I Have A Name Project

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The I Have A Name Project (IHAN) started in 2007 in Phoenix, Arizona. It was created by photographer Jon Linton to raise homelessness awareness and inspire empathy. The goal was to photograph homeless people and learn their names, so they would be seen as individuals with stories, not just faces on the street. A turning moment came when Linton met Chuck Ridgeway, a Vietnam War veteran, who cried as he told him, “You have no idea how long it has been since someone cared to ask my name.” After that, Linton continued interviewing and photographing more people living on the streets to share their humanity with the public.

The project slowed after the 2008 recession. In 2013, Linton released a video made from the 2007 photos and posted it on Facebook; it quickly drew attention, reaching about 30,000 views in two weeks. IHAN received pro bono legal help from the Barry Goldwater Foundation and crowdfunding support. A dedicated IHAN Facebook page was launched in September 2013. Linton, a longtime Arizona resident, has long tried to help the needy and has written about homeless youth, describing homelessness as an “Invisible World.” He also publishes an art book titled I Have a Name, a 96-page softcover work with contributions from other artists.

IHAN grew beyond photography to include paintings, mixed media, and writing. The project also looked to create a mural about homelessness and encouraged college students to get involved. Photo exhibits in Phoenix and Tucson displayed the subjects’ names alongside the photos, inviting viewers to focus on their identities. The images have been described as quietly powerful, conveying a sense of isolation and resilience. IHAN has worked with the Carlos G. Figueroa Foundation; Figueroa was a homeless man in Arizona who was murdered in 2003. One observer noted that giving a person a name helps them become more than just a face on the street. An Arizona exhibit was dedicated to Summer Francis Smith, a homeless teen who had died.

In 2015 IHAN showed its work in Los Angeles with other artists. After this exhibit, Linton said there might be no more exhibits and that he would devote more effort to outreach and helping the homeless directly. The project has grown online, gathering more than 40,000 followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. It has reached people in many countries, with mentions from celebrities like Adrian Grenier on social media. Linton has received messages from people around the world, from Juneau, Alaska to Sydney, Australia, saying IHAN changed how they think about homelessness. The project has also shared personal messages, including a note from the mother of Summer Francis Smith, a homeless teen who was killed, saying Summer was a tortured but beautiful free spirit and “an angel.”