 Whew!! It’s finally here, and by that we mean 2021. It’s been a tough past year for so many, especially our less fortunate brothers and sisters. However, the issues facing our friends were preceded long before the pandemic, and unfortunately will probably persist after it is under control, if ever. It’s important for us to try and improve upon our efforts and our ability to provide expanded and more focused services. To accomplish and accommodate our goals, we will be actively working towards securing a facility. Thus will allow us to centralize our operation, and provide service 7 days a week and still continue our Healthy Start Breakfast Program and our foundational Sack Lunch Program!
With so many new challenges, we headed out to bring in the new year with a nice hot breakfast. Since it’s been consistently rainy out, we passed out tarps to all who were clearly exposed to the elements, with the promise of more and equally pertinent items to follow this coming Saturday. As we proceed cautiously into the new year, we will do so with purpose and commitment. There are many issues to face, but until we secure a facility, it’s practically impossible to enact programs in an effective and sustainable manner. So we will certainly make sure to cross our T’s and dot our I’s, and keep y’all posted in the process. It’s our intent to proceed with the distribution of MLK Family & Friends Program membership cards starting in February and awaiting pending potential funding. We shall see. Til next time, have a safe rest of the week, and let’s all make it a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/
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This past year has been a tumultuous one to say the least. We are blessed and grateful that we are able to be of service to our community. It’s our mission to “EMPOWER OTHERS TO EMPOWER THEMSELVES”, but to also inspire others to actively get involved in the betterment of their communities. We choose to help the less fortunate, because we realize we’re one bad turn from needing help ourselves. Knowing that we are blessed with the capability to continue to help others, we take our blessings very seriously and are committed to seeing the growth of our organization through services provided and the development of new empowerment programs. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and all those who support us, both financially and spiritually, we are very hopeful. We now look forward to 2021, and all that it will bring, like your continued live and support!!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!! https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/ This past Tuesday would be our last service for 2020. True to form, we went out with a predetermined number of meals as well as cold weather items. We also continued to distribute more emergency backpacks for those who signed up for one. With the holidays in full swing, snd the weather going back and forth from wet to dry, but always cold, we didn’t expect to see a lot of people. When we don’t see many people, we definitely hope it’s because they are doing better, or that they are, at the very least, temporarily out of the elements. It would prove to be a quiet day and a fitting end to such a tumultuous year. After informing our friends that we would be out next on Tuesday the 02/05/2021, we wished them all a safe and wonderful New Year, and gave our word to do more and continue to seek solutions that would help better their situations.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/ Well it’s the day after Christmas, and that means it’s the first day of Kwanzaa, so it’s all about keeping the holiday spirit alive. But realistically, the New Year will come, and the over abundance of giving and caring will fade away, leaving organizations, groups, and individuals like ourselves to keep said spirit alive beyond the holidays and into the everyday hustle and bustle that is the day in the life of our friends.
Today was extra special for us as organization, because we successfully executed a backpack distribution campaign for our friends in need. We are trying different ideas to see what’s both prudent and sustainable! As we anticipated when we signed people up to receive the backpacks, we knew everyone wouldn’t be around. With that as a factor, it was understood that ones presence was required today to receive their backpack, or it round ho into a pool ti be given to anyone in need on a first come snd first receive basis. Totally random, and absolutely designed to be that way. By default, people are paying it forward. Anyway, it went very well, so much so, that we are giving out more of the defaulted backpacks this Tuesday during our breakfast program. The recipients we signed up today to receive backpacks Tuesday, will be those individuals who missed our initial dign up, and are also mostly well known the organization. So with that, it was a great day, HAPPY KWANZAA!, and see y’all Tuesday!! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/ The week of Christmas is always a special one, because there’s an abundance of kindness and giving. This year would be no different. With the weather still very cold, we went out with our hot cinnamon raisin oatmeal and scrambled egg and cheese wraps, and as usual, we ran our. It’s been the trend as of late, so we’re going to keep young the counts on both items, to accommodate the need. We also continued to stress the importance of being present this weekend to receive their emergency backpacks. With the successful registration of 41 backpack recipients, we wanted everyone to know that you had to be present, or it would probably be taken by someone else. We will certainly see this coming Saturday. Other than that, it was another surprising day as it was once again busier than expected. However, with Christmas this Friday, we do not anticipate a lot of new faces, and we will keep our count the same. And again, we shall see.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/ Well it’s been another cold week for our friends, our brothers and sisters in need, and we did what we could to lessen the burden. We passed out more blankets and jacket, as well as hand warmers with every lunch served. In keeping with the urgency of current events, we are also very focused on helping promote safe social practices during this pandemic, so for that reason, we also provided a disposable face mask with every lunch as well. From time to time we encounter a language barrier, usually a Spanish speaking brother or sister. However, the language of love and human kindness permeates all linguistic barriers. It amazing how that works. On another note, we are grateful and humbled to announce that we have surpassed 20K+ meals served in the Vallejo during our 3 years of service. It’s a bittersweet achievement for our organization, because you wish you could always do more while wishing it weren’t necessary to do it at all. Anyway, it was a wonderful day of service!! We will be out again this coming Tuesday to serve breakfast, so we will see y’all then. Til then always remember to be kind to others! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram https://fb.watch/2wOYXp2AP0/ Today we went out to serve hot breakfast on another very cold day. With an option of cinnamon raisin oatmeal or an scrambled egg and cheese wrap for a main item, we were quite surprised at the amount of recipients we served. However, considering the continued efforts by the city to move the homeless community into the shadows, it’s not to surprising to see more people in need seemingly pop up in places where you wouldn’t expect. Even though we were strictly relegated to our route, we still anticipate the need to increase our meal count starting next week, and prior to expanding the actual route itself. Though there always bright spots in our outings, today provided one of my personal favorites to date.
A couple of weeks ago, we asked our friend Roger if there was anything special he needed from us and, if possible, we would bring it to him. Well Roger said he needed and wanted a cross. Now seeing how we aren’t a religious organization, nor am I a religious individual, so we don’t have nor carry religious materials. However, we believe in “Empowering Others to Empower Themselves”, and if a cross and the simple gesture of seeing to it that Roger got one is what he wanted and needed, then it was exactly what we would do. Well today we were able to give Roger his cross, and hope that it helps to bring him comfort and focus. It was truly one of the more rewarding moments in our 3 years of service to our community. It’s these types of exchanges that help us build relationships and nurture them. When it was all said and done, Roger turned to wish us well, in case we never saw him again. We hope it’s not the case, but we find comfort in knowing that he is well aware of the possibility that his words could prove true. Tonight will be very cold and rainy tonight in Vallejo, so we will keep our friends in our prayers and their well being on our minds. When we go out Saturday, we will continue to provide cold weather items to help our friends combat the elements, and words of encouragement and inspiration to combat the despair! So with that, we will see y’all this Saturday in the streets of Vallejo doing what we do best, showing More Love & Kindness the MLKHP way! Til then stay safe and stay kind!! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram This past Saturday was a somewhat subdued, due in large part to the rain. It’s not unexpected, considering the lack of available shelter for those who find themselves unfortunately amongst the homeless population, and many through no fault of their own. However, by sticking to the route and our routine, we are somewhat predictable to our recipients, and therefore easy to locate based on the given time of day. We were also able to deliver a family package to a new family we are assisting, as well as need another potential new family. We have always helped families who find themselves on the brink of being unhoused by trying to offset some of their costs by providing basic needs resources and good boxes. We are determined to expand that program especially in the midst of this unprecedented health crisis. In keeping consistent, we will be out next serving breakfast on Tuesday 12/15/20 as we approach a milestone to be both announced and reached this coming Saturday, so please check in to hear the inspiring news. Til then and always, stay safe and stay kind! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram Today was another cold one. It’s been consistently very cold overnight, so it’s important to us to continue to pass out cold weather items whenever we go out, especially hand warmers and blankets. With hot cinnamon raisin oatmeal or egg wraps to choose from, we headed out to serve our brothers and sisters in need, and much to our surprise we ran out rather quickly. We met a few new people, and it’s starting to become the new norm. The odd thing is the absence of faces we know. Hopefully that have found their way into the Project RoomKey program, and are safe inside of a motel room. The most notable thing, as of late, is the unfortunate fact that our friends have passed away. We have learned of 3 deaths in the last 2 weeks, and it’s very concerning ti day the least. It further reinforces our commitment to trying to stick to strict covid protocols.
On a lighter note, we have met a new family, a single father with four boys. It’s always nice to know you can be of service to anyone, but it’s extra rewarding when you know you’re helping kids. Anyway, they are going to start receiving family packages, until we can revisit their situation in about 6 months. We will be out this coming Saturday to serve sack lunches and pass out basic needs items in addition to a variety of cold weather items. We will be announcing our plans for a special holiday backpack giveaway. Til next time! Follow us on Facebook Well it’s December again, and hopefully that means plenty of good will coming to those in need. With so many challenges and uncertainties surrounding the way we will move forward, we are determined to keep providing service to our brothers and sisters in need. As we have noticed an increase in non-compliant covid masks and social distancing behaviors, we are going to operate in the strictest of fashions as it pertains to operating safely. That will begin this Tuesday on 12/08/2020 as we are out serving breakfast. Depending on how receptive our friends are to our “zero tolerance” approach, we will either keep our current route intact, or we will rework the route and eliminate non compliant stops and replace them with new more compliant locations. It’s about safety first, because without it, we can’t properly and responsibly operate in good faith and with peace of mind. So we shall see. Other than that, Saturday was a very busy day considering the time of month. Usually around the first of the month, it’s fairly quiet. Anyway, keeping that in mind, we will be prepared to handle any extra individuals we encounter, by increasing our meal counts. Til then, stay blessed and stay safe!!
Follow us on Facebook This past Thanksgiving weekend was quiet as expected, and equally as needed. We see the fluctuating numbers from day to day, with regards to people we encounter along our routes. Though there are some steady faces, there are many new ones. We remain true to our route because of these fluctuations. The uncertainty as to what might happen in the coming months will have an impact on our plans to expand. Expanding the route is our new main focus, but we want to do it responsibly and respectfully! Til that time comes, we will stay the course. and we’re gonna continue to pass out jackets, blankets, tarps, hand warmers, and many other cold weather items with in our existing route’s perimeter. We will be out next on Tuesday morning 12/01/2020 to serve breakfast. See you then.
Follow us on Facebook This past weekend’s SACK LUNCH PROGRAM was a very smooth outing, and a testimony to the greatness of our youth. Loaded up with a variety of lunches, toiletries, cold weather items, a d much more, the favorite item of the day was “pie”! Slices of pie, that were donated by one of our youngest donors to date and her family, were the hit of the day! Smiles are sometimes the goal, and it was certainly achieved if not exacerbated by the pies. Any way you slice it, it was a win the way around! With Thanksgiving upon us, we must never lose sight of the things fir which we are truly grateful! Anyway, whatever you go gir the holiday, do it the right way!
Follow us on Facebook This past week was a fairly consistent one, as we are heading into the cold season. With lots of winter weather items and goods, we are actively distributing them all. From handmade hats and scarves to warm jackets and blankets, and much more, we are doing our best to help everyone we encounter to be as comfortable and prepared as possible to make it through the day with a positive outlook and less stressed. We will be heading out next Saturday on 11/21/2020 to continue the distribution of winter items, and as always, put selection of filling sack lunches!! See you this coming weekend!! Follow us on Facebook Wow! It’s starting to get cold out!! So today we went out to serve a choice of hot cinnamon raisin oatmeal or egg and cheese for breakfast this morning. The egg wraps were very popular, and are starting to become more popular than the oatmeal. It was expectedly quiet, because of the cold temperatures, however we were still able to help many individuals. We will be out next this Saturday serving sack lunches, and plenty of cold weather items to our friends.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/ Well it’s been another week of profound change for us all, as the course of the country took a dramatic turn. Through all the drama and unease, there are millions upon millions of people just trying to make ends meet. Among them are the most vulnerable amongst us with regards to food and housing insecurity. We know that and we operate in a fashion the recognizes the challenges of the day, while not letting those same challenges deter or derail our efforts to provide our brothers and sisters in need with the live and support that we should all strive to offer one snd other. With the weight of the day feeling seemingly lighter, we had a busy yet very productive day in the community of Vallejo. Here are some highlights of our outing, as we have begun to pass out winter related items. With that, there were no instances that stood out in any profound manner, other than the need to stay the course. We will be out next serving breakfast this Tuesday morning. Til then, have a great week and do those things tgst make not only yourself better, but makes others better as well!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/ Yesterday was quite the day for the MLKHP. It was busier than expected, but even more so, we saw a few faces that we hadn’t seen in quite some time. We also met lots of really nice new people, and in total it was just a very humbling day of service. Thankfully, we were able to reconnect with old friends to reestablish old relationships. Just seeing that our old friends were ok and still pushing through, was a great relief, juxtaposed to the worry and uncertainty that often leaves us concerned for their well being. We hope to keep the restructuring the route to meet the needs of as many individuals as possible, without losing track of anyone in the process.🤞🏾”Staying the course” is our motto, and “ EMPOWERING OTHERS TO EMPOWER THEMSELVES” is our mission!! If all goes according to plan, we will be going out Tuesday morning to serve breakfast, and we will continue to keep doing what we can to support our brothers and sisters in need! Seeing how our shipment of face masks “finally” arrived, granted after the lunch run was completed and we had given out our absolute last available mask yesterday, their arrival was a good sign that things are meant to keep going as planned! 🙏🏾
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!! https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/ This past Saturday was another quiet day. With the apparent shuffling of individuals occurring, it’s hard to properly gage what to take, so we maintain our weekly pars. To responsibly address the uncertainty in numbers, we have implemented a new practice to help maintain the quality of freshness in our lunches. Thus way we are able to continue serving lunches by appointment in days we generally don’t go out. It works better for our friends, and addresses the possibility of financial waste our bottom line, by all but eliminating any, with regards to perishables. We were also able to provide loose toiletries, toiletry bags, and BOMBAS socks, to everyone we encountered yesterday. We will continue to maintain our new operational model, as it will serve to be very useful when the numbers go up. Thus is all but sure to happen, when the emergency funding starts to dissipate and be redirected towards transitional projects and other programs aimed at starting over, so to speak! Post pandemic numbers will price to be alarming, however if we prepare now, we will be able to do more with efficiency and consistency, that will serve to help the many we cold encounter, and quite honestly become. So til next time, stay safe and God Bless!! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!!
This week’s Healthy Start Breakfast Program marked our return after we took a brief break to get motive our storage capacity. Having done so successfully, we were able to get back out and do our thing. With the option of either hot cinnamon raisin oatmeal or egg and cheese wrap breakfasts, we were not only happy to be back out helping others, but we were also surprised that people took note of our absence. This acknowledgment from our friends further motivates us to keep up the work, and to keep striving to fulfill the vision of our mission statement “EMPOWERING OTHERS TO EMPOWER THEMSELVES”. We will be out next this coming Saturday with doing our Sack Lunch Program, where we will let you know what we’ve been working diligently on during our brief but very productive hiatus. So til then, stay safe, be kind, Peace, and God Bless!
It was a beautiful day yesterday in the Bay. The air quality is still suspect at best, but the need is very real. With the uncertainty of what to expect from week to week, we are finding ourselves making extra efforts to seek out those individuals who find themselves unable to gain benefit from any existing resources. With the rise in homelessness steadily increasing, due to the pandemic and ever growing economic depression, we are going to get ready to go full throttle with our MLKHP Family & Friends Program. At some point we anticipate the emergency housing funds and funding in general, to decrease and be redirected into transitional programs. Ultimately, the need to be prepared is paramount. Having already done a test run of sorts, as it pertains to the emergency supplies backpacks, we are very prepared to approach the impending situation with a very deliberate distribution apparatus.
On another front, we will be talking the coming week off, to set up our new storage unit to help us expedite the entire operational functionality of our organization. So til we see y’all again on 10/06/2020, have a safe and productive week! This past Saturday as always was another great day of service, but even more so it was a necessary day to spread a message of hope. There’s not much new to say this week, because it’s pretty much more of the same. There’s a lot of issues and circumstances, that will soon find themselves meeting at a crossroads. From trash to safety, there are issues that need immediate attention from the citizens and the city. The homeless population has enough challenges without making it worse, due to a lack of proper emergency services. There aren’t enough policies or programs to correctly and responsibly address these issue. We have done very progressive and innovative ideas, we’re just looking for the right partners to help develop and implement them. So til we get the right ears to listen, we will continue to do what we can to help our less fortunate brothers and sisters in need! We will be out next, on Tuesday morning serving breakfast! See y’all then!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/ Tuesday morning would prove to be an eyeful, with regards to the illegal dumping. The trash strewn about the city is deplorable, and the blame is a shared one. Though some of the garbage we see in the streets is easily attributed to our homeless population, but it’s only a tiny portion. The bulk of the trash in our streets, based on our observation over the user 3 years, is the result of illegal dumping and an unthinkable lack of pride in our city and it’s appearance. We can and must do better. We encourage our friends to stay as clean and low key as possible, but ultimately it’s a choice. By doing their part, it would highlight the real culprits, and vice versa. Other than that, we didn’t see a lot of familiar faces, as we believe they have found some emergency housing. However, we have met new people, and it’s becoming a common occurrence. Anyway, we will be out Saturday to serve sack lunches and assess the situation to see how we can help. So see y’all in the streets of Vallejo this Saturday!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/ This Tuesday’s Breakfast Program was actually busier than we expected. That’s becoming a regular observation, being busier than expected that is. However, what makes this different is the fact that it was the 1st if the month, and in the 1st, many of our friends get access to recurring benefits. This usually translates to a big absence of people, and this last about a week as some will get rooms to shower and get some good rest. Well it was not the case Tuesday. We were finished very quickly as our supply of breakfasts depleted rapidly. Of note, it’s apparent that the egg wraps are a big hit, do we are planning to increase our output of those. With the prospect of additional funding, we will also be looking to increase our inventory as a whole, and by acquiring storage space, we can do so easily. The need for more is in direct response to the increasing needs of those being affected by the economic fallout of the pandemic, and those who were already in a tough spot prior to the pandemic. Anyway, we will certainly address the needs as best we can, and will continue to stay the course. Remember, the ultimate goal is to get a facility to compliment our already existing mobile service.
Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Today was another hot one, so it was expectedly quiet. Yet it was more so an opportunity to offer more to our friends tgst we did encounter. We went out with our now standard cinnamon raisin oatmeal and egg wrap breakfast options, served along with extras. Of those extras, the most well received item we served today was ice cold bottled waters. It’s amazing how many people are in need, and it’s amazing how many more soon will be. The state of things is very fragile, and we are determined to keep helping those who can’t seem to connect with resources just yet. Resources beyond our scope, such as housing, employment, etc.. However, we do offer assistance in seeking out those entities, while maintaining a working relationship, through which we keep an open line of communication and continue to provide consistent and quality service to our friends. The process of transitioning to self sufficiency is difficult, and it can often times be a long and drawn out process, but it’s absolutely doable. We will continue to push that message and continue to be there for our brothers and sisters in need, our friends!!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/ Well it’s starting to happen. The new faces are replacing the old, and try the old faces are re-emerging. It’s always nice to see the people you care about still holding on, and hanging with it. It’s tough out there for anyone, yet everyone isn’t ready for that kind of tough. This is our second outing in the past 4 days, and on both occasions, we were told to be cared by our friends. Just be aware, was the general consensus. However, we must stay the course, but not necessarily stick to the script. As we served breakfast today, you could see that there was a concerted effort to keep people moving, especially from the storefronts, most of which are boarded up anyway. Yet we still served, as we were somewhat made uneasy by the presence of VPD, because the need is still prominent. With egg wraps and oatmeal to choose from, for the second week in a row, we also included a lunch option. Fortunately for us, bringing extra focus was a great decision , because we had just enough to help the very last person we saw as we closed out the breakfast run. With an awareness of a rapidly changing landscape, we are going to go out this Saturday to try our best to galvanize everyone around a message of unity in prosperity. We are pleased to also say tgst we will be continuing to serve the Crest again, as we have reestablished our connection with our relay person. All in all, it is truly going to be a labor of love, as it’s always been, but in addition it will be an endeavor to foster hope and encourage growth. So with that rather scattered, cohesive message, we say have a wonderful rest of your week, and see y’all Saturday morning in the streets of Vallejo.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!! https://www.facebook.com/MLKHumanityProject/  This past Saturday was a very quiet yet busy outing. Again, we encountered new faces, and new situations. We are dedicated to helping the most vulnerable amongst us, but even more so the most vulnerable amongst them. That would clearly be children, women, and the elderly. Well fortunately we haven’t seen many children, so that’s good, however there are lots of women who need some help with safety. With resources at a minimum, we are very concerned for them considering the devolving situation in the area of resources. We can and will do all they we can, but we aren’t big enough on our own. We would require a well funded partnership, with a private entity or the municipality, and plan to see it through. Having been greatly hampered by the pandemic, the limited availability of resources are a challenge, but not an insurmountable one. As we press forward on our mission of EMPOWERING OTHERS TO EMPOWER THEMSELVES, we certainly hope you will find the time to look into our organization further, and hopefully decide to help out by donating to our efforts. As a reminder, we will be out Tuesday to serve breakfast, so see y’all then!
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AuthorThe MLK Humanity Project is an inclusive community organization devoted to the well being and empowerment of our homeless and less fortunate residents. Archives
January 2021
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