justiNYC: April 2009

Home Free Organization is my latest endeavor and although I haven't posted to this blog in some time, you can see that I've been working hard elsewhere in the blogosphere on Home Free Org Blog and helping the Loftninja with Ninjalist a little bit here and there. With that said, I thought that it is about time to share some information about the new initiative with my readers on this blog, as you guys are a bit more familiar with my background in anthropology and real estate and might like to know where all of this came from. A new nonprofit initiative such as Home Free is a difficult thing to not only orchestrate, but to create as well. That is why it took me this long (since the original idea back in 2006) to put into action. Nevertheless, ending homelessness on some real level is one of the most important issues plagueing the country and the world today, thus my motivation for not only doing my part but hopefully something far greater.

What is Home Free Organization?

Home Free Organization is a non-profit initiative to eradicate homelessness in urban environments through the provision of free wireless internet, social networking and resource allotment. We take donated bread trucks which have come off route and add donated computers and hardware to create mobile wireless access hubs for homeless individuals to utilize for finding family, jobs, resources and ways off the street. The goal is simple: Provide a resource for the homeless which will allow them to find ways off the street. Of course there are many who prefer the streets to a 9-5 and home life, but for those who are stuck and cannot find there way, Home Free will provide the tools to try.
We give every visitor an email address to be used for networking and contact. We provide a focused set of search engines geared toward geneology, people searching, available jobs and other resources available to homeless individuals. Finding the Home Free Truck will be easy, as we will be providing the streets with an 800 number that can be called from any public phone to give the exact location of the truck. It could be at Union Square in Manhattan or Downtown Brooklyn. (via our Facebook Page)

First of all, Home Free is unlike any other nonprofit dedicated to the cause of helping the homeless. Let me preface this explanation with the fact that using the word 'homeless' when referring to those who live in the streets makes me cringe. That is why I officially changed it to "home-free" in the dictionary a few weeks ago. Just yesterday, the Loftninja had another word, "home-o-phobic" published.

One of the biggest reasons why I feel most ideas and projects who address this issue miss the mark is due to the fact that rarely can you find one that meets those who it seeks to help on their own terms or even somewhere in the middle. First, you must not intimidate those who you are trying to help or you will never see them up at the plate. Second, you must be sensitive to their real needs and concerns (such as privacy and security). And third, you must be willing to go a step further than what your organization specializes in so to offer actual assistance and support. What do I mean by this? Well lets see...

Home Free Organization uses 100% donated materials that are largely preowned and previously used. For example, we only utilize used bread trucks as our support vehicle as opposed to big shiny new trucks that might otherwise intimidate a person living on the streets. No one in that position would be keen on the idea of seeking help from a resource that appears to be created and supported by a government entity- and surely would not like the idea of having officials of any sort sifting through thier personal information and search data. As for the computers that we use, they are and will be donated, formatted and reappropriated as well in order to preserve the privacy of both the donar and the user. Home Free visitors will be given their own personal USB thumbdrive which can be used each time they visit one of the Home Free Trucks and once they leave, all of their data will be erased from their visit, insuring that the next visitor will not have access to the personal information of the person before them.

Home Free Organization is an entirely extensible nonprofit initiative. A friend told me the other day that HFO "is like Firefox and every other nonprofit in the world is like its add-ons." We are in the process of recruiting professionals from many different fields such as psychology, drug and alcohol treatment and social sciences such as sociology and of course anthropology. In addition, many volunteers that have stepped up have backgrounds in hair styling, fashion and culinary. When an individual comes to us in need of help finding a job, we not only teach them how and where to search, we find them clothes to wear to an interview, cut their hair for them, take headshots and help them actually get that job. We provide them with a mailing address and an email address and in many cases, connect them with one of the services that are offered for providing phones and voicemail.

Home Free Organization Donation Flyer (please print and pass along):

Home Free Organization Donation Flyer