I have started this gofundme to aid in a community betterment project called “Community Parks Clean Up.”

This project is a collaboration between the Grants Pass and Josephine County houseless community, and community agencies, businesses, and individual volunteers. The aim of this project is to integrate this marginalized population in our community to clean up our parks, and to give a voice and credibility to our disenfranchised and unhoused community members.

  Angels is a new non-profit serving Grants Pass and Josephine County. We are dedicated to providing for basic needs and opportunities for our unhoused community members. Angels encourages, supports, and understands the struggles they face. We help in the removal of barriers by finding resources and providing a compassionate and understanding avenue to aid in their journey away from homelessness.

  Angels has organized events for the last two years, providing basic necessities to aid the unhoused away from homelessness. Historically, Angels has fundraised through private donations, local business support, and community drives. Our current project aims at community investment by partnering with members of our houseless community with housed volunteers (with support from our local Grants Pass Parks Department and Grants Pass Police) to clean up our parks.

  The Intention of this park clean-up project is to provide an opportunity for this population to get involved in the betterment of our community by transforming the parks back to a communal space that everyone can enjoy. Without a low-barrier shelter available in our community, the burden falls on the parks system to provide for the basic needs of the indigent. This has overwhelmed a system that is not designed for meeting these needs. This has resulted in debris throughout the parks, and also gives a negative view of this at-risk population. Conversely, without safe shelters in place, the parks have become one of the few legal spaces where a person can rest. This can create friction between people recreating in the parks and those trying to maintain their basic needs.

  A healthy community supports all members to the betterment of the individual and the whole. Angels investment in creating and navigating natural supports will encourage our most vulnerable population and directly increase the health of our community.

 We have spoken with the Parks District, the Grants Pass Police Department, and recently the Grants Pass City Manager. All are in favor of this program. Our next steps is to speak with the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Rotary Club of Grants Pass. 

 In the meantime, we are reaching out to all of you so that we can get started. I have unhoused and housed volunteers ready and waiting for the green light. 

 I will send the link to the entire program proposal for more information if you would like to read it in its entirety,  all I need is an email address. 

  

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Thelma Christine Locke

“Angels” From the Community For the Community

angels(dot)comm(dot)gp(at)gmail