By Susan Baker
All of us who participate in outdoor activities own
equipment we have replaced over the years with lighter, faster, or stronger
items. Often the retired gear is just sitting in basements, garages, and
closets collecting dust. Recently, Ken John, my climbing partner and a CMC
member, had an idea what to do with it: Homeless people can use that gear to
make their days more bearable and nights survivable. Ken established an
organization to collect and distribute it.
Homeless Gear is a Colorado-based program of the Community
Foundation with the simple mission of collecting unwanted outdoor gear from the
backpacking, hiking, camping, and climbing communities and giving it to the
homeless.
L to R: Red, Sable (dog), Tammy and Rick, and (front row) Ken John, (founder of Homeless Gear) share a photo during a recent gear give-away.
There are organizations already in place to provide homeless
people with vital services such as shelter, food, and medical care. However, a
segment of the homeless community cannot gain entrance into overnight shelters
due to capacity limitations, or because they have issues with substance abuse.
Even if they do find overnight shelter, they may spend the majority of each day
outside in the elements. Imagine what a sleeping bag would do for someone who
is forced to spend the day under a bridge or sleep out at night. Similarly, a
large percentage of homeless people move from one location to another.
Cardboard boxes, shopping carts, and other similar containers simply don’t meet
the needs of someone constantly on the move. A backpack of any size is perfect
to help them organize, store, and transport their personal belongings.
Is this somehow enabling the homeless? If you mean enabling
them to avoid frostbite or worse, then yes. If you mean encouraging them to
stay out on the streets then definitely not. We want everyone to find
permanent shelter. Sometimes for a variety of reasons this cannot
happen. Homeless Gear reaches out to those who cannot or who choose not to take
advantage of a shelter. Shelters are the best primary locations to distribute
the gear once it is collected. Shelter administrators and caseworkers know the
populations they serve and will determine the people with the greatest need.
Homeless Gear has has already gotten commitments from local shelters to
participate in the distribution of everything collected.
John notes that there are three ways people can contribute
to the Homeless Gear effort. They can donate gear (see sidebar for list of
needed items); they can donate cash; and they can spread the word. Since the
Community Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, all cash and
equipment donations are tax deductible. Please consult with your tax advisor
for details. For more information, please contact Ken John at (970) 282-9001 or
Ken@HomelessGear.com. Visit the website at www.HomelessGear.com. for a complete
list of suggested items, as well as drop-off locations.