THE BIG PUSH FOR TENTS, TARPS AND CAMPING EQUIPMENT
Our major project right now is furnishing tents for people who want to move
out to 39th Avenue, to the woods near Grace Market Place. I’m usually pretty
conservative about spending money on items other than food and water, especially
in the summer, but this is our big chance to help people move away from lives of
misery, sleeping on pavement, or in illegal campsites where they have uncertain
access to water, no place to dispose of garbage, may be far from services, and
are subject to eviction at any time. When the City came up with 2000 one-year
bus passes, that was the turning point. Every day this week someone has come to
me for a tent, and there is an air of optimism among our friends. This is the
first big break the unsheltered homeless people have received. In bad weather
people near the market place will have a place to go – not just in winter when
the temperature goes below 45 degrees. There is a horror in people sleeping
outside when it’s 46 degrees and raining, or during violent thunder storms, or
when hurricanes are on the way and they may be bashed by a tree falling on their
tents. This horror is ending for those who move! As time goes by more services
will be added and as more members of our community get involved with their
homeless neighbors, more people will make their way out of homelessness
altogether. So this is everyone’s big chance to make a real difference. If you
can donate a tent, if you have some camping supplies you don’t need anymore, if
you can donate some money for buying tents –please do this! Although people
moving from Tent City may already have tents, many of them are so old and ratty
they can’t be moved without falling apart. The whole community needs to come
together and make this happen!
In the meantime, we are doing our summer water outreach, and will continue
to do so as long as it’s needed. The move to 39th Avenue is going to be in
stages. It will not be, as my hilarious husband says, “The Homeless Rapture.”
So we need water donations also. And BUG SPRAY! All campers, in town and out
on 39th Avenue, are being tortured by clouds of mosquitos. Every can of bug
spray donated is an answer to prayer at this time of year.
THE FUTURE OF THE HOME VAN
The Home Van is not going out of business (some people heard that rumor).
We will continue to do what we can, as long as we are needed. Freeman and I are
Taoists and we will be following the Tao of this change, seeing where we are
needed. To the best of my knowledge, the Williston Road encampment is not
being closed down. The portion of Tent City that is along the bike path will be
closed down on June 1, so far as I know, as the owner wants to sell the land.
We are hoping that the people there will move to 39th Avenue, and will do
whatever we can to to support that. Some of the folks from Occupy Gainesville
are also very active in supporting this move. They have been scouting out good
campsites on 39th Avenue and furnishing transportation for people and their
belongings.
peace and love to everyone,
arupa
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Home Van needs tents, tarps, bottled water, insect repellant,
Vienna sausages, creamy peanut butter, jelly, candles, white tube socks,
batteries, and games. Call 352-372-4825 to arrange for drop off. Financial
donations to the Home Van should be in the form of checks made out to Citizens
for Social Justice, Inc., earmarked for the Home Van, and mailed to 307 SE 6th
Street, Gainesville, FL 32601, or can be made online at
http://homevan.blogspot.com/
THE
HOMEVAN IS A PROJECT OF CITIZENS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, INC. (FDACSREGISTRATION
#CH35643). A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE
OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE
(800-435-7352) WITHIN THE
STATE.REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY
THE
STATE.
