Winter Survival Packs and Homeless Outreach Project
David The Waterman Ross and a woman on the streets in San Diego. Photo by Crystal Pyramids Production, 2007
Our Homeless Outreach Project strives to show that San Diegans see and care about the homeless. We strive to bring dignity to those in need and put a “face” on homelessness. We have learned that homelessness is not the stereotype so many people think of — our homeless community is filled with women, children, families, senior citizens, veterans who have proudly served this country, and disabled people who are not getting the life-saving medical care they need. We have tried to debunk the stereotype that homeless people are taking advantage of “the system” and looking for a “free ride” — this is not the despairing circumstances we see on the street. We challenge the callousness of a city that has primarily turned its back on its most vulnerable members through our Winter Survival Packs distributions, telling the stories of the homeless men, women, and children we meet, hosting open mic events that seek input on solutions from anyone who cares to pipe up, and community gatherings where both those with homes and those without are invited to join in.
For more information about the GTT Homeless Outreach Project:
- Learn about our Winter Survival Backpack Distributions.
- Read up the on Myths and Facts on Homelessness in San Diego.
- Organize an in-kind donation drive.
- Send an email to girlsthinktank@gmail.com at Rachel’s attention and let us know you’d like to join us!
Winter Survival Packs and Winter Distributions
GTT’s Winter Survival Backpacks are our signature project and have become a mainstay of our outreach program. The Winter Survival Backpacks are versatile backpacks that are donated or purchased from donations and contain a sleeping bag or blanket, poncho, beanie, gloves, socks, a laminated card with local resource phone numbers, a calling card or change to make calls from a public phone, toiletries, and other sundries. During the winters of 2006 and 2007, we raised enough money to provide nearly 700 of these backpacks to area homeless.
Winter Distribution 2007
In the winter of 2007, GTT passed out some 350 Winter Survival Backpacks to displaced folks, complete with a quality sleeping bag or blanket, beanie hat, gloves, socks, laminated resource card with numbers for different social services, hygiene products, hand-knitted scarves, water, flashlight, and non-perishable food items. We met hundreds of people on the streets of San Diego who have slipped through the cracks or fallen below that thin line separating the working poor who have housing and those without. We met elderly women in wheelchairs, disabled veterans, teenagers, pregnant women, families, and small children, all of whom we greeted with some warm gear and warm hearts.
Some of our work was documented by Channel 10 News reporter Juliette Vara in a news spot that aired in late November 2007. Click here to see the Channel 10 news spot.
Yvette de la Garza from the San Diego Union-Tribune and SignOnSanDiego.com chronicled our distribution work at the Neil Good Day Center. Check out the San Diego Union-Tribune’s video here.
Winter Distribution 2006
In the coldest months of 2006, we spent a lot of time pounding the pavement of San Diego’s city streets and meeting many who spend their days and nights there. We had recently come up with the idea for the Winter Survival Packs and it was our first run at deciding what gear to include, how to order it, how to assemble the packs, where to go once we had them ready, and to whom to give them. In this process, there were a lot of good laughs, but also a lot of harsh realities. Things like giving someone a pair of warm gloves only to see her still shivering in the dark cold night as we drove away humming to our favorite songs in our warm cars to return to our centrally-heated homes. We saw the tremendous humanity in people who were written off long ago. We witnessed more generosity and community amongst strangers who had nothing to give than we ordinarily saw in those who had much. We met a 4-day-old baby who was born into a homeless family, a 70-year-old veteran confined to a wheelchair, folks dumped by hospitals just hours before, and runaway teenagers who were pregnant, homeless, and scared.
For the stories of our journeys on the streets of San Diego in the winter of 2006:
- GTT’s First Phase Distribution Report.
- GTT’s Second Phase Distribution Report.
- GTT’sThird Phase Distribution Report.
Myths and Facts on Homelessness in San Diego
MYTH: The “homeless” are single men who are alcoholics or drug addicts.
FACT: Families, usually headed up by single moms, make up 32% of the homeless population. And about 50% of homeless women and children are fleeing abuse. There are 110 homeless children who are on their own in San Diego. And many of the single men you see on the streets are veterans - in fact 22% of San Diego’s homeless citizens are veterans.
When we were passing out winter survival backpacks this last year, we met mothers with 3-day old babies, and women who were 9-months pregnant with nowhere to go. We met old women and teenagers whose parents are homeless too so they don’t have the ability to go home. The face of homelessness in San Diego is much more diverse than we would have imagined.
MYTH: People who live on the streets want to be that way; they are lazy and just need a job.
FACT: Many people on the streets do work. Nationally, one out of four homeless is employed full- or part-time. Here in San Diego and the surrounding areas, 25% of the homeless are farm workers and day laborers.
Many people on the streets have fallen into hard times temporarily. Many have lost their jobs after years of employment. Others are victims. Some have suffered from child abuse or violence. All have lost their homes.
MYTH: If they aren’t lazy, homeless people are crazy.
FACT: It is true that mental illness is a problem on the streets but only 30% of homeless people suffer from mental illness. A big part of this is depression which may be situational. The other problem is that for people on the streets who suffer from mental illness, often they are not getting the medication and medical attention they need so it is a downward spiral where often they self-medicate to survive and then there is a dual diagnosis problem. As our friend David Ross (who I’m going to introduce in a moment) says, “if you weren’t crazy before you got on the streets, the streets will make you crazy.”
MYTH: Homeless people are like this for life; there’s no use in trying to help because they will always be on the streets.
FACT: The vast majority of people who are homeless are only on the streets temporarily. Of the 10,000 homeless people in San Diego, only 1,300 are chronically homeless. Nationwide, over 3 million people have been homeless for at least one night during the year. Many other people are on the brink of homelessness as rents in San Diego have sky rocketed - and are up 100% from 1990, whereas incomes have increased only 10%.
MYTH: There’s nothing I can do about homelessness.
FACT: There’s a lot you can do! Through banding together as the Girls Think Tank, we have realized now that we have the power to touch lives, to just get out there and lend a helping hand.
The GTT is now working towards putting together a transitional program for assisting people “one at a time” in getting off the streets. And we’re going to be working with David Ross, a dear friend and an absolute angel, to identify folks who are ready and able to make that transition. If you’re interested in helping with this or our winter survival backpack project, please let us know.
Click here for a Word version of Myths and Facts.
To get involved with our homeless project, send an email to Rachel’s attention at girlsthinktank@gmail.com.
Check out the Think Tank Files on Homelessness by clicking here.
