- [Interviewer] James.
- Yes.
- [Interviewer] We're here in Columbus, Ohio.
You're out on the streets homeless, tell me about it.
- Yeah, I've been out here for about 30 days.
I was recently diagnosed with mental illness,
I didn't know I had, currently on a waiting list
to get into a homeless shelter in Columbus, Ohio.
All the homeless shelters are overcrowded.
Seems like to me that the social services
could do a better job to help people,
so you don't have to sleep on the street, you know.
Maybe they could build a new shelter
that holds more people or something.
- [Interviewer] Well, you were saying, you know,
that the shelter is full, build a new shelter.
- Right.
- [Interviewer] It just makes common sense.
- Right, or find a solution to end homelessness, you know?
- [Interviewer] Now, how do you survive out here?
- Just by people's generosity, man.
A quarter here, a dollar there, sometimes people
buy you something to eat or a cup of coffee.
It's been really rough on me for the last 30 days.
I'm not used to this.
- [Interviewer] Now, where are you sleeping at?
- On the sidewalk on High and Hubbard,
the side of United Dairy Farmers, under a camera.
In case someone was to kick me or something,
at least it would be on camera, you know.
- [Interviewer] You feel safe there?
- Yeah, somewhat.
- [Interviewer] Well, what's a day like?
- It's been cold recently, you know,
finally it's starting to warm up a little bit.
- [Interviewer] You're sitting here panhandling
and there's people walking by constantly.
- Yeah, there's thousands of people walking by,
maybe one in a thousand might give you a dollar or 50 cents.
- [Interviewer] That's gotta be horrible.
- A lot of people won't even look at you.
Some people yell "get a job."
You know, it's hard, it's really hard on the person.
- [Interviewer] Well, you have a dream though.
You've started a business.
- Yes, absolutely, eternitygravestones.com,
I created it from my heart.
My mother passed away of bone cancer
and my dog was murdered three days later.
So, from my heart I created Eternity Gravestones.
It cost a lot of money to build
the program the way I want it,
but I've received response from
all over the world about this.
- [Interviewer] It's a good idea.
- Yeah, absolutely, Shark Tank TV show
said they might have me on, an Oprah Winfrey magazine
said they'll feature me if I can build my following.
It's free to hit like and follow,
it doesn't cost anyone anything.
- [Interviewer] Yeah, I'll put your social media
links in the description.
- I appreciate it.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
Tell me what you're gonna, it's a virtual gravestones.
- Yeah, it's a virtual gravestones
and virtual tombstones, graveyards, pet-stones and urns.
- [Interviewer] Wow.
- And there'll be some side-programs on there,
with the Eternity's Gate and the family tree of life,
that links to all your family members,
you can write your own obituaries.
The most beautiful things you can imagine,
they'll never rust or rot or corrode or be vandalized,
as long as the internet exists,
you exist for your family member.
Their essence lives on.
You can upload pictures and videos,
this is based on a social media platform.
- [Interviewer] It's brilliant, it's a brilliant idea.
- Thank you.
- [Interviewer] It's a brilliant idea.
What would you want people to know about homelessness,
if they don't know.
- It's really hard out here and this is not something
that people choose to do, this is not by choice,
and I'm a person like anybody else, you know.
I'm just in a bad situation and as soon as I can
I'll be out of it, you know.
- [Interviewer] If you had three wishes, what would they be?
- Three wishes, that my business would be successful
and help people all over the world.
That people would be more kind to each other
and caring from their heart,
and there would be an end to homelessness everywhere.
Homelessness and hunger everywhere.
- [Interviewer] Well, thank you very much for talking to us.
- Thank you, sir.
(electronic music)