17 ITEMS
Operation Save the Streets interviewed homeless community members to determine the single most beneficial items we could bring to them. How could we get the most bang for the buck?
Shelter
TARP, TENT, SLEEPING BAG, BLANKET, ROPE, FLASHLIGHT, BATTERIES
Shelter from the elements is not easy on the streets, where every night is a fresh battle to secure a safe place to rest. The need for tarps, tents, sleeping bags and blankets are simple to understand. A flashlight and batteries makes the nights shorter and safer. Not only do we provide blankets for street use, we regularly pick them up during the daytime and clean them for return before nightfall.
Work/Income
WORK GLOVES (SEE ALSO: MOBILE CLOSET & JOB REFERRAL PROGRAM)
It's a fact of life on the streets that many derive income from the recycling of glass and metal pulled from trash receptacles. Cuts and infections go along with that work as well as other "helper" tasks one might secure, so in order to protect the ability to earn income, one must protect the hands.
Personal Care
SOAP, WIPES, DEODORANT, LOTION, TOOTHBRUSH, TOOTHPASTE, FIRST AID KIT, FEMININE KIT, UNDERGARMENTS
The need for personal care, cleanliness and protection does not end. Ever. The slightest cut or scrape, a regular effect of street living, can lead to disastrous consequences if not cleaned and treated. Tooth issues are common and only compound with time and poor care. And most of our human dignity comes from opportunities to present ourselves cleanly to the world.
MOBILE CLOSET
With seasonal changes and frequent theft, confiscation or damage to what few personal items a person living on the streets might be able to have, it is imperative to provide an ongoing supply of weather-appropriate clothing to those in need. Our Mobile Closet furnishes clothing of all types including apparel suited for jobseekers to present well in any of their efforts. Anyone who has ever attempted to secure work knows what a nerve-racking process it is, even for the most experienced, skilled workers. Imagine what it would be like to put yourself out there when you have no clean clothes to change into, there is no dinner waiting at a comfortable place called home, and you're unwell from exposure.
Our closet manager is there to wheel improved health, confidence and success right to our citizens including shoes and accessories. If you volunteer with us, don't be surprised to see folks changing clothes in the middle of the street without a care in the world. On the streets, the priorities are crystal clear. The need is great. The help is deeply appreciated.
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JOB REFERRALS
Operation Save the Streets is more than happy to facilitate or coordinate the matching of your Los Angeles/Lancaster/Antelope Valley jobs or gigs that help our homeless population get back on their feet. Please post details of any job offerings, gigs, tasks, etc and we'll spread the word!
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