Trevor Ferrell (born 1972) is an American citizen who, as a young teenager, caught the public's eye for his efforts to assist homeless people. He started ''Trevor’s Campaign for the Homeless'' in 1983, when he was 11 years old. On December 8, 1983, he watched a news program on street people. This prompted him to ask his parents, Frank and Janet Ferrell, how he could help. They drove their son into Philadelphia that night to give bedding to a homeless man who was sleeping on the sidewalk in front of the

Union League The Union Leagues were quasi-secretive men’s clubs established separately, starting in 1862, and continuing throughout the Civil War (1861–1865). The oldest Union League of America council member, an organization originally called "The Leag ...

in Center City. He and his parents later established a homeless shelter, ''Trevor's Place''. His parents also authored a book, also called ''Trevor's Place'', to further describe the actions thus accomplished, with a plea for further action. It was published in 1985. Trevor Farrell's work was recognized by President Ronald Reagan in the President's 1986

State of the Union address The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of each calendar year on the current conditi ...

. A TV movie dramatizing the shelter's activities, titled '' Christmas on Division Street'', aired in 1991. It featured actor

Fred Savage Frederick Aaron Savage (born July 9, 1976) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series ''The Wonder Years'' (1988 to 1993). He has earned several awards and nominations, such as ...

as Trevor. A 1994 episode of the series '' Lifestories: Families in Crisis'', titled ''Brotherly Love: The Trevor Ferrell Story'', also described his efforts. He attended Linden Hill School in

Northfield, Massachusetts Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Northfield was first settled in 1673. The population was 2,866 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Connecticut R ...

. When Ferrell was 18, the family discontinued its efforts in the campaign. Ferrell currently works for the

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and runs a thrift shop on

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in Philadelphia. In 1985, Ferrell received the Samuel S. Beard Award for Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 Years or Under, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferrell, Trevor 1972 births Living people Activists from Pennsylvania