Tonight will be a good night. I am meeting with a fellow homeless advocate and we are going to crack a bottle of wine and brainstorm how to start our own nonprofit. As most of you know I began working in downtown Los Angeles about a
month ago in 'skid row'. The job has been, at times, rewarding however it is incredibly frustrating because none of the agencies work together. Funds are so scarce that most agencies will not help those clients who are not members of
their shelter. So I am thinking what the fuck?
The fact is, the majority of my clients are so paranoid, schizophrenic, or isolated they would rather be on the streets
because they don't trust being around people. Many of these clients have stayed in the emergency shelters and contracted lice, scabies, or had items stolen from them or witnessed violent fights so they choose to sleep on the streets where they actually feel safer. Because of this they are do not have access to hygiene and clothing items that most people in shelters have. And these agencies have basements full of clothing. Its power play at its worst. I dont know what I was thinking about assuming everyone who worked in 'skid row' had the best interest of homeless people in mind. Many people wont even call me back or if I am lucky enough to get an appointment to go and meet someone at an agency they tell me they cant help because the client has to be with me. How the fuck do you get someone who is paranoid schizophrenic into a car and take them some place they have never been. Its really ridiculous.
So I made some phone calls to the actual warehouse super agencies that deliver goods to these shelters and they laid down the facts. Find an agency that will sign off for goods for you and we can deliver goods to you through them. 'Sorry, we dont donate to county'. Frustration and chain smoking began. So I was thinking how hard could it be to start my own nonprofit. Well folks not that hard. You need to come up with $1,000 to register your group, fill out mounds of paperwork proving your mission, elect a board, obtain an employee number with your county office, and build a website. So, first things first we are going to come up with our name and mission statement then talk about some fundraising activities. I was thinking if one hundred people I knew donated ten bucks that would cover the register. ten bucks!
Hence my post. CAN ANYONE THINK OF A CATCHY NAME?
Our basic mission is to obtain donations of clothing and hygiene products that will be hand delivered to those who most need them and to offer hygiene baskets and metro bus passes to those just released from jails or hospitals.
The name I wanted most and that was most catchy to me was 'Never Nude'- :) However alex thought that was too shameful. I also like 'Shirt off your back'.
Ideas?
-me
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