A few months back we learned of Amy Krigsman's Backpack Brigade idea and have been following along with her project. We invited Amy to share her experience on the blog. Thanks for reading.
My name is Amy Krigsman. I
attended LeaderShape's Institute program Boston in May 2014. As a part of our journey at
the Institute, we are tasked with coming up with our vision for the world and how
we would go about achieving that vision. I will tell you that eradicating homelessness
was not my vision then. It has become one of them since.
This all started with a YouTube
video of a kid in California that put together some backpacks and took to
the streets to hand them out to the homeless. The smiles on those people's faces
were contagious. I knew I wanted to do something similar in my community. I
reached out to several different organizations that I was a part of and had
very little success.
The first attempt at this project
was done with a small group and yielded about 10 backpacks. We took to the
streets of downtown Dallas and the reactions we got were indescribable. The
gratitude written on the faces of those we’d helped was priceless. The
experience was intense, to say the least, and it made me reevaluate the things
I took for granted: fresh fruits and vegetables, the television with 500
channels and still nothing to watch, a hot shower, my mind. But we didn't
anticipate how extensive and hard-hit homelessness was in Dallas.
Just below the overpass of I-30
where it intersects 45, you'll find a city within a city. This city is built
with tents and camp chairs. It extends out for several blocks, a neighborhood
of abandoned homes and businesses being used as shelter for those that have
nowhere else to call home.
I knew I had to do more. I
regrouped and decided my next goal was to assemble and distribute 100 backpacks
and hot meals, to increase my efforts tenfold.
On Saturday, August 22,
a group of 12 met downtown with 60 backpacks and jambalaya in tow. The distribution
itself was frenzied, but the gratitude radiated. Following the distribution, we
had the opportunity to walk around and talk to the residents, to find out more
about them and what they needed. In addition, important contacts were made with
other groups also on a mission to find a solution.
The project raised over $1,200 in
monetary donations and another $1,000 worth of product donations. I am
completely blown away by the support this project has received in such a short
amount of time.
The goal of this project was not
to facilitate or enable a cycle. It was to be kind and generous and to let our
fellow men and women know that they are not forgotten and that they matter.
The problem with homelessness in
America is not that there are no resources. The problem is that resources are
few and people that care are fewer. Further, there is no solution, only
Band-Aids to cover up the problem so we don’t see it. What needs to happen is
the establishment of dedicated facilities that take in the homeless and
rehabilitate them, instead of turning them back out on the street. These
facilities need to include shelter, drug addiction counseling, and career
counseling, so those in need can truly be integrated back into society and have
a solid foundation to build on.
If homelessness is to be
eradicated, the conversation surrounding it needs to change. I want you to stop
for a minute and think about the last time you saw someone on the street asking
for help. What thoughts were going through your head? Did you wonder why they
couldn’t just go out and get a job instead of begging for your hard-earned
money? Did you help them or did you keep driving? Did you even make eye
contact? Up until about six months ago, I was one of those people that didn’t
make eye contact and kept driving. Part of that was my upbringing. I grew up in
an environment that did not look favorably on the poor and decrepit and did not
see homelessness as a cause worthy of donating to. Part of initiating this
project was overcoming my own stereotypes and changing the conversation I had
with myself.
My hope is that the Backpack
Brigade will become a force that has the ability to start to change the
conversation surrounding homelessness. Because the Backpack Brigade is not a
registered 501(c)3 at the present time, finding support is difficult, however,
the next round of backpacks are tentatively scheduled to go out in March and
then again in October. Beyond that, my goal for this cause is to establish a
501(c)3 non-profit and build a facility dedicated to rehabilitating the
homeless. That is a 2- to 3-year plan.
The possibilities for
contributing to the cause are literally endless. We realized on Saturday that
even the 60 backpacks we were able to put together were not enough. In March, I
hope to double the number of backpacks we are able to hand out. It is never too
soon to begin donating funds or supplies. I will be rebooting the GoFundMe page
within the next few weeks, as well as reaching out to potential corporate
sponsors. Recognition will be a huge part of this. The more people that know
about our efforts and the problem at hand, the more we can do to solve it.
Media support is something that I desperately hope to acquire before the next
round in March. If you or anyone you know are interested in supporting the Backpack
Brigade, I can be contacted by email at a-krigs15@att.net.
