Morgan captivated the heart of NYC’s Times Square with her ‘We Hardly Knew Them’

Morgan’s NYC Big Book Award win for “We Hardly Knew Them, How Homeless Mentally Ill People Became Collateral Damage” was just showcased in NYC’s Times Square.

BROOKLYN, NY, UNITED STATES, September 20, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Pat Morgan’s book, “We Hardly Knew Them, How Homeless Mentally Ill People Became Collateral Damage”, recognized as a NYC Big Book Award as well as a Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite in the category of Cultural and Social Issues, was showcased in the heart of Manhattan with an Independent Press Award billboard.

Pat Morgan’s work for the homeless has been honored by President Bill Clinton, Governor Andrew Cuomo, and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Have the Mentally Ill Homeless Become Collateral Damage?

Pat Morgan’s “We Hardly Knew Them, How Homeless Mentally Ill People Became Collateral Damage,” picks up where her multiple award-winning book, “The Concrete Killing Fields” ended with her return to Memphis from Washington, D.C. where she’d literally lived out some of her dreams while working for seven years as a presidential appointee to the staff of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. In fact, her stories about the homeless people she tried to help, with and without success, as a volunteer with Memphis’ Room in the Inn, following her retirement as Executive Director of Partners for the Homeless in Memphis, are the heart and soul of this book as well. The major difference is that “We Hardly Knew Them” is also a call to action with suggestions for Where to Go for Hope and Help in the addendum.

That’s because it takes more than stories to make major changes in a half-century-old, discriminatory law that has resulted in what she calls “Collateral Damage” in that it prevents people aged 21-64 from using their Medicaid to pay for treatment in a state psychiatric hospital with more than 16 beds. A direct result of the war between the states and the federal government over who pays for inpatient treatment for people those who need it most, Pat borrows (with their permission) information and data from the best researchers in the fields of mental illness and data from HUD data on homelessness and severe mental illness in making the case for repeal. But this book isn’t all gloom and doom. Pat’s wicked sense of humor, often directed at herself, sneaks in when you least expect it.

Publisher Ted Olczak said “It truly is a heartening experience to highlight Morgan’s book ‘We Hardly Knew Them, How Homeless Mentally Ill People Became Collateral Damage’ in New York City’s Times Square. Morgan has done some important work that is timely and actionable and her past multi-winning placements in the Independent Press Award and NYC Big Book Award calls attention to this very important social issue”.

The NYC billboard program, curated by publisher Ted Olczak of the “INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD and NYC BIG BOOK AWARD” magazine, is a celebration of book excellence that promotes a select group of key titles from the awards programs.

Every year, the INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD and NYC Big Book Award hosts its award dinner and ceremony, https://www.independentpressaward.com/awardsdinner, recognizing book excellence. The INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD is one of the most prestigious book award programs globally for independent authors, publishers, and illustrators.

In 2024, the INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD saw participation from authors and publishers across the globe, including those residing in Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Cyprus, Germany, India, Kenya, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, and The Netherlands.

“The 2024 INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD honorees represent the excellence and diversity of global independent publishing,” said Gabrielle Olczak, IPA President and Award Sponsor. “Independent publishing is a formidable agent. It provides unparalleled content and quality to consumers worldwide and we are proud to highlight this year’s awardees to the world.”

The Independent Press Award is announced every spring and open to independent authors and publishers. To see this year’s list of winners, please visit https://www.independentpressaward.com/2024winners

ABOUT PAT MORGAN

In addition to “We Hardly Knew Them”, Pat is the author of “The Concrete Killing Fields, One Woman’s Battle to Break the Cycle of Homelessness”, which has won five national book awards. Her understanding of the “system” of services and housing for homeless people is based on years of hands-on work with homeless people and providers of services. Her knowledge of national policy and programs grew exponentially during the six years in which she served as a presidential appointee to the staff of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, and as a Special Assistant in HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development during the Clinton administration.

“A data nut,” she admits, her interest has never waned. Following her work in the Federal government, she served for ten years as the executive director of Partners for the Homeless, Memphis and Shelby County’s “lead” organization for developing and coordinating the local “Continuum of Care” system. (Note: the organization is now called the Community Alliance for the Homeless.)

To find out more about the author, please visit: https://patmorganauthor.com/

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See and be a part of the next book competition,

Independent Press Award, https://independentpressaward.com/

allows authors and publishers, traditional to self published books

or the NYC Big Book Award, https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/

Join us at the BookCAMP event, https://www.independentpressaward.com/ipabookcamp

Ted Olczak
Independent Press Award
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Times Square Creative We Hardly Knew Them by Pat Morgan

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