July 12	Thunder Bay	August 11
Calgary	July 14-16	Sault Ste Marie	August 13
Red Deer	July 17	Toronto	August 19-22
Edmonton	July 18-19	Ottawa	August 28-30
Whitehorse	July 21-22	Montreal	September 1-3
Yellowknife	July 24-26	Fredericton	September 5-6
Fort McMurray	July 28	Halifax	September 8-9,14
Edmonton	July 30-31	St. John's	September 11-12
Saskatoon	August 2-3
(ii) dates subject to change. Visit www.calgaryhomeless.com/cac for the most up-to-date schedule.

How can you help?

• Spread the word, post stories on Facebook and Twitter, try & gain as much attention as you can.
• Welcome him to your city and provide him with a tour of where homeless people stay.
• Speak to your media friends and help get the problem noticed.
• Follow Mark's journey on Twitter @hardlynormal.
• Help build support for 10 Year Plans and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.

Mark Horvath

Follow Mark's journey on www.invisiblepeople.tv, a site that shares unedited, uncensored and raw interview footage. Go to www.wearevisible.com, a site that gives people dealing with poverty and homelessness the tools to go online and have a voice. Follow his journey on Twitter @hardlynormal, with almost 13,000 followers. Mark was featured on CTV Canada AM, CBC Connect with Mark Kelley, The Roy Green Show, CNN, CBS, L.A. Times, Mashable.com and NPR. InvisiblePeople.tv has 2.5 million video views on Youtube alone with an average of 50,000 views per month.

10 Year Plan

From 1994 to 2006, Calgary had Canada's fastest growing population of people experiencing homelessness, culminating with nearly 3,500 people sleeping in shelters. In 2007, the Calgary Committee to End Homelessness was formed to create a 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness. In January 2008, Calgary became the first city in Canada to have a Plan that committed the community to end homelessness. This tour supports the Calgary Homeless Foundation's goal to create a Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. To date over 2300 individuals have been housed with support. Tim Richter is available for comment, call 403.803.8187.

The Community Action Committee

This Committee is the voice of community and works at the policy level, providing real-time information to coordinate the efforts of agencies, government and funders. With more than 100 member organizations that plan, deliver, evaluate and assess the services needed to end homelessness in Calgary, members work directly to help people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. For more information about the CAC or the invisible people Canadian road trip visit www.calgaryhomeless.com/cac. Barry Davidson is available for comment, call 403.803.8187.

This project is funded in part by the Governement of Canada.