“I wish people understood that some of us don’t want this. They don’t understand the trials we have to go through. They think we have it easy because we don’t have anything to pay for or worry about. I wish they understood that we are people who have feelings. And as hard as we try to fit in, we don't. ”
- Photovoice Participant
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
In Plain Sight is a poignant collection of images and stories captured by unhoused Greenville residents, highlighting their strengths, challenges, and lived experiences. The project was part of a photovoice method research project in collaboration with United Ministries and students and faculty at Furman University.
This project was designed to elevate the voices of individuals experiencing homelessness through a structured process of storytelling, reflection, and visual documentation. During this applied research partnership, participants were invited to use photography to document aspects of their daily lives using guided prompts and disposable cameras. They then engaged in one-on-one conversations with project facilitators to share the context, meaning, and significance behind each image.
These narratives were recorded in participants’ own words and collectively reflect themes of resilience, daily survival, connection, and lived experience within the context of homelessness.
Rather than interpreting experiences from the outside, In Plain Sight centers participant perspective as a primary source of insight. The resulting work creates a shared space for reflection between participants, service providers, and the broader community—supporting deeper engagement with the realities of homelessness in Greenville.
The project ultimately functions as both a documentation effort and a community-facing exhibit, translating lived experience into a format that can inform understanding, dialogue, and practice.
Photo voice is a qualitative, community-based research methodology that engages participants in documenting and interpreting their lived experiences through photography and narrative. Participants are provided with cameras and invited to capture images that reflect their daily realities, then share the context and meaning behind each image in their own words.
This approach positions participants as experts of their own experiences and centers their perspectives as essential data. By engaging individuals most directly impacted by complex social issues—such as homelessness—photovoice offers personal insight into social, economic, and health-related challenges.
It creates space for individuals who are most directly impacted by an issue—like homelessness—to help shape how it is understood. By pairing these firsthand perspectives with data, photovoice deepens understanding, strengthens advocacy, and can help inspire meaningful change.
WHAT IS PHOTOVOICE?
What is United Ministries?
United Ministries is a direct services organization that serves individuals and families experiencing scarcity by providing basic needs for stability and supportive services to achieve self-sufficiency. With a vision, for a Greenville Community working together to ensure that everyone has access to the resources and the opportunities to thrive. Our focus areas—Economic Mobility, Housing Stability, and Homeless Services—guide everything we do. They inform the programs and services we offer, ensuring we stay aligned with our mission, vision, and the evolving needs of our community. Like a Venn diagram, these areas overlap and connect, allowing us to provide comprehensive support that meets individuals and families where they are and helps them build a more stable future.
What is Place of Hope?
Place of Hope is United Minsitries’ day shelter services for individuals experiencing homelessness. Offering services including access to showers, laundry, storage, mail, device charging, and basic supplies. Through a safe and welcoming environment, guests can also connect with case management to address critical needs like obtaining ID, accessing mental health support, and working toward permanent housing. By meeting basic needs and building meaningful relationships, Place of Hope helps address the deeper factors contributing to homelessness and supports individuals on their path of economic mobility, self-sufficiency, and long-term stability.
Furman University: Associate Professor of Health Sciences
Dr. ANnA CASs
Anna Cass is an epidemiologist with a background in clinical research and medical education. Presenting epidemiologic methods to students as a set of tools for use across a wide range of health concerns and populations, Dr. Cass has modeled this in her own research, which has ranged from population-based cancer research to hospital-associated infection surveillance, and from developmental-behavioral pediatric clinical model evaluation to that of faith-based holistic health promotion among older adults. Her current research considers wellbeing from the research participant perspective, considering the impact of healthcare utilization on the self-reported patient experience, and the relationship between student perceptions and their attitudes about health… Learn More.