Brandt Russo | Can’t Ignore The Poor
Written By: Jameson Ketchum

ack in August we brought you the story of Brandt Russo, a regular guy who felt God’s call to sell off his possessions and join the poor on a mission to remind us (and himself) why God never gives up on us. His clothing company, Can’t Ignore the Poor, was born out of an inspiration that couldn’t be swept under the rug. God has given this guy an incredible gift and drive to keep the homeless in the forefront of our minds as Christians, as people.  This month we bring you more on the Brandt Russo.

Tell us about when the idea of Can’t Ignore The Poor came to you?

Brandt Russo: Last year in April, a few friends and I decided to watch a documentary called “Born Into Brothels”. It was about a woman who moved to the redlight district of Calcutta to help children born into whorehouses, basically. She gave them a point and shoot camera and taught them basic photography skills. Her vision was to get them to shoot ‘through the eyes of a child’ and take the prints back to New York to auction them off, using the proceeds to fund their education, and get them away from the sex industry. As I was watching, I felt this incredible sense of urgency to help, and started to rack my brain for ideas. My roommates at the time had a screen printing press in the garage, single screen, real simple, and we decided to make a quick shirt design. I posted MySpace bulletins and sold them on the Texas A&M campus, printing on ANYTHING we could find. I couldnt just watch that movie and ignore the longing. I had to help these kids, so I just did what I could, and the rest is history, I suppose.

You have a few bands backing CITP. How did these connections come about and what do they do to represent the company?

BR: Most of them were just my best friends that supported my dreams and loved the idea behind CITP. Its slowly getting more recognizable in the music scene, and soon I hope to be able to sponsor many more bands with a heart for change. I grew up in the music scene, and have been in my fair share of hardcore bands, so I want its influence to be used in a way that affects change. On my down time, I actually tour with Before There Was Rosalyn and sell shirts on the road along with educating and encouraging kids about how they can reach out and begin to change lives. The bands have been huge in getting the word out.

Why do you think that homelessness has become something that our society, and more importantly the church, has chosen to push to the wayside?

BR: I think that the bottom line is that we are a people who go out of our way to blame someone else for the things that go wrong in the world. Compassion is a lost artform, and its much easier to ignore a ‘crackhead’ then it is a loving father that lost his job and is struggling to make payments. Even those of us with the best of intentions fall prey to the tactics used by the media to dehumanize these beautiful yet broken people.

What advice do you have for the average person who wants to help but feels like the problem is too overwhelming?

BR: Mother Teresa said many things worthy of being quoted, but there are two that I feel are terribly fitting for this question. The first is that “If you can’t feed 100 people, feed just one”, and the second is that “God doesn’t require us to succeed; He only requires us to try.”. Living in a broken world with broken systems will always produce broken people. The best, and only thing the average person can do, is merely love their neighbor. Just begin by finding one person, connecting with them, and doing all you can to help their situation. It will prove not only to play a part in the healing process for them, but you as well. We are all called to love, and there are a million things that could keep us busy if only we had eyes to see like Jesus sees. Be the change that God expects to see in this world. The only thing holding you back is you.

Tell us how the veggie oil bus came into existence and how you use that to help others?

BR: It was just another one of those crazy ideas I had that panned out better then I could have ever figured. While I was traveling homeless a couple of years back, I had a dream about having a school bus that worked as a homeless shelter that basically never closed and within a few days of sharing my vision, I had a fullsize 1987 GMC schoolbus. Me and friends all over the USA helped me gut it, build beds and a kitchen and shelves and a couch and just make it as cozy and ‘homelike’ as possible. I have picked up more homeless folks and hitchhikers than I can even count. The bus has been such a blessing, not only to me, but to those just needing a ride or a place to sleep on a cold night. The veggie oil was just logical because I had absolutely no money to travel, and God made this dream a reality. I just filmed a movie thats coming out this month (http://www.myspace.com/adoptajesusfilm) in the bus. Bob Wilkinson, a producer from PBS hit the road with me last year for 14 days and just documented what it was like to live and travel in the bus and help folks. It was fantastic.

So you have some new endeavors coming up. Tell us a bit about your renewed love for photography?

BR: Basically I dream of documenting injustice in its many different forms (skid row in LA; types of urban poverty like new orleans, philadelphia, and someday overseas etc.) and eventually having a gallery of sorts to raise awareness and bring well needed education. The idea is to be able to auction off the prints and the money will go towards rehabilitation and restoration of the subjects involved. I have dreams, when eventually settling down, to have a space where I could set up art easels and drums on the sidewalk to attract anyone who feels like being creative. You can open your Bible to its beginning pages to see how much of an artist our Creator is, and we were made in His very image and likeness. I think that’s why art mediums have such a way of inspiring change and stirring emotion. I want to be able to capture what moves me, and share that with the world (while being able to support myself and my ministry). I feel so strongly about this, and will work my hands to the bones to be able to afford this and make it happen.

You recently made a new friend who has been helping you spread the word. Can you tell us a bit about this?

BR: I recently have been getting to know Demi Lovato. For those of you who dont know who she is, she stars in the Disney channel show, “Sonny With a Chance”, and feature films like Princess Protection Program and Camp Rock. Its pretty hilarious how we started on talking on Twitter, and whats even more hilarious is when she tweeted about my website, in a matter of minutes it overloaded and shut down. We have been talking here and there, and its been such an amazing thing. Demi is incredibly talented and has such a great heart to change this world and inspire people with her music. Since the Twitter shoutout, I have been getting HUNDREDS of emails from Demi fans with questions about Jesus and the poor, and its been such a blessing to be able to reach out to that scene of kids. I recently hung out in L.A. with her photographer, Dirk Mai, and we talked about collaborating on Skid Row and shooting together, so God is putting the most unlikely yet incredible people in my path. I would have never imagined my story and the story of CITP reaching as many ears and hearts as it has, and I just hope that those relationships continue to create change in this world.

How do you feel about these two “scenes” being bridged?

BR: Terribly excited. Thats really all I can say. There is a kid inside of every one of us, and I think its healthy to be that kid more often then none. I feel that this generation is one that will affect much needed change, and we have to be open to not only shaping the ideas in the minds of these kids, but allowing their ideas to shape ours as well. I forget who said it, but I heard that violence is for those who have lost their imagination. Jesus said that we couldn’t enter the kingdom of Heaven unless like a child, so to be able to invite these kids into my life and the lives of the hurting and broken is a beautiful thing. I didn’t really start to question the world around me until I was 22 years old, and it took a lot to change my mind about a lot of things and ideas that were laid like concrete foundations in my mind. I am just blessed to have a voice (for whatever reason) that is heard, and pray that the message stays pure and easy enough for Disney kids to understand (laughs).

The common view among people involving helping the poor is the standard “Oh they’ll just use the money to buy beer or drugs” or “They’re only homeless because they’re lazy”. How do you fight these claims?

BR: I truly don’t think Jesus had a litmus test He conducted to figure out who to help and who to disregard. He commanded us to love everyone, and to give to all who asks. What is amazing about most homeless people I meet is that their addictions were acquired on the streets as opposed to their addictions LEADING them to the streets. Most I meet are honest, hard working folks who caught a patch of bad luck and now, years later, pop whatever pill dulls out the pain. The most needed thing among the homeless is relationships. Not only a hand up, but a heart who is just as invested in them as God is. Its hard to fight these claims, because they can often be true. I get screwed over by homeless folks often, but whats funny is its usually just as often as I do with the ‘honest’ christians I know (laughs). The bottom line is that if we took the time to simply get to know the poor, we will soon realize how we are all human, and in need of grace and love. Regardless of how many times I get screwed over helping the homeless, I will never give up on them for the simple fact that for the millions of times I screw God over and yet for some reason, He continues to be there for me.

I recently read your blog about your iphone. I thought your response was very revealing and honest. Do you encounter this type of thing often?

BR: All the time. I think with ‘non profit’ types, there is tons of skepticism of where the money goes. Especially with my past, and selling everything I had and giving the money away to the poor, I have plenty of people who don’t understand my lifestyle and find it easier to criticize than actually take the time to process the idea and see how similar ideas would affect their own lives. Its hard to preach a message of compassion without your fair share of people who feel entitled to the things they have and have no desire to part with them, regardless of how much others need our assistance more then we need our ‘things’. I have just come to the understanding that EVERYTHING we have in our lives is a gift, and we are held divinely responsible to GIVE. There really isn’t a day where I go without criticism for SOMETHING I do, but I have to continue to remember those who came before me, and the exact same things happened to them. Criticism can most often be taken as a sign of progress, which way your progressing is completely up to you. I am just on a journey to find out what I need in life to live with joy, and the more I can give away to bring life to others, I will.