Founder/president of nonprofit HEAR US Inc., to give voice & visibility to families & youth experiencing homelessness.

Road warrior - biographical article





My Experience

> I ran substantial emergency shelters in Illinois for 15 years,

> 30+ years advocating for public policy changes,

> 18 yrs. of US backroads travel (49 states, 400k miles) filming and producing videos featuring stories of families and youth sharing about their homelessness for HEAR US Inc.

My Latest/Greatest Work

My latest book, Dismazed and Driven - My Look at Family Homelessness in America, part memoir/part social narrative, covers highlights from my travels wrapped around the stories of families I met along the way.

My reader-friendly book with rave reviews including the prestigious LA Review of Books.



My latest films -

My first/best film -





My Own Four Walls (20 min) features short interviews of kids from across the country sharing their thoughts on their homelessness and what school means to them. Winner of the NAEHCY Outstanding Media Award (2007).

My Blogging

No doubt about it--I use my Medium blog to inform, inspire, and infuriate readers on issues pertaining to poverty, focusing on family/youth homelessness.

My Thoughts on Family Homelessness

Craig Dellimore, respected political journalist at WBBM radio in Chicago, interviewed me about family homelessness. This could be a mini course on the topic.





Medium member since February 2018
Friend of Medium since December 2023
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Diane Nilan

Diane Nilan

Book Author

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Founder/pres. HEAR US Inc., gives voice & visibility to homeless families & youth, ran shelters, advocate, filmmaker, author, 20 yrs. on US backroads. hearus.us