As I walked up to Mike’s homeless encampment, I knew it was different.
There was a shower (a tarp that collected rainwater).
There was a changing area (another tarp).
There was a bathroom (you guessed it… a tarp).
The most impressive part was the air conditioner.
He had a Styrofoam cooler filled with ice.
Mike had hooked a computer fan up to a car battery and put it in a hole in the Styrofoam.
The fan pulled air through the cooler which was cooled by the ice and then shot out the other side.
I was surprised by how cool the air was. Mike said it wouldn’t cool his whole tent but pointed at his face, it was quite nice on a hot night.
Next week’s webinar is on “Encampments.”
I don’t have a lot of personal experience with encampments.
But Iain De Jong does.
In fact, Iain consults communities on how to effectively and compassionately reduce or end encampments.
Next week, I’m interviewing him on the process and he’ll be taking live questions from the audience.
This session is free for everyone.
To manage expectations, this session is NOT for:
- An organization that is looking for an easy fix to a few tents on or near their property.
This session IS for:
- Organizations or communities looking for a comprehensive process for reducing or ending encampments in their community.
- Employees who do street outreach.
Have a great week!
Peace,
Ryan