You can't go to a job interview carrying everything you own.

You can't check into a shelter that won't store your belongings. You can't sit in a waiting room at the VA. You can't sleep — really sleep — when losing consciousness means losing everything.

This is the invisible weight of homelessness that nobody talks about. Not the lack of a roof. The lack of a place to put things down.

The problem is simpler than you think. So is the answer.

When a person experiencing homelessness has to carry every document, every piece of clothing, every blanket, every photograph everywhere they go, every hour of every day — the logistics alone make recovery nearly impossible.

You can't fill out paperwork at Social Security if you're watching a cart outside. You can't take a shower at the shelter if your bag is unattended in the lobby. You can't show up to a job site with a shopping cart full of bedding.

The solution isn't complicated. It's a locked bin. A place to put your things that will still be there when you come back.

Cities that figured this out saw what happened next.

San Diego launched a secure-storage program and watched nearly 100 participants find stable housing and over 100 gain employment. Not because a storage bin is magic — because removing one impossible burden made every other step possible.

Minneapolis put out 50 storage bins. Every single one was claimed within two weeks.

Lawton, Oklahoma has no dedicated secure-storage program for people experiencing homelessness. None. We're going to change that.

What we're building.

Bins for the Homeless provides free, lockable, storage bins to people experiencing homelessness in Lawton, Oklahoma.

These aren't gym lockers bolted to a wall. They're heavy-duty rolling bins — think reinforced trash-can size — fitted with integrated locking hardware. Each person gets a bin and a lock. Their belongings go in. The bin stays at a secured site. They go live their day.

No fees. No time limits. No hoops.

We partner with shelters, churches, outreach teams, and service organizations in Lawton who already have trusted relationships with people on the streets. They identify who needs a bin. We provide one. The relationship — and the recovery — continues.

What your money buys.

$80 — One rolling storage bin, locking hardware, and a weatherproof ID tag. One person's belongings, secured.

$400 — Five bins deployed through a local partner organization.

$800 — Ten bins plus signage and coordination with our first host site.

$4,000 — Procurement of all 50 bins. Enough to serve Lawton's most immediate need — and enough to prove the model works.

$8,000 — 50 bins deployed, a host-site established, maintenance reserve funded, and a documented proof of concept we can take to municipal partners and grant funders for ongoing operations.

Every dollar goes to bins, locks, site coordination, and getting this stood up.

Our commitment.

We will never charge for storage. We will never impose conditions on who qualifies. We will never treat basic logistical dignity as something a person has to earn.

We will deploy bins. We will keep you updated. We will tell you how many people we're serving and what happens next.

Bins for the Homeless

Lawton, Oklahoma

Because you can't get back on your feet if you can't put your things down.