While walking down the street recently, Jennifer Stolo remembers encountering a gentleman experiencing homelessness and asking for his name.
“He looked at me so confused, like I had asked him the most difficult question ever,” Stolo, producer of a new movie about homelessness called “No Address,” told Our Sunday Visitor.
“I said, ‘I’m sorry, sir, I just wanted to know your name so I could pray for you,'” she remembered. “He looked at me and he said, ‘No, I’m sorry … I’m shocked because I can’t remember the last time that someone asked me what my name was.'”
Stolo, a Catholic, is hoping to change lives like his not only through personal encounters but also through big-screen storytelling. Most recently, she produced “No Address,” a two-hour drama that features the stories of people who unexpectedly experience homelessness. Inspired by true events, the movie, currently in theaters, seeks to put a face to the issue of homelessness and makes the case that “homelessness could happen to anyone.”
Produced by Robert Craig Films and distributed by Fathom Entertainment, the film stars William Baldwin together with Lucas Jade Zumann, Beverly D’Angelo, Isabella Ferreira, Xander Berkeley, Ty Pennington, Kristanna Loken, Patricia Velasquez and Ashanti, who also serves as executive producer.
While the film is not explicitly religious, Stolo, CEO and producer at Robert Craig Films, called it “faith-infused” because it “really does embody Christian values of love and mercy and justice.”
A focus on human dignity
The movie highlights the dignity of the human person and the impact of church outreach on people who are homeless.
“It’s really about showing the humanity of those experiencing homelessness,” Stolo said. “Every person is made in the image of God and deserves dignity.”
According to a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the “number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024 was the highest ever recorded.” It found that 771,480 people — about 23 of every 10,000 — experienced homelessness in the United States, representing an overall increase of 18% from the year before. Within that increase, the number of children under 18 experiencing homelessness grew 33%, and the number of people in families with children grew 39%.
In response to the rising numbers, Robert Craig Films promises to give 50% of its net profits from the movie and related projects (an accompanying documentary, book, interactive study guide and soundtrack) to nonprofits addressing homelessness.
“We want to be able to give back in that way so that those organizations can thrive,” Stolo said, adding that they found 65% of the organizations addressing homelessness are faith-based.
A personal issue
Stolo revealed that film producers of “No Address” have been personally impacted by homelessness.
For her part, Stolo revealed that her husband, Keith Diederich, has served as CEO of The Gathering Inn, a homeless services system outside of Sacramento, California, for nearly a decade. The couple, together with their six children, are involved with combating homelessness, from volunteering to developing relationships with people who are homeless.
Robert Craig, founder and producer of Robert Craig Films, is involved in his church’s homeless ministry, Stolo added. An associate producer, Nikki Vogt, has experienced homelessness.
“It’s certainly close to our heart and we really want to make a difference through this movie,” Stolo said.
An encounter with reality
The stories of people experiencing homelessness are different from what people think, she said. The most common misconception she hears about people who are homeless is that they want to be homeless. These people are hurting and need help, she said.
“They want to be able to walk into a door, come into a home, have neighbors, have a community,” she said. “I think if we just keep that mindset … we can find solutions and different ways that we can help and support their dignity again.”
Stolo hoped that the film not only raised awareness but also sparked a movement, including among Christians. The film, she said, aligns with Jesus’s message to care for the homeless, the hungry and the marginalized.
“‘No Address’ is really an opportunity for Christians to live out their faith by getting involved,” she said.
3 ways to take action
Stolo listed three ways “No Address” viewers can take action to combat homelessness today: volunteering, donating to local organizations and taking the time to say “hello” to people out on the streets.
“You can walk by someone and say hello … pray for them,” Stolo said. “So many times people (experiencing homelessness) have told me it makes all the difference in the world.”
For her part, Stolo says she will never forget asking the man on the street for his name.
“I just remember that every time I walk by someone — that I don’t want you to feel invisible, I want you to be seen and heard,” she said. “If all of us could just do that a little bit more, I think things could be different.”
