Hope For the Homeless

By: Megan Bouma, Maya Parker & Lucinda Li

Overview of Issue
Every year over 3 million people are homeless in the United States alone (“Homeless”).
This crisis has become progressively more severe, and without help, there is no telling what the
future holds for the homeless population. With affordable housing becoming more expensive
and exclusive, having a house is not an attainable reality for all (“Homeless”). The homeless do
not just struggle to find reasonable housing, though. The struggle expands to areas of
employment, health care, food, and other everyday necessities. What’s more, a negative stigma
has been created around the social status of those without a home ("Homeless"). As a result,
many homeless people are left feeling worthless and without a real purpose. The homeless
population is often looked down upon, disregarded, and unaided by the standard individual of
the American society. In 2018, California hit a record of 129,972 people living homeless,
emphasizing that the homeless crisis is certainly something we can not disregard
(“Homelessness Statistics By State”).

Mission Statement & Philosophy

To inspire hope by bringing physical aid and relief to the homeless community.

Hope for the Homeless is a Christian oriented, non-profit organization that strives to care
for the physical needs of the homeless, while providing love and support every step of the way.
We believe that just a little hope can go a long way towards long term improvements. Our
organization works to fulfill the common, everyday needs of the homeless, including food, water,
clothing, and hygiene or personal products. We combat the issue of homelessness one person
and need at a time in a effort to bring about relief and, of course, hope. It has become our
mission to accomplish this while advocating the right of every individual to have a place to call
home. As a Christian organization, we strive to bring about opportunities in which our homeless
friends can be renewed and strengthened by the love and power of God. It is our hope that they
will be overwhelmed with the hope that can stem from physical help.

Action Plan
Our short term, immediate plan is to gather the supplies necessary to create a pop-up
“shop” for the homeless in Los Angeles County. With this makeshift shop, homeless people will
be able to show up and gather the things they are most in need of at zero cost to them. This will
include items such as non-perishable food, water, clothing, and basic hygiene or personal
products. As we are aware of the struggles and worries the homeless face on a daily basis, we
want to help relieve these worries by providing them with this simple aid. By giving these items,
we not only believe we can help make a physical difference, but, a mental one by spreading
hope through our aid.

In carrying out our short term plan, we plan to welcome donations of any kind, including,
but not limited to, food, water, clothing, and hygiene products as mentioned before. We will also
accept money donations, which will go towards getting supplies for our “shop.” Opportunities to
donate, help, and volunteer will all be specified on our social media accounts. All donations are
greatly appreciated by both our organization and the benefiting homeless community.
 To grow our non-profit, our long-term plan is to expand and help the homeless in other
areas, rather than being location specific. By doing this, our organization will be able to play a
bigger part in making a change. Eventually, we plan to have a warehouse in which we can store
all of our supplies and hire developmental directors. In the long-term we will hold fundraisers to
raise both money and awareness. Not only with this benefit the homeless, but promote our
company and help it grow.

Although this plan will not end homelessness, it will play a part in making the lives of the
homeless better. Bringing aid to one group of people in a community will ultimately benefit the
whole community and inspire hope for all. This help could spark initiative in both the homeless
and other members of the community, further bettering the community one person at a time.

The main distinguishing factor of our plan from others is that we are Christian-based. We
believe it is our calling to spread the gospel of Jesus. Because of this, we will provide all of the
homeless we help with a Bible and offer to pray with and for them. Offering this support, while
providing physical help, is a key part of our work. Another distinction is that we allow the
homeless to get specific items of their choosing, rather than just distributing prepackaged bags
of supplies.

As we are not the only organization striving to help the homeless, other non-profit
organizations include United to End Homelessness and the Los Angeles Mission. United to End
Homelessness works to reduce homelessness in Orange County by creating long-term
supportive housing for the homeless. In doing this, they make it a priority to ensure that
everyone has a place to call home. The Los Angeles Mission is ​centered around changing the
lives of the poor, addicted, and homeless by offering a variety of services such as clinics,
temporary housing, food, and more. By impacting this community, they play a part in working
together as a nation to end homelessness.

Financial Need
$ ​Needed
❏ Tables: $400
❏ Physical Items (food, hygiene products, etc.): $5,000
❏ 7,000 square foot warehouse: $45,710
❏ Development Directors (2): $126,000 annual pay
Total: $177,110