Alfonso Brown

The truth is the only difference between what we hear and see. Let's Get to Work is a presentation organization tasked with bridging the gap between our communities' haves and have-nots. We strive to unite people and create meaningful change through reality. Read more about how LgTW is using personal experiences, education, and community collectives to raise awareness of the importance of reducing the disparity in quality of life in our society. Please use contact to get more info.

My Recent Work

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From Football to the Classroom

Al Brown took his biggest disappointment and turned it into something positive.

Brown had it all figured out. The running back/linebacker for Central Washington University’s football team in 1992-1994 dropped out of school to pursue a career in football.

He injured his leg during his first game on the semi-professional circuit. With his plan dashed, Brown entered the workforce as a barber but held on to a personal pact he made when he was 8 years old – he would try out for the Dallas Cowboys.
Photo by Tyler Lastovich on Pexels
91.3 KBCS •

Homeless but not Hopeless; Riding the Bus to a Better Future

The bus is a means to a better life for Al Brown. Brown is homeless but not hopeless. He has been homeless for years but that has not determined his outlook on life. Brown is a college student who depends on the bus to move him towards a better future. Whitney Henry-Lester brings us Al’s dispatch alongside Seattle PI photographer, Grant Hindsley. Grant spent the day with Al and captured his commute in photos.

Click here for more What’s the Flux?: Commuter Dispatch stories.
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Clover Park Graduate Reaches New Heights Despite Lacking Home

Al Brown is the definition of an inspiration, though he wouldn’t say that about himself.

“Not a lot of people stay the course —I’m not the norm, but I’m not special,” Brown said. “Our circumstances affect our choices, but you have a choice.”

Last month, Brown graduated from The Evergreen State College with a bachelor’s degree after previously transferring from Clover Park Technical College. What makes him unique among the hundreds of similar graduates is the fact that he spent the last several
Photo by Ted McDonnell on Pexels
Pioneer Human Services •

A Journey to Success with the Unstoppable Al Brown

How many people do you know that have successfully pursued a bachelor’s and master’s degree while struggling with being homeless and working several jobs? Meet Al.

Al’s grandma knew he had something special inside of him and needed more in life then what a small town in Georgia could offer. She saw his drive and budding curiosity growing daily. Al had been living with his grandma as his mom had him at just 14 years old and could not provide for him as well. When Al turned 14, his grandma decide
Photo by Teddy Joseph on Pexels
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CPTC alumnus overcomes odds to earn doctoral degree

Al Brown plans to use his research and lived experience with homelessness to help others.

The number of individuals who go on from a four-year college or university to get a doctorate is small. The number who reach that pinnacle from a two-year institution is even smaller. When the challenges of homelessness are part of the equation, the achievement should simply be unattainable.

But Al Brown doesn’t believe in impossible. Despite his lack of housing throughout most of his college career, the
Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Pexels

Brown, Alfonso - Northwest ORCA

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Alfonso “Al” Brown conducted by dindria barrow on November 3, 2022. In this interview, Al shares his philosophies on life as well as the key tenets that have helped him survive failure, pain, suffering and homelessness to ultimately find that hope is what is needed to transform your own life as well as others’. Al talks about his work in the community and how he plans on making a difference bringing collegiate theory into real-world practice. Al has be
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

Perceived Skills and Job Training Needs of People Experiencing Homelessness

There has been an ongoing debate about the factors that cause homelessness. Some argue that homelessness results primarily from a broken housing policy system. Others believe individual behavioral factors and lifestyle choices mainly cause homelessness. This is important because public attitudes toward homelessness influence local policies and services for individuals living this experience. Whether the cause is system-based or on the individual, few studies show links between homeless skills an
Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels

Amazon.com: HOMELESS: AGAINST ALL ODDS eBook : Brown, Dr. Alfonso, Brown, Alfonso

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are words America is built on. For many worldwide, the United States' freedoms are the doorway to a better life. Yet, this is different from the reality for most. The idea for this memoir came from my almost ten years of homelessness experience and, more importantly, from the millions of individuals who are currently living through this circumstance. In 2009, I lost my job and was houseless a little over a year later. Almost a decade would pass before
The B-Town (Burien) Blog •

B-TOONS: Meet Dr. Al Brown, who spent a summer living homeless in Burien

In Dec. 2023, The B-Town Blog introduced a new cartoon series that profiles homeless residents regarding their experiences in Burien.

Each resident has experienced the horrors of homelessness, and has survived harrowing and often deeply disturbing experiences.

In Burien, the homeless are vulnerable, often harassed, and often targets of violence. They wish to be treated with basic human decency, and to find homes as soon as possible, and we are doing our best to share their stories.

Below is a

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