Home Free Organization Blog

Call to Action: Idealist.org Needs Our Help

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:36:00 +0000

In a recent email I recieved some bad news regarding one of my favorite sources of information, the Idealist website. According to this email, Idealist is on the verge of possibly having to close up shop due to the same financial troubles which are effecting all of our lives at the moment. Readers of this blog can certainly identify with all that is involved with having a sudden streak of bad luck. When I first moved to NYC 9 years ago, I found Idealist to be a enormously valuable resource on a day to day basis. In fact, one of my very first jobs outside of school was an internship that I found through their site. It could even be safe to say that somewhere rooted in the idea behind Home Free Organization, at least in the beginning, might have been somewhat inspired by sites like Idealist which pool resources and volunteers around important causes and activism. Here is just a portion of the email which I recieved from Idealist:

Very briefly, here's what happened. Over the past ten years, most of
our funding has come from the small fees we charge organizations for
posting their jobs on Idealist. By September 2008, after years of
steady growth, these little drops were covering 70% of our budget.

Then, in October of that year, the financial crisis exploded, many
organizations understandably froze their hiring, and from one week to
the next our earned income was cut almost in half.

That was 16 months ago, and since then we've survived on faith and
fumes, by cutting expenses, and by getting a few large gifts from new
and old friends. But now we are about to hit a wall, and this is why I
am reaching out to you.

If over the past 15 years Idealist has helped you or a friend find a
job, an internship or a volunteer opportunity; connect with a person,
an idea or a resource; or just feel inspired for a moment, now we need
your help. I wouldn't be asking, and not like this, if this were not a
critical time.

Idealist needs our help and your help in order to stay afloat. It takes a great amount of courage to put oneself out there as Idealist has above and to me that indicates a level of seriousness which should be addressed-therefore I am doing my part. Every day, Idealist helps connect 70,000 people with 90,000
organizations around the world, in English, Spanish, and French. In addition to our work online, every year we also organize a series of events across North America, including 10 Nonprofit Career Fairs, 20
Graduate School Fairs, and 5 Global Volunteering Fairs. If you or your organization has the funds to spare, please consider donating to Idealist at http://www.idealist.org/donate

Home Free Organization and Social Networking for Urban Homeless

noreply@blogger.com (Home Free Organization) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:18:00 +0000

I just wanted to let our readers know about new changes to the Home Free Organization Social Network, which is now featured in the Ning Directory here.
For the Currently Homeless
If you are currently homeless (or Home-Free, rather) you might want to consider joining our social network and use the tools provided such as Google Wave, video and photos and our discussion forum in order to step up your search for solutions, at least until we get our trucks on the streets and in your city.
For Professional Who Would Like to Volunteer
If you are a professional or councilor who might want to volunteer your services and time for a tax break, join the same community (linked above) and list your talents or skills in your profile so that we may connect you with someone in need of what you have to offer.

For Everyone
Please share this post on Facebook, Myspace, Linkedin or anywhere else on the web where you have connections with people who care. We hope this is reaching the people in need and it can only do so with YOUR HELP....thanks for your continued support as we make Home Free Organization a reality for many out there who need what we have to offer.

Home Free Organization is a non-profit initiative to eradicate homelessness in urban environments through the provision of free wireless internet, social networking and resource allotment. We take donated bread trucks which have come off route and add donated computers and hardware to create mobile wireless access hubs for homeless individuals to utilize for finding family, jobs, resources and ways off the street. The goal is simple: Provide a resource for the homeless which will allow them to find ways off the street. Of course there are many who prefer the streets to a 9-5 and home life, but for those who are stuck and cannot find there way, Home Free will provide the tools to try.

Call To Action: Spread the Word about Home Free Organization

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:47:00 +0000

Dearest Friends, Followers and Supporters of Home Free Organization, we come to you with a small request today which will only take 5 minutes of your time and may do more for the world than you could possibly know. Home Free Organization is currently in search of funding and/or a mentor nonprofit organization (ex. Salvation Army) to take us under their wing so that we can become an accredited charity. If you have just five minutes to spare, please forward Home Free Organization's information to just 10 people or simply make it a point to talk about us at your next business meeting or dinner. As you may know already, Home Free Org is not your normal nonprofit entity as we are not on the streets soliciting monetary donations from strangers. At this point we are not even asking for cash donations (although they will help)-instead Home Free is asking for individuals and/or businesses to donated their unwanted materials so that we can convert them into usable resources for those in need [a full list of donation types listed here].Nevertheless, if you prefer to donate cash, we ask at this time that you do so by purchasing official Home Free Organization branded merchandise such as shirts and hats from our Cafe Press store.

The World Needs Your Network
Everyone out there has someone in their life with a big heart and resources to share. Home Free Organization needs you to speak with that person and mention us to them. We are in great need of donations of unwanted bread trucks and computers in order to increase the number of homeless individuals that we can help. Craigslist is always full of unwanted "bread truck" and "box van" type of vehicles for cheap! The idea is to reuse what is unwanted and convert it into something useful to help those in the streets find ways to get off the streets.

Invite Friends

End Homelessness, Support Home Free Organization

Help those without homes and jobs find them using donated materials and wireless, mobile education hubs from Home Free Organization Learn More

134 members

It is going to take a lot of heart and word of mouth to get to this next phase and we need your help. Please forward this to anyone you know who might be willing to brainstorm and help. Thank you for your time and effort know...you are doing a great thing.

Home Free Organization Truck Logical Network Diagram

noreply@blogger.com (Ross Williams) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:07:00 +0000

Home Free Organization is on the front lines and in the streets with new and emerging technologies connecting to anywhere at anytime. With new and emerging technologies available to the world daily Home Free is committed to make the most of what is offered to in turn provide seamless access to much needed support mechanisms to the Home-Free. The diagram to the left is a peek into how we at Home Free are able to provide this much needed access.

UPDATE: College of Charleston Magazine Features Home Free Organization

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:17:00 +0000

There are quite a few more people behind the goals of Home Free Organization today...quite a few hundred! As previously mentioned, College of Charleston Magazine featured our growing cause in their latest Alumni Issue, which can now be read by visiting the magazine's website. You could also order a copy for print even if you're not a student or alumni if you wish. We are really pleased with the way that the article turned out and excited to have so many more compassionate individuals involved with the project.

There are just a couple of things that we would like to note for those looking to get involved. First, our Home Free social network is setup and available for volunteers and those in need to join and begin networking for change. This will give every volunteering person involved their own profile page for showcasing exactly which talents, skills or professional background that respective members are bringing to the table. As for those who are Home-Free and are in search of assistance, this will be a safe and discrimination-free place to easily describe those issues which are holding you back.

Where can I Find Home Free Organization at Work?
We are still working out the bugs in the prototype truck and accepting material donations (not asking for money at this time) and hope to be in the streets of NYC before the end of the year. However there is much work to be done in the background and that means volunteers can start helping by committing a small amount of time just spreading the word. With that said, you can find Home Free Organization building an army on any of the following social networking sites. If you happen to be a member on these sites, lets be friends.

TIP: If you are a person who might be well connected with someone who owns a bread company or some other business which uses delivery vans, by all means, please mention us to them as we are going to need all the trucks we can find. Maybe you're not this person but rather a terrific speaker on behalf of organizations such as our, please contact the Salvation Army and put in a good word for us as we would love to ultimately become a mobile version of their cause. And a final tip, if you just happen to have cash laying around and would like to contribute to our cause, a great place to start would be trying your local Craigslist and searching for "bread truck" or "box van," as many cities have individuals looking to get rid of their unwanted trucks cheap! Diesel trucks work best as per our wonderful relationship with TriState Biodiesel (Brooklyn), however gasoline trucks can be converted by our friends at Diesel Depot (of Georgia)!

Home Free Organization is now on Google Wave as beta testers which is extremely exciting as both volunteers and the home-free can now communicate (including the sharing of all forms of media) in real time.
What is Google Wave?
Google Wave is a browser-based collaboration tool that combines messaging, document writing and discussions in real time. I participated by proxy in an experiment with the tool last week that involved fellow content management professionals.You can watch a video about using Google Wave here and read this Google Wave User Guide and an in depth guide on the Mashable blog. Google Wave is of course new to everyone in the world, so lets work the bugs out together and make this a problem solving machine for those in need.

Thank you for all of your support towards helping Home Free Organization help those in need help themselves to a better life. Feel free to email any questions to homefreeorganization@gmail.com and one of us will be happy to speak to you when it is most convenient for you. Take care and remember you are not homeless, you are Home-Free!

Breaking News: Home Free Organization Featured in CofC Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:15:00 +0000

We have some exciting news for all of you out there who have been following the progress of Home Free Organization! At the end of this month, College of Charleston Magazine (link to facebook page) will be featuring out up and coming nonprofit organization in their "Alumni" issue with an interview with our founder, Justin Farrow. Farrow graduated from the College of Charleston in 2002 as an undergraduate with degrees in Anthropology and Philosophy/Religious Studies. This interview will provide an in depth background of the ideas and motivation behind creating Home Free Organization in addition to ways of donating and what you can do to help end homelessness where you live.

Photo by Mike Ledford Photography, Charleston

About College of Charleston Magazine

Published three times a year, the College of Charleston Magazine features students, faculty and other campus highlights, along with information about various alumni.

A Home Free Organization Thank You!

noreply@blogger.com (Home Free Organization) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:36:00 +0000

This is one of many thank yous that we will be issuing in the coming months and it comes from one of our officers (and premier web designer), Orbi, from the Home Free Organization Social Network.

I've been busy like never before lately, but while running around like a headless chicken with a laptop in its place, I have come across some really cool people that are donating random stuff.

Here are some examples:
Smoke Music donated two high resolution, kickass, energy-efficient, CRT monitors. These will be great additions to the NYC Home Free breadtruck.

A couple of my friends in the LES (ex-homefree kids) called me up at the end of the NYU semester and took me dumpster diving.. I had not done that since I graduated 4 years ago. I'm not even going to begin listing the plethora of computer parts we scavenged out of the machines we found.

It's amazing how much shi* people throw away without even thinking about how it might help others. I mean they haven't even considered how it might affect the environment. Everytime somebody throws out a typical Dell or Gateway desktop they got in college, that's up to 20lbs (not including the monitor) of parts taht are not bio-degradable and have a slim chance of being recycled. Multiply that by a graduating class of say 2000 kids and you just filled up a junkyard with machine parts.

So thank you to all the people involved that have been giving, and to those that have been providing resources to take stuff from.

In the end it's not about all the stuff and things and stuff, but about the fact that there was somebody who cared to provide it for those that need it.

Thanks again!
-o

If you haven't joined our network as of yet, please do! It is now open to the public for both volunteers of Home Free and individuals who are homeless and would like to reach out for a little assistance with that which may be holding them back. Signing up is easy! Just head over to http://homefree.ning.com and join...fill out your profile so that others can connect with you. If you happen to currently be without a home, let us see if we may be able to assist you in any number of ways. Spread the word!

10 Ways to Find Lost Family Online

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:11:00 +0000

Sometimes, but of course not all of the time, getting off of the streets may be as simple as contacting a family member that one has lost. One of the ways in which Home Free Organization can help a visitor is assist them in trying to reconstruct portions of a family tree which may lead to finding a lost love one or a family member who may be able to help in troubled times. A great place to start is online by researching relatives. Here are a few websites that may be of use when doing this (MakeUsOf goes into great detail about each):

1. WorldGenWeb Project - World History Buffs Unite!

2. US GenWeb Project - The Top Source for U.S. Researchers

3. U.K. National Archives - A Plethora of U.K. Historical Data

4. U.S. National Archives - The Prime Source for U.S. Ancestry Information

5. Genealogy Today - The Google of Ancestry

6. Family Tree Searcher - Online Quizzes to Help Your Research

7. GeneaBios - Reading about Life Stories

8. The Olive Tree - The Starting Point for Any Amateur Researcher

9. Access Genealogy.com - A Great Mix of Research Resources

10. KindredTrails.com - Lots of Links to Valuable Resources

Home Free Organization on DoSomething.org

noreply@blogger.com (Home Free Organization) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 02:50:00 +0000

We are proud to announce that Home Free Organization has now joined the likes of other truly innovative initiative that have been created for a cause on DoSomething.org. On our project page you can read more about our goals and plans for Home Free and even get involved yourself! Please take just a moment and head over there to drop us a comment on our page...

There are many interesting projects on DoSomething.org worthy of getting involved in. In particular, one project that really caught our eye is the Cart For The Homeless, created by Elliot Goldstein-a 17 yr old who's new organization seeks to create a new form of help for homeless people that focuses on improving their lives within their own lifestyle, Elliot created Carts for the Homeless [website]. To address the lifestyle needs, the durable, plastic cart has specific features such as a tarp for rain, water basin, and lockable storage mechanism.

We will be applying for grants and awards through DoSomething so if you have a moment, please put in a good word for us...and most importantly, keep spreading the word! We appreciate all of your support, love and help in making Home Free Organization a reality!

Homelessness Mapped in United States

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:07:00 +0000

Today we have a bit of research related to homelessness mapped in various ways. Much time and effort has been committed by various organizations created to provide resources and to aid those who are ~~Homeless~~ Home-Free and their findings are often times mapped in a way that allows us to compare and contrast the situations with other states and districts. Here at Home Free Organization, we have been steadily working to discover which areas our services might be most effective. Our plan is to first hit the streets of New York City with at least two trucks, then on to San Francisco, CA by February of next year. We will then move into Chicago and Atlanta. Of course it is important for anyone engaging in social work to know what is going on statistically, before making any sort of decisions related to culture. The number of homeless is difficult to ascertain because estimates vary depending on the methodology used. Numbers also vary substantially depending on whether a measurement is taken on a single night or is extrapolated to a given year. So where are we looking these days for this sort of information? Well, maps are incredible sources of data if created correctly and by a credible source. Below, I will give you a few examples of just this type of source.

On PBS website we see homelessness facts and figures along with a useful map of Homelessness Estimates by State.

Total Homeless: 744,313 people

Source: National Alliance to End Homelessness

Which states have the most homelessness people?
According to PBS, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington State, and Washington, D.C. have the highest rates of homelessness, according to a study released in 2007 by The National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Well, how many of these are children?
Another estimate comes from 1996 data commissioned by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. It says that while most homeless are unaccompanied adults, the number of homeless families is growing:

66% are single adults, and of these, three-quarters are men
11% are parents with children, 84% of whom are single women
23% are children under 18 with a parent, 42% of whom are under 5 years of age

What are the greatest causes of homelessness?

Homelessness may be caused by a variety of factors, but the coincidence of increased levels of poverty and decreased numbers of affordable housing often to blame. Other notable causes may include:

Mental illness
Many mentally ill homeless people are unable to obtain access to supportive housing and/or other treatment services. A 2005 U.S. Conference of Mayors study found that about 22 percent of the single adult homeless population suffers from some form of severe and persistent mental illness.
Domestic violence
In 2005, 50 percent of the cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness.
Lack of healthcare
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2004 nearly a third of persons living in poverty had no health insurance of any kind. The coverage held by many others would not carry them through a catastrophic illness.
Substance Abuse
While recent research questions the disproportionately high rates of alcohol and drug abuse among the homeless population, and no agreed-upon statistics exist, poor people who abuse substances are far more likely to experience homelessness than their sober counterparts.

Also on the National Alliance to End Homelessness website, we have an interactive map to check out called the 2009 Counts Map.

69% of current media stories report increases in local 2009 homeless counts.

This map serves as a database of January 2009 point-in-time counts that have been reported in the media or on Continuum of Care websites. Red markers indicate reports of increases and green markers indicate media reports of decreases. Yellow markers indicate reports of increases in some subpopulations and decreases in others. Links to news story's or CoC websites are included.

You might also be interested in State by State Date, and they've got it.

An on the Take Part Blog, we get another glimps of homelessness mapped in US.

Cartifact, a company that makes interactive maps for business purposes, has an interesting an useful interactive map of the Homeless Density Population.

Finally, if you are interested in mapped businesses and charities that deal with homelessness, check no further than Google Maps for business here. And for the truly energetic, check out MapAction Field Guide to Humanitarian Mapping. A comprehesive (118 pages) manual to selecting and using free and open source GIS and other software for humanitarian operations. First edition, March 2009. 3.0MB download. Read it inline here:
Mapaction Field Guide to Humanitarian Mapping

Publish at Scribd or explore others: How-to-Guides & Manu mapping humanitarian

If you appreciate information such as this or would just like to keep track/get involved with the efforts of Home Free Organization, why not subscribe to our RSS feed.

Purchase Official Home Free Org Gear and Help End Homelessness

noreply@blogger.com (Home Free Organization) — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:53:00 +0000

Ok, so we are going to give CafePress a whirl. Now you can donate to Home Free Organization by purchasing hats, shirts, mugs and even video cameras with our Home Free Organization emblem. We wil give 100% of the proceeds back to the organization to pay for used bread trucks, computers, clothing for interviews, etc. You can find the Home Free Organization store and make your selection at any time.

PS: Cute little dog not included...sorry

Resources for the Home-Free of NYC, Food, Shelter, Medical

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:26:00 +0000

This page is dedicated to educating the Homeless Home-Free individuals of NYC onn various locations where a person in need can find food, shelter, medical assistance and most importantly, hope. These resources will be ever growing so bookmark this page and share it with those who you know might need them. This first installment comes from the caring people at Partners in Grace. Please leave your comments and questions below so that we can better help those in need.

Please submit any additional resources that you think we should share. Thank you!

Guest Post: Kevin Brady on Home Free Organization™ Updates and Future

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Sun, 17 May 2009 01:57:00 +0000

A week or so back, we decided to loan some of our blogging controls over to a few select guest bloggers. We want to give others involved the opportunity to explain what they feel Home Free Organization™is all about and their personal thoughts on how it will be relevant and helpful to the community as well as their plans for involvement. This will be the first of that series and today we will share the thoughts of Kevin Brady-officer/ administrator at Home Free Organization™and dedicated reporter and enthusiast of US political agenda and international affairs.

5/14/09- On Home Free Organization
-Kevin Brady

An update from Home Free along the way as we prepare to hit the streets of New York City from Kevin Brady

Thoughts on our Machines

This is the latest news and ongoing discussions on Homelessness in NYC as it relates to our rapidly emerging Home Free service that will be rolling into Manhattan, New York this summer. Our trademarked and eco-friendly red and white bread truck is expected to launch this summer and we will cruising up I-95, carbon neutral and bound for Union Square by the beginning of August. Home Free has been carefully recruiting staff members and partners who have experience creating fuel from collecting waste vegetable oil and straining out the gunk-this is what our machines will run on. The Home Free truck is powered completely by good old double dunked Canola or P-nut oils! Even gristle smothered fry grease is something that we have recovered that puts the Truck’s peddle to the metal. We will be working with the original ambassadors of biofuel, Tri-State Biodiesel™out of Brooklyn New York once we arrive to town. They operate a vegetable grease collection company that reuses fry grease from restaurants as diesel fuel. Tri-State has mastered the Biodiesel craft and will keep Home Free carbon neutral as we get all of the power we consume from a diesel generators. Burning vegetable oils is carbon neutral because the carbon that consumed by the vegetable during growth is equal to the carbon emitted when consumed in an engine.

Consider this rapidly growing community as a family along the road with you as we all make our way Home. Until you get to where you are going or where you started from we invite you to consider yourself an individual who is Home-Free, not Homeless. We want to first help those who live on the streets change the way they percieve thier own situations-only then will true life-change occur. We give you a chance to reach out and share your stories, tips and advise on how to beat the streets with us and we will (with your permission of course) post it right here for others with similar situations and backgrounds to build from. This is a place to find whatever you are looking for that can be accessed through the internet. If there are answers to questions that are keeping you from escaping the grip of being without a home, the facility will be there to utilize and we will be on-hand, ready to help you find those answers. If you have found yourself stuck along the way to where you had once hoped to be, we will be there to do our best at helping you get back on track. If there have been some unexpected twists and turns in your life-story that have left you without the essential government documents, Home Free staff will introduce you to our internet station and direct you to the necessary government sites where you can take care of your business. Find out how to apply for a replacement or first time social security card, birth certificate, Id card, find family and friends in our USA and World contact directory and then we will invite you to use our free Skype phones to call anywhere in the world to help get the process underway, we offer you this free phone call service and free wifi in New York because staff here at Home Free understands that struggle and obstacle can enter one’s life swiftly and unwarranted. First we will help you adapt a more progressive perspective in relation to your situation-then, we will help you turn that perspective into direction. As Justin says, "You're not Homeless, you're Home-Free!"

Home Free Mission and my commitment

Each and every member of our staff at Home Free has a passionate dedication to the eradication of suffering within the home-free national population. We offer Wi-Fi and online services at no cost to those in need in order to combat a recitavate nature plaguing individuals living in the streets. There are too many people merely finding a way of life on the streets of New York who have the will and capacity get on their way-their own way. Consider Home Free a helping hand and a push in the right direction as you make your way home. Our compass is set for NYC, so look out for a red Bread Box Truck™ hosting local street art from some of the more artistic tenants of NYC streets [submit at to our gmail "homefreeorganization" with subject "ART SUBMIT"]. When you arrive at Home Free you will be greeted and we will even set-up a password protected email account, so you can come back and stay in touch. While you are here you can feel free to search a multitude of databases online such as how-to-guides, medical information, apartment and job listings, classifieds, anything searchable on the internet is available to you free of charge as soon as you become associated with Home Free Organization.

The operations and methods of Home Free Organization™ will satisfy all required licensing codes of the New York department of Consumer affairs. We have discovered that Home Free can offer free Wi-Fi services with the least burden by qualifying and operating as a non-processed food vendor. This classification will allow Home Free to host online life services from the streets of New York. If any soul in the city has tips from working within a city government agency please share with the community and with Home Free staff personally, using the contact info below. We want to hear your tricks of the trade that will allow us to offer our services with ease. We are breaking down some of the barriers currently at work keeping far too may willing and capable individuals out of work. Home Free is dedicated to getting people off the streets and saving New York citizens from the lifestyle that accompanies a life hooked on the bitter sweet street treats that so many of us have put to the test and been tested by.

Home Free is comprised of life-minded people who understand the disaster that can arise in one’s life without warning. We open the doors for you to explore a way out and off the streets. Stop by to utilize the internet at no cost to you for finding answers to questions holding you back or just to see what we are about. We only require that you be willing to let us help you- allow us to create an email account for you so that you visit and check your email often from our facility. We will serve those seeking a way out and those getting back on track. One visit to Home Free may welcome you with a new job offer or reconnect you with a long lost loved one that you left years ago. Our phone and address contact databases compile all white pages and directories in the USA and in many cases, the entire world. When you find the number of your loved one we invite you to give them a free local or long distance call from our free Skype phone service. If you don't reach your contact they can always reurn the call on our community voicemail (a fellow non-profit organization) that will be waiting for you the next time you visit. If you have just arrived to town and need to let your family back in your hometown know that you are here safely, stop by. Find New York subway and bus routes , hostel lodgings and boarding flats all from the Home Free truck™. Book your reservations and pay utility bills online from the Home Free Truck. Stop into Home Free to catch today’s latest news while enjoying the air-conditioned comfort of our computer stations. We will be in NYC this summer waiting for your next pit stop on your journey home and Home Free.

Funding

Home Free is a not-for-profit initiative in constant need of maintenance and upkeep. Our initiative requires donations of time, materials, and experience. HomeFree belong to you, not us.Think of us as your security blanket while one the road in New York, San Fran, and other urban landscape for online services that will allow you to maintain personal productivity. We are a mobile "GTD ". The services we offer will in time pay for themselves from donations made to Home Free Organization at various places on the web and at rallies and events we host throughout the year, but only if you become involved. Clicking on this link will take you to our Pocket Change page where we have left our hat open for your spare change. Feel free to donate one, two, or three quarters to the Home Free cause. For much less than a dollar you will be facilitating a service that aids and directs those in need. For what you spend on a book of matches you will be re-energizing lives and providing an outlet to a population of people without a home and the accompanying stability. Keep us connected in New York by giving what you can spare-then help us spread to other destinations where we can help others. When you donate and provide your email we will archive your patronage and you will have access to all Home Free services while in New York and other cities at no cost to you. Let us be your home and become part of the Home Free Community. As it has probably been stated before we will start in New York and make our way to several other cities that are in need of what we have to offer. In you are in the position to help contribute to this cause toss in some change and we promise to deliver free Wi-Fi in New York and elsewhere. On a previous post, we have the types of material donations that are needed to make this venture successful. In these financially strapping days you can never know- you might be the one who needs our help.

Tag-You're It!
Next time you pass somebody on the streets of New York asking for a buck tell them to go Home Free and that they will find some change there.

New Services in the Works :
HomeFree Employability and skills certificates...
Homeless Survival Camp....
Rehydro-juvination Station....

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Thank you for reading. Any questions or comments that you may have for Kevin, please send to homefreeorganization-gmail with subject "ATTN KLB."

KLB

Nonprofit SOS: Are you on Twitter?

noreply@blogger.com (Home Free Organization) — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:15:00 +0000

Nonprofit SOS: Are you on Twitter?

http://twitter.com/homefreeorg

Exclusive Preview of Home Free Organization Search Engine for Homeless

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:46:00 +0000

The gears are turning and we've been working hard to get our trucks on the streets and in action. Today, I bring to you a sneak peek of the Official Home Free Organization Search Engine which every visitor will be greeted by once they board the truck. As previously described, this project is for people who are stuck living on the streets and need just a small boost in order to get their lives moving in the right direction. When a visitor steps up into the truck, they plug their USB thumbdrive into the computer they are working on, which will then bring up all of the saved research data from previous visits. This home screen serves as a hub for interaction with various specialized search engines, the entire Home Free network consisting of other "home-free" individuals and volunteers for the organization. On each side of the HFO logo will be rotating logos of companies that recently donated to the organization. Stay tuned for more updates regarding the website and how we will be helping those without homes escape the streets by teaching them how to search for that which they need to get their lives moving in a positive direction.
Your comments are encouraged and welcome!

Home Free Organization Magazine Issue #1 Hot Off the Press

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:01:00 +0000

One of the projects that we hope to fully incorporate into our daily activities at Home Free Org is the monthly publishing of a magazine which incorporates all of the news and updates from the streets and behind the scenes. Issue #1 is available to download here and it contains content related to places where Home Free Organization can be found around the web, an update regarding USB data privacy policy and some general information related to our nonprofit including the ever amusing publishing of a new definition of "homeless". Please feel free to take a look and send me any related information that you think should be added to the next issue. The best part about this format that we are currently using (from Openzine) is that it is open source and user contributors are welcome. What better way to get your voice heard?
Home Free Organization Magazine
Issue #1
http://www.openzine.com/homefreeorg

Open Call For Guest Bloggers on Home Free Organization Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Home Free Organization) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:12:00 +0000

Got a story to share? Wanna become involved with our organization and express your views on the current state of homelessness? Well here is your chance! This is our official open call for guest bloggers to have their voice read and spread. If you would like to be a guest blogger on our blog, please send us an email with the subject "Guest Blogger" as subject and one of us will contact you for instructions on how to do so. The email address is below...thank you for your participation and support!

Home Free Org now Participating in Bloggers Unite Event to End Hunger

noreply@blogger.com (Home Free Organization) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:41:00 +0000

We are please to announce that we will be participating in Bloggers Unite event where bloggers from all over the blog-o-sphere unite to end hunger and for human rights [find our account here].
A bit about Bloggers Unite

Bloggers Unite is an attempt to harness the power of the blogosphere to make the world a better place. By asking bloggers to write about a particular subject on 1 day of the month, a single voice can be joined with thousands to help make a difference; from raising awareness for cancer, to an effort to better education systems or supporting 3rd world countries.

We are excited to connect with other organizations for this event and to make a difference!

Donate 54 cents to Home Free Organization and Support the Cause

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:50:00 +0000

We are putting together the new and improved website for our organization and now you can make donations through paypal if you would like to support the cause. If you donate through this method, all that we are suggesting is a 54 cent donation. Jow did we arrive at this number? Well given the amount of followers that we have on Twitter and the number of fans and members of our group on Facebook, we figure that if half of you guys donate just 54 cents each, we will be able to pay for the hosting and development of our new website and social network. Home Free Organization truly appreciates your support!

Home Free Organization Social Network Now Open for Joining

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:16:00 +0000

We've been waiting for a little while to open our social network to the public in order to get everything set up. But today, Home Free Organization has opened the social networking doors to the public! If you are interested in becoming a member, simply head over to the network at http://homefree.ning.com and apply for membership. You should consider joining if you are A) Home-free and looking for assistance in getting off the streets, B) are interested in participating in the organization and would like to offer help of some sort C) are interested in volunteering your time or services to the cause or D) would like to make a donation to the nonprofit. There will certainly be more to come regarding the social network and how it can work to benefit you as well as the ways in which this network will work into the greater scheme of things here at Home Free Organization. Join today!

Home Free Organization is Now Open for Material Donations

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 20:37:00 +0000

We are now accepting many types of material donations n behalf of the homefree in your area, such as your used (working) computers, bread truck like cargo vans, clothing for interviews, USB thumb drives , unwanted gift certificates, etc. If you have such an item and would like to donate to Home Free Organization , please send an email to homefreeorganization-AT-gmail and one of us will be sure to be in touch with you shortly. Feel free to download and pass this flyer around, post on your bulletin board, etc. Coming Soon...We will soon be taking applications for advertising space for your company or association to be displayed on the sides of our trucks.
Home Free Organization Donation Flyer

Publish at Scribd or explore others: art promotion

Home Free Featured on KillerStartups.com

noreply@blogger.com (Home Free Organization) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:39:00 +0000

Today while searching for mentions and buzz about our growing organization, i stumbled across a featured post on Killerstartups.com about Home Free Organization. If you have a moment, please jump over to that post and cast your vote for us! We appreciate your support!
Also, you can visit our profile on Change.org and become our friend!

USB Data Backup Will Make Searching For Solutions Easier

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:16:00 +0000

Privacy for the Home Free
One of our biggest concerns for the homeless homefree is their privacy. Here at Home Free Organization, we are committed to making sure that the privacy of each visitor that we help is maintained. This is why we have devised a plan and a method to ensure that everyone has this privacy option. We have decided that a USB thumb drive would be the best method for three reasons:
A) so that others who visit the truck after someone has left will not be able to copy, misuse or misappropriate another visitor's private information
B) so that an individual will have an easier time picking up where they left off in a previous visit to the truck.
C) the homefree will be able to keep a personal account of all progress made with them at all times and be fully in charge of their search and solutions

You can download this document in PDF form here

A Scenario
When a person from the street enters the Home Free Truck, he/she will not be playing on a computer- A process is taking place, a search project is being put into action or being continued from a previous visit. Some have mentioned that homefree individuals sit at the library all day long wasting time at the computers or sleeping. Let it be clear that this is not what Home Free Organization is for. Our resources are for the goal oriented homefree, who have a specific idea about what it will take for them to get themselves off of the street. Whether it be a family member that they have lost communication with, a skill that they have that may be marketable, a friend that lives 3000 miles away that if found would help them- we are there to help them learn how to search properly, find what or who they are looking for and move in that direction. If they need clothes or a haircut for an interview, we make sure that they look their best. If they need a photograph of themselves to send to family to show that they are moving in the right direction, we make sure that this image is portrayed for them. Home Free Organization wants only the best for those who need that little push that is separating them from their former life, a new one or just one that is healthier and safer than the one they lead now. A simple USB device may just be the thing that can make a person who feels they have nothing become enthralled with a new confidence and direction. Simply knowing that you are moving in a direction that is bettering your life (or will be) can be just enough inspiration to keep moving toward that goal.
Home Free asks that any reader out there who has an unneeded or unwanted USB thumb drive to please donate it to someone who can use it to better their life. If you have one or a lot of them to donate, please write to homefreeorganization-at-gmail with your contact information. Simple solutions to complex problems- That's what Home Free Organization is all about.

An Interesting Tale About How Fast Word Spreads

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:40:00 +0000

The Speed and Power that Is Word of Mouth
Yesterday, Justin's mother was walking through a local Wal-Mart in Salem New Hampshire and came across a donation booth for a cause related to the homefree and briefly mentioned that her son had started a nonprofit organization which uses donated computers and breadtrucks to create mobile learning centers to help the homeless to get off the streets. The gentleman behind the counter gave her a weird look and responded, "Do you mean Home Free?" Surprised, she answered, "Yes, my son started that cause!" The excited guy behind the desk called out to his supervisor and asked him to come over to meet the mom of the guy who started Home Free. The supervisor walked over and asked, "Is it true that your son is officially changing the word "homeless" to "home-free ?" "If so," he said "that man is sure making some tracks!"
The moral of this short story is when you set out to do something larger than yourself, in an exciting way and for the greater good, word of mouth travels faster than the speed of light and sound. Personally, I (Justin) have never been to Salem NH, but it sure is interesting that a couple of random guys accepting donations for the homefree in a Walmart thousands of miles away have already heard or read about this cause. It makes everything I am working on with my every ounce of energy worth it all the more. Keep up the good work you guys! I really appreciate all of the kind words and efforts that have gone into helping make all of this possible. We truly are changing the world...or at least we will be really soon...
You can read this original testimonial Here on the Facebook Page
Check out Home Free Organization on these network:

"Home-Free" Becomes Official Substitute for "Homeless" Urban Dictionary

noreply@blogger.com (Loftninja) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 21:10:00 +0000

Yesterday, our buddy Loftninja submitted a new definition for homeless to the Urban Dictionary , as we mentioned . Today, we have been notified by UD that "Home-Free" has been accepted and published! In fact, "Home-Free" is more sensitive and acceptable way to refer to anyone who has previously may have been labeled a vagrant, hobo, tramp, transient or bum. To call someone Homeless is to hurt those who are already hurting. Why don't we all try to use this new term in daily life and perhaps change the way that those homefree are perceived from the outside- not only that, but how those without homes perceive themselves and their immediate situation.

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Exclusive Preview of Home Free Organization Search Engine for Homeless

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Open Call For Guest Bloggers on Home Free Organization Blog

Home Free Org now Participating in Bloggers Unite Event to End Hunger

Donate 54 cents to Home Free Organization and Support the Cause

Home Free Organization Social Network Now Open for Joining

Home Free Organization is Now Open for Material Donations

Home Free Featured on KillerStartups.com

USB Data Backup Will Make Searching For Solutions Easier

An Interesting Tale About How Fast Word Spreads

What We Read

"Home-Free" Becomes Official Substitute for "Homeless" Urban Dictionary