An independent documentary · Oakland, California

GHOST
SLIPPERS

Every life has a story.
Every story deserves to be heard.

Community resources · Oakland and beyond

Find Help.
You're not invisible.

Whether you need a safe place to sleep, food, health support, or help navigating services, these starting points can connect you with organizations that provide assistance. You do not need to participate in our documentary to use these resources.

Need immediate help? If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. For a mental health or suicide crisis in the U.S., call or text 988. For local housing, food, and social service referrals, dial 211.

01 / Housing

Shelter & housing assistance

Dial 211 to ask about local shelter openings, housing support, and emergency services. You can also search for nearby shelter and service providers.

Call 211 →HUD Find Shelter ↗

02 / Food

Food & groceries

Find local food pantries and food distribution information through the Alameda County Community Food Bank. California residents can also explore food assistance benefits.

Alameda County Food Bank ↗BenefitsCal ↗

03 / Mental health

Someone to talk to

Free, confidential support is available through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24 hours a day. You can call, text, or use their website.

Call 988 →988 Lifeline ↗

04 / Work & other support

Jobs, benefits & referrals

For employment assistance, healthcare referrals, transportation support, and other needs, 211 can help you locate services in your area. California residents can also check eligibility for public benefits.

211 Resource Network ↗BenefitsCal ↗

Ghost Slippers shares these independent resources for public information; we do not operate or guarantee their services, availability, or eligibility. If a link does not work, call 211 for updated local referrals. Resources may be available in multiple languages; ask the service provider about interpretation.

01 / The Documentary

Beyond what the world sees.

Ghost Slippers is an independent documentary and community storytelling initiative rooted in Oakland, California. The project centers the lived experiences of people facing homelessness, creating space for stories too often overlooked.

Through personal interviews, observational filmmaking, photography, and oral histories, we hope to move beyond statistics and stereotypes toward something more human: memory, family, uncertainty, resilience, and the everyday realities of life.

This is a project in development. Its direction will be shaped through relationships, listening, and the informed participation of the people whose experiences it documents.

Our Guiding Belief

“No one should become invisible simply because they have nowhere to call home.”

02 / Our Approach

Stories told with dignity.

Listen first.

Center participants' own perspectives and make room for nuanced, personal accounts rather than predetermined narratives.

Consent matters.

Prioritize informed, ongoing consent, privacy, participant safety, and thoughtful decisions about how stories and images are shared.

Value people's time.

Plan for fair participant compensation and transparent payment practices, alongside responsible compensation for collaborators.

03 / Oakland Through Our Eyes

One city. Many perspectives.

An evolving photographic journal of streets, water, architecture, light, and ordinary moments. Photography by Doan On. These images offer a personal view of Oakland and the surrounding Bay Area. Please request permission before reproducing or distributing photographs.

Skyline details photographed in the Bay Area — Skyline details · Photography by Doan On

Sun through the trees photographed in the Bay Area — Sun through the trees · Photography by Doan On

Lake Merritt birds photographed in the Bay Area — Lake Merritt birds · Photography by Doan On

City architecture photographed in the Bay Area — City architecture · Photography by Doan On

Street mural photographed in the Bay Area — Street mural · Photography by Doan On

Afternoon light photographed in the Bay Area — Afternoon light · Photography by Doan On

Downtown streets photographed in the Bay Area — Downtown streets · Photography by Doan On

Urban geometry photographed in the Bay Area — Urban geometry · Photography by Doan On

Golden skyline photographed in the Bay Area — Golden skyline · Photography by Doan On

Evening on the street photographed in the Bay Area — Evening on the street · Photography by Doan On

Lights across the water photographed in the Bay Area — Lights across the water · Photography by Doan On

A quiet silhouette photographed in the Bay Area — A quiet silhouette · Photography by Doan On

Sailing at dusk photographed in the Bay Area — Sailing at dusk · Photography by Doan On

Lake Merritt panorama photographed in the Bay Area — Lake Merritt panorama · Photography by Doan On

Looking across the lake photographed in the Bay Area — Looking across the lake · Photography by Doan On

04 / The People Behind the Camera

Rooted in Oakland.

Ghost Slippers is being developed by a small family-led production team with a commitment to community storytelling and ethical documentary practice.

Creator · Director · Interviewer

Samnang On

Oakland-based storyteller leading the documentary's vision, interviews, and community relationships.

Videography · Production Assistance

Doan On

Contributing original photography and supporting visual production. Media requests and personal inquiries about young family contributors are handled by the project director.

05 / The Vision

More than a film.

Our long-term vision includes community screenings, photography and art collaborations, educational resources, and a potential oral-history publication. These are development goals, not yet announced programs.

Project status: In development. We are exploring fiscal sponsorship and grant funding. No fiscal sponsor is confirmed at this time.

06 / Our Commitment

Ethical storytelling.
Human dignity first.

Ghost Slippers exists to listen to and share the experiences of people facing homelessness, including the realities of food insecurity, housing instability, and the search for safety and shelter. Our mission is to illuminate humanity, not exploit hardship.

Choice and consent.

Participation is voluntary. We prioritize informed, ongoing consent, safety, privacy, and clear choices about how interviews and images may be used.

People before publicity.

We do not pressure participants to disclose trauma or participate in outside media coverage. We aim to compensate participants fairly for their time, not for dramatic stories.

Protect our contributors.

Our younger family contributors are not public spokespeople. Their private lives, contact information, school information, and whereabouts are not available to the press.

07 / Media & Press

Our mission comes first.

Ghost Slippers welcomes responsible coverage that helps the public understand homelessness and the people affected by it. Media access is never a condition of supporting this project.

All interview and press requests must be submitted in writing with the outlet name, proposed topics, intended format, and expected publication or broadcast date. Samnang On, creator and director, is the primary project spokesperson.

We may decline requests or set boundaries on our voluntary participation. We do not provide private participant information, confidential production conversations, unpublished footage, or access to family members without appropriate permission. Doan and Zuri are not available for media interviews through the project unless separately and voluntarily authorized with appropriate parental safeguards.

Photographs, footage, and other original materials may require permission or a license for reuse, subject to applicable law. Ghost Slippers retains editorial independence over its own production. Outside journalists remain responsible for their own reporting and editorial decisions.

To request an interview or licensing discussion, contact the project director at ghostslippersdocumentary@gmail.com. Please do not approach young contributors directly.

08 / Connect

Help make room
for these stories.

We welcome conversations with potential documentary collaborators, artists, community organizations, grantmakers, and prospective fiscal sponsors.

For documentary collaborations, grant opportunities, fiscal sponsorship, and media inquiries, please contact our production team at ghostslippersdocumentary@gmail.com.

Contact the Project

GHOSTSLIPPERS

Find Help.You're not invisible.