What is a Hemp for Homeless Bracelet? Read on...

We have all seen homelessness. 

The old man in rags, laying on the sidewalk. The ageless lady with the grocery cart full of unnamed treasures, going down the road talking to herself. The kid sleeping on the bench every morning. The guy with the sign, standing in the median not 3 feet from your car window...

It could be us. Me or you. Sometimes it doesn't take much for a person to fall over the edge. 

The top 5 causes of homelessness in America start with unaffordable housing but it seems that is a given. Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, and the lack of resources for people struggling with those things, should definitely be Numbers 1, 2, and 3.

Mainly because those two things lead to the downfall of everything else. Job loss, evictions, poor health, the list goes on.

Some people may scoff at depression. But depression is a monster that can make it almost impossible for a person to even get out of bed. Depression and anxiety can cripple someone and they build up in the mind over time. What a person could handle in their 20's, may become unmanageable altogether by the time they are in their later years.

There are an estimated 553,742 people, homeless, on any single night in America. 35% of those people are considered unsheltered. The people on the streets are the ones who are seen daily, but really are the Unseen, the Uncounted. They are the people that are sleeping in their cars, at friends' houses, in campgrounds, hotels, woods, etc. Homeless Nomads.

The other 65% of that 550,000 are considered "sheltered," which means they were able to get into a facility for a night. They found one, got in line by Noon. Stood there, dirty, hungry, and tired until 2 pm or so when the doors opened. Were patient through the check-in, found one clean bed among the many, have a hot shower, a hot meal, and finally... for a few hours, relax. Feel human.

In the morning it will all be different, but the shelters in America provide more than just a bed, food, and shower. They provide safety. Mental safety. Safety in the knowledge that there are places of compassion here. Places where it really doesn't matter what you look or smell like. You can eat. Sleep, and not be judged. Counseling and resources are available at almost all of them.

With the instability going around the world like wild fire, I believe it is good to not only support our Missions and homeless shelters; But to actually try to help "shore" them up against the rising tide of the future. The volunteers and amazing workers that man those soup kitchens, wash the linens, clean the facilities, and make sure the bills get paid... Those folks will be on the very front lines if things really get bad. 

We've already seen it. By winter of 2020, due to Covid regulations, the shelters in downtown Jacksonville could only operate at 50% capacity, and the result of this was a spill over into the field outside of Trinity Mission.  A tent city was created. One large enough to attract the attention of the news and mayor. 

While everyone on the perimeter of this tent city was squabbling over what to do, Trinity and City Rescue Mission (right next door to Trinity) continued tirelessly, working together, to administer to the needful people surrounding them. I witnessed personally, volunteer workers bringing boxes of food at dinnertime to the people outside the building. Serving them. 

I wanted to help in some immediate way and making these bracelets for the store seemed like a good option. Especially when I saw that Trinity Rescue Mission is on the charity list for Ebay. While City Rescue is not, I will still be donating 35% of the sales to CRM and posting the confirmation pages to the Helping Homeless Nomad Resource Store page on Facebook.

I make the bracelets out of hemp cord. The beads are a combination of vintage glass, wood, clay, metal, and whatever else I think would be pretty or neat looking. Each bracelet will have a signature, little silver house charm, and the back card of the packaging gives the information on both Trinity Rescue Mission and City Rescue Mission here in Jacksonville, Florida. Along with some facts about homelessness in America, and a rundown of how the money made from the bracelet will be distributed. 

35% ($4.20) to Trinity Rescue. 35% ($4.20) to City Rescue. 30% ($3.60) to cost of supplies.

Also, I will be adding bracelets regularly as I make them, so please check back if you don't like anything you see the first time!