As most of you know, I designed a project to help the homeless but I could not gain traction with the public sector for funding and the RV involvement became too cumbersome to configure financially. So I have been tossing ideas in my head of late and realize the project doesn’t need the RV at all. We can serve more people easier and probably get some funding quicker as well. So this leads me to the redraft of the project without the RV.
The skeleton of the project is the same. Our target demographic is veterans and kids aging out of the foster care system. Once that is in motion our demographic will expand. Without the RV that means the project will need to get the participants to their destination by plane, train, bus or car.
Once the person registers and is vetted into the program there is an interview process to see what farm will work best. There are vineyards, organic farms, some with and without animals, requested state, as well as the type of community they want to be part of. The interview helps match the participant up with the right destination. Every destination has different requirements and expectations. The goal is to Re-Home the participant into the new community as an asset.
30 day residential training program, during the 30 days the participate will learn a myriad of skills with hands on learning. Housed in a bunk house style with communal eating and gathering, creating an initial community before they head out. Once the participant is trained (I have the complete training already built). We give them the log in to their online portal of support. This portal is already built but will eventually change platforms once I launch. In the member portal are support links and a type of social media within the organization to share stories and virtually support one another.
There are people in major cities caught in the housing crisis with sky rocketing rents and lack of living wages. We have kids turning 18 that age out of the foster care system with no safety net and no community to protect them, we have veterans sleeping on the street. Now on the flip side there are farmers, land owners and semi off grid communities out there that need help running their land and are willing and able to offer up a place to live for the right people into their community in return for help working the land. We already see this thru organizations like WWOOF and workingcouples.com. Plenty more not online advertising for help. So I couple the 2 and find ways to Re-Home the individual.
What do I need to get started? Funding. There is a complete project behind this with a 3 city budget as well. We are a 501C3 non profit. My goal is to detail out the plans and budget and try and crowd fund the money. We see when people donate small amounts, combined it becomes enough. I already looked at public funding but the politicians I met with (AD66 Assembly Al Marutsuchi, Congressman Ted Lieu and Senator Ben Allen) They all offered support but none understood the impact this could have on their constituents. So I feel that it is up to us to make this happen. $1 at a time we can do this.
If you or your organization is interested in donating or partnering please contact me here. I am working on updating the project and adding the 3 city budget in as well as the redesign of the web site to not only take participant applications but also host application for land owners who are looking for the help. Each participant is vetted before entry into the program.
Until the next post……
Sounds exiting and well needed, I will help.