What I'm currently fundraising for: 

1. Help with covering gas. 

2. Ye olde supply runs for food and toiletries and such. 

3.  Sleeping bags and backpacks for unsheltered homeless folks in Salt Lake City to help everyone stay warm this winter. 

4. Lots and lots of phone chargers. 

What's been funded so far: 

Street Medic Training funded by a cash donation. 

Huge supply run funded by Kelly A Gwin and Narayan Gwin. 

Printer/scanner/copier, laminator, additional self-defense equipment, two supply runs, a wilderness trauma first responder kit, and a whole lot of CBD products covered by the Let's All Remember How Horrible Jill Was Memorial Fund. 

Wilderness First Responder training covered by the Let's All Remember How Horrible Jill Was Memorial Fund via Tony Appelhof. 

WHY I'M DOING THIS: Literally 30 seconds after I stepped out of my car in Berkeley on the road trip I took this summer, a very thin-looking woman asked me if I could buy her a sandwich. I was in a hurry and tried to brush her off, but she begged, saying it would only take a minute. She was polite, grateful, and obviously painfully embarrassed to be pressing me for help.

After leaving Berkeley, I spent some time in Oakland. There are a lot of homeless people there. I couldn't leave until I'd gone to pick up some supplies and gave out some food, water, & basic first aid. Homelessness in large metropolitan areas is a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. 

My sisters and I also have some personal experience with homelessness, though I didn't consider myself to be "homeless" at the time. I know what it's like to live in a tent, not have access to basic medical care, feel and look dirty all the time, and be cold at night.  I also know what it's like to stand at a checkout counter in a state of paralyzing embarrassment while the clerk counts out the giant handful of change used to pay for a bottle of water or a sandwich. It sucks, and there's no good reason why anyone in this absurdly wealthy country should have to go through something like that. 

I've had people say that anyone with major injuries should be going to a hospital, not be treated by a mobile amateur medic. Here's what I have to say to that:

I once met a man hanging out near a bridge in Albuquerque asking for water. Some kids had set his leg on fire not that long ago, and he'd gone to the hospital, but there was no aftercare plan, no nothing. He wasn't able to get the follow-up treatment he needed for his third-degree burns. Stuff like that can be life-threatening and I don't have time to go on a whole diatribe about it, but trust me when I say that the medical supplies I need are necessary. Homeless people are frequently the targets of unimaginable violence and have a difficult time getting the help they need in order to recover.

Once I'm done with all of this driving around, I would like to continue to run a mobile aid station.  I plan on continuing to offer assistance in downtown SLC once a week after I'm settled in Utah this Fall. 

In addition to $300 for car maintenance, gas, and self-defense stuff, I'm asking for $800 to cover a bunch of supplies. I'll be driving through parts of Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and possibly California again before moving (I have a minor traffic citation I need to show up to court for).

In order to distribute food, I'll need food handler's permits valid for every state I plan to visit. I'd also like to get an advanced first aid certification so I can treat burns and sew people up.

FUTURE GOALS: If all of this goes well, I would like to get a wilderness EMR certification. 

--------STUFF I NEED-----------

If you don't want to/can't donate money but have some of the items I need and would like to share, you can drop them off in the driveway or ship them. Message me for the address. Anything and everything you donate will be very much appreciated and put to good use.

If you drop off something valuable, I just ask that you please message me when you do so that I can make sure it's brought inside ASAP. 


LEGALLY REQUIRED THINGS 

I know some of you are very concerned about how I'm going to stay safe. I have been homeless for relatively short stretches of time. I've navigated a lot of scary areas and am quite good at avoiding being taken advantage of or scammed. 

Supplies (in no particular order of priority):

MEDICAL

Suture kit
Immodium
Cough drops 
Cranberry extract
Miconazole
Irrigation syringe
Tegaderm
Blood glucose monitor (& test strips)
Aloe vera
AED
Anything herbal that's unopened and not expired

Bandages of various sorts up the wazoo (FUNDED)
Pulse oximeter/blood oxygen monitor (FUNDED)
Blood pressure monitor (FUNDED)
Hemorrhage control compression bandages (FUNDED)
6 Berman airways (FUNDED)
Adult manual pulmonary resuscitator (FUNDED)
Antacids (FUNDED)
Burn dressing (FUNDED)
Ambu Perfit ACE (FUNDED)
Thermometer (FUNDED)
Trauma shears (FUNDED)
Stethoscope (FUNDED)
Ibuprofen (FUNDED)
Tylenol (FUNDED)
Aspirin (FUNDED)
Antihistamines (FUNDED)
Sudafed (FUNDED)
Stool softener (FUNDED)
Bismuth tabs (FUNDED)
Antibiotic ointment (FUNDED)
Hydrocortisone (FUNDED)
Anti-bac bar soap (FUNDED)
Nitrile gloves (FUNDED)
Sterile gauze pads (FUNDED)
Bandaids (FUNDED)
Alcohol wipes (FUNDED)
Ace bandages (FUNDED)
Triangle bandages (FUNDED)
Butterfly closures (FUNDED)
Iodine (FUNDED)
Tourniquet (FUNDED)
Vitamins (FUNDED)
CPR pocket mask (FUNDED)
Lidocaine (FUNDED)


FOOD

Nothing in metal containers and no alcohol, please. Here are just a few examples of the sorts of items that might be helpful and that I plan to buy. But if you'd like to get creative and drop off something else, be my guest. 

Dog food
Applesauce cups
Granola bars, protein bars
Tuna pouches
Crackers
Fast food gift cards
Nuts & trail mix
Jerky
Cookies
Gatorade mix
Powdered milk
Emergency ration kits

HYGIENE

Again, if you think of anything you'd like to have if you were homeless and it's not on this list, either let me know what I should buy or drop it off.

Feminine hygiene supplies (tampons & pads)
Wet Wipes
Travel-sized deodorant
Toothbrush & toothpaste travel kits
Chapstick
Combs
Kleenex packs
Mints
Travel-sized lotion, shampoo, conditioner (biodegradable products = A++)
Dry shampoo
Alcohol-free mouthwash
Sunscreen
Diapers
Baby formula & bottles 


MISCELLANEOUS

Socks 
Hats
Gloves
Little towels for washing stuff
Biodegradable sponges, dish soap, & laundry detergent 
Small toys (no army stuff or anything with violent connotations) 
Small children's books
Small, portable solar showers (they're only about $8/each)
Ziplock bags & tupperware
Mess kits
Emergency survival tents & blankets
Bungee cords
Twist tie material