THE GIVING SPIRIT
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Mission Statement
The Giving Spirit and its volunteers provide the first mile of care for unhoused individuals and families of all backgrounds and ages by (1) providing essential aid items and connecting with those in need where they are and (2) educating our volunteers and local communities about the human face of homelessness through educational programs at our events and through online and social media channels.
About This Cause
We serve our unhoused neighbors through a twofold approach to the homelessness crisis: direct aid and education. Educational Learning Experiences about homelessness: The Giving Spirit produces segment-specific Learning Experiences at all of our curated events. Volunteers hear from homelessness experts, agency partners, policymakers, academics and those with lived experience during an immersive educational experience. These dialogues cultivate powerful forward-thinking conversations to mitigate the effects of poverty on the most vulnerable. We invite all participants to help assemble curated survival kits and then, during direct outreach events, deliver the aid to our unhoused neighbors. These events provide lifesaving items to those living on the street, fostering a human connection between those we serve and those who volunteer with us. Direct Outreach: • Universal Care Program: Provides up to 70 life-sustaining essentials such as hygiene and personal care supplies, food, hydration and clothing to help our unhoused neighbors survive. • Women and Girls Initiative: Focuses on the needs of unhoused women and girls, including new mothers. Curated Women and Girls Kits contain feminine hygiene supplies, toiletries, and hair/skincare products. Our New Mother kits provide over 20 items of infant supplies in a diaper bag, such as baby wipes, powder, teethers, baby bottles, lotion and diaper rash cream. Diapers and formula are also provided in bulk to agencies that serve unhoused new or expectant mothers. • Companion Animals Program: Provides animal care essentials to unhoused individuals with companion animals. Curated kits contain food, bowls, a brush, waste bags, dog toys, a blanket and more for unhoused individuals with companion animals. Kits also include two leashes and collars, which are necessary for dog owners to bring companion animals into agencies when seeking shelter and/or services. We ensure that no one must choose between shelter and their four-legged companions. In 2023, we expect to expand our program to include our unhoused neighbors with cats. • LAUSD Homeless Students Program: Supports unhoused K-12 students with Essential Learning Kits to stay enrolled and engaged in the classroom, leading to more successful school and life outcomes. Backpacks are filled with learning supplies like notebooks, pens, pencils and calculators, in addition to personal care/hygiene products for unhoused students and their families. Items included in the kits are identified in collaboration with LAUSD. The homeless education office delivers kits and other vital items to K-12 students so they can begin their school year with the supplies they need and the knowledge that they are seen, respected, and cared for by their neighbors. Youth Council: The Giving Spirit Youth Council strengthens the foundation of the next generation of leadership by giving them the opportunity and access to learn and develop into leaders committed to social justice and improving the world they are inheriting. The Council, which has peer standing within the organization, raises awareness in their family units and peer groups, shifting the narrative to the root causes and issues around systemic inequality, homelessness, poverty, mental health, and substance abuse. Coursework and Curriculum on Poverty and Homelessness: Launching alpha in 2023, our proprietary three-tiered digital pathway for learning includes a detailed exploration and explanation of a specific aspect of homelessness, structured coursework, and finally, moving learning to action. The curriculum will be delivered in an engaging, interactive digital format, thus further amplifying and scaling The Giving Spirit's scope and impact. Our first course is covering "Youth Homelessness."