Thor's Homeless Outreach Project

06/25/2023

Thanks to all your donations I was able to get an Amazon gift card and buy more items. I'm sharing photos of the gift card and the items purchased for accountability. Thank all of you that helped.

06/11/2023

I didn't make this post yesterday as I was overwhelmed by all the kind words and needed time to process and calm down. I want to thank everyone that came by the booth, that offered kind words, and donated. We raised $64 yesterday and I am so grateful for that. Every little bit counts. If all of us do what we can to help each other and shine a little light in the darkness of the world, we can give hope where there was none.

06/10/2023

At Parkersburg Pride. Come see us!

04/28/2023

The flyers have been acquired! I want to thank Erica Easton Printing Company for doing such a wonderful job designing these and getting them made so quickly.

04/27/2023

Flyers are being made! Easton Printing came up with a wonderful design and I'm very happy with it. I'll be giving these out at Pride in the Park come June. We're very close to putting the first set of care packages together. The only thing we have left to get is some nutritional snacks. If any of you would like to help there are a few ways you can do so. Donations of items or money, but also spreading the word. Remember, every little bit helps. We can change the world if we work together.

04/24/2023

Good news everyone, we will have a booth at Pride this year. I look forward to seeing everyone.

04/16/2023

Thanks to the donations of my dad and step-dad and uncle, we now have the emergency Mylar blankets, the individually wrapped wipes, bars of soap, and single use packs of sunblock. It was my birthday and I asked for gift cards for these items instead. I'm grateful for all they've given.

04/13/2023

We have more items for the care packages. We now have travel tissues (important any time of year; from allergies, to the cold, all our noses need some tenderness). Chapstick, individually wrapped combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and the drawstring bags to put them in. Big shout out to Dee Williams for her contribution to this project. We've still got a ways to go before we can make the first round of care packages, but proud of what we've managed so far with this as a two people team. If anyone would like to help in anyway, please contact me.

04/08/2023

This morning, I didn't wake in a shelter, in an abandoned building, or without a shelter of any kind. I didn't wake hungry or worrying about my next meal. But for 1, 375 people in WV this is their reality. Will you do your part to make their life a little easier? Providing care packages with essential items can do just that. T.H.O.P asks for your help in making these in any way you can.

04/06/2023

In 2023, 582,462 individuals are experiencing homelessness in America, an increase of about 2,000 people since the last complete census conducted in 2020.

About 30% percent of people without homes are experiencing chronic patterns of homelessness. This means they’ve been without homes for more than 12 months or have experienced extended periods of extended homelessness over the past three years. Now 30 may not seem like that much. But 30% of 582,462 is 174738. That's a helluva lot of people.

60% of individuals experiencing homelessness are male, though unsheltered homelessness rose by 5% among women and girls. More than a quarter of those experiencing homelessness were with their families and children.

Every instance of homelessness has an element of tragedy, and each springs from a singular tale, yet certain commonalities and communities emerge among the unhoused population. Historically, armed forces veterans, and BIPOC individuals are more likely to experience homelessness. At the same time, children and young adults on the streets before their adult lives have started may be the most vulnerable victims.

And as with many economic hardships, homelessness affects BIPOC communities most deeply. The Black community suffers particularly hard, comprising nearly 40% of all unhoused persons.

Though advocates claim that the number of unhoused youths is vastly underreported, HUD found that more than 30,000 unaccompanied Americans under age 25 lack a permanent dwelling, and 13,000 of those young people are unsheltered.

In 2022 HUD found that 33,129 veterans were experiencing homelessness – a decline of 11% over the past two years and more than 50% from 2010. Today, approximately 7% of unhoused Americans are veterans, which is still unacceptable but commensurate with their share of the population at large.

In WV there are 1,375 homeless individuals. 7% of those are under the age of 18. 9% are military veterans. And 15% suffer from chronic homelessness.

We all need to do our part to help in anyway. We're all human, we all are part of this planet. Even if you can only offer a snack, a bottle of water, some warmth on a cold day, some coolness during the hot of summer, it is better than being indifferent. No problem is solved by doing nothing. Let's work together to build a better world and help those in need. That is my misson with Thor's Homeless Outreach Project. Will you offer a kind hand?

04/05/2023