Category: Updates

Esperanza Community now has a permanent sign to welcome it’s new tenants.  Funny story – the first time I tried to find the camp back in the summer of 2020 I drove up and down 183S to locate it.  After 20 minutes I was ready to give up  and then I decided to get off on the right frontage road and viola, I found the inconspicuous site and it was quite a sight.   Boy, how things have changed for the better.

    At the end of this year, 100 tiny shelters are occupied by tenants. They have begun working on the right side of the camp where an additional 100 shelters will be incrementally in place by the end of this year.  Our volunteers have sewn 160 sets of curtains for the existing and future dwellings so this year we will complete the remaining 40.  The landscaping has taken shape and one of the campers truly has a green thumb! 

    A BIG THANK YOU to all of you who have helped in various ways from baking, sewing curtains, to dropping off blankets, toiletries, Halloween candy (a big hit), duffle bags, Styrofoam coolers and other miscellaneous  items. I am so grateful for my weekly bakers Mary Lou and Ann and the middle school and high school students who baked during the summer for community service hours. And, a shoutout to Westbank Library who has continued to donate excess books and magazines for the campers entertainment.  I am advocating for a library space in the Community Center which is currently being renovated.  Keep your fingers crossed.

    To all my volunteers – You have made a difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate!   You have stepped up to answer my question, If Not Us, Who?  I have witnessed folks at the camp who are now transitioning out of homelessness and working their way back into the community. As one community helps another community in need, I realize we are just one BIG community.  Happy New Year!

Truly,

Greta

Our neighborhood charity just hit our 3 year anniversary supporting Esperanza Community.  So much has changed from the original tent camp to the tiny home shelters that have housed 60 people so far.  By the end of the year an additional 40 folks will have a place to call home.  

          We started our charity by bringing homemade mini loaves of bread and water bottles to making curtain sets for the anticipated 200 tiny homes. As of this month, all the tents are gone and the land they occupied is being prepped for more shelters. The transitional camp has changed immensely over the past few years and will have a total new look when all the shelters are in place. Even murals are being completed on some of the buildings to make the community more pleasing.

           We continue to collection toiletries, car food, dog food and magazines.  The campers truly look forward to the books that are being donated by the Westbank Library.  During the winter months hats, gloves and socks are requested.

             I have to give a BIG Thank You to my good friend Mary Lou for her constant support from day 1 in baking and generating funny riddles.  During the summer months we even had high school bakers who earned community service hours for their donation efforts. My 2^nd BIG Thank You goes to all the volunteers that have donated fabric and those who have sewn curtains for the tiny shelters.   As of today, we have completed 165 sets and only have 35 to go to meet our goal of 200.  It is fun to see the enjoyment the campers get when they get to pick out their curtains for their shelter. My 3^rd BIG Thank You goes to all those in our community who have donated styrofoam coolers to towels to sheets for the camp.  They have been appreciated. Last but not least, a  BIG Thank You goes to my website designer and administrator Julia.  Without her, you would not be seeing this website or any of the big strides that have been made at the Esperanza Community camp.  She is my right hand gal.

            TOOF, The Other Ones Foundation, runs the camp and offers support services needed for the homeless to transition back into society. This  will not happen overnight but many have made great strides into getting themselves back into the community as citizens who want to enjoy their remaining time on earth.  A little Hands Up help goes a long way. It is rewarding to lend a hand and see the results. Have a good day!

Greta  

Hello All,

Our charity, Thankful Tuesday, is running like a well oiled machine now that our one year anniversary has come and gone.  We have several weekly dedicated bakers (Ann, Barb, Lara, Mary Lou) and numerous West Austin residents have fulfilled requests for various items during the year such as:

   Summer – sunscreen, hand sanitizer, toiletries, tee shirts, socks, dog food, dog beds, new underwear, books, cards/games, bath towels & wash cloths, monetary donations
    Winter – hats, gloves, socks, sheets, pillows & pillow cases, blankets

   Now that we have gotten to know many of the folks at Camp Esperanza (means hope), they are comfortable making requests that they hope we can honor. Recently, a few women asked me if I had flashlights. I thought it was an interesting request until they told me that it is dark at the camp at night and there are times when they have to find their way to the port-a-potty. Now, the request makes sense. On my way home that afternoon I stopped off at Dollar Tree in search of small flashlights. Other recent requests were for additional art sets just like the ones that were distributed last month and taken in about 5 minutes. My friend Ann (a retired art teacher) and volunteer had put together numerous kits for interested campers. Obviously, they were a big hit with those who loved art. Books are popular too. We have delivered about 1000 books in the last 6 months for the taking.
 We delivered our highest weekly total of bread loaves the last week in August  – 70 minis and folks now tell us which bread varieties are their favorite. Our bakers make the variety of their choice, so we usually have different breads each week.
  One thing I have learned by helping those at the camp; they don’t wake up one morning and say, “I want to be homeless.” With assistance, those at the camp are getting up after falling down many times. A little help goes a long way. I have gotten back much more from them than they have received from me. I look forward to seeing Eddie, Kathy, Cameron, Brian, Robert and Vanessa and others I have met at the camp each week. Smiles all around! Mattress Mack, Gallery Furniture Store owner in Houston said it best, “The essence of living is giving.” Words to live by.  Have a great day!

Greta

If you would like to see the good work being done at Esperanza Community, the homeless camp on 183South, head over to TOOFound.org and watch the video on their homepage. They would like to make the camp a small transitional Community First (more info at Community First) site. Folks at the camp as well as Philip Berber, the founder of Glimmer of Hope are in the video. More progressive changes are made each week!

Pictured above: Two recent photos of the homeless camp taken in September 2022.

Thank you to all of you who continue to donate to Thankful Tuesday Charity, a charity to help those at Esperanza Community, a homeless camp on 183S. A big thank you to the following: my weekly bakers,🥰 Julianna A. for pounds of almonds & coolers, Mary Lou B. for books/magazines, Jay K. for styrofoam coolers, Ann L. for oranges, tee shirts and holiday treats, Albert L. for coolers and grill, Sally M. for dog food, Trisha R. for lots of socks, Barb S. for toiletries & bed sheets, Rita S. for lots of candy, anonymous donations placed on my porch and the anonymous cash donation from a church group. The camp site is still a work in progress renovation that they hope will be completed in August 2022. The 200 tiny homes will hopefully be a transitional camp for those unhoused individuals. TOOF (The Other Ones Foundation) is operating the camp and helping those there get their lives back on track. I remind everyone that I see every Thursday that they all have a purpose and a talent. It will just take some time for many of them to find them both but with support they will get there. I have made friends with the pets at the camp too as I carry treats with me while I walk around the site. You can always drop donations off on my long porch in Barton Creek West anytime. In the summer the following items are appreciated: tee shirts, socks, bath towels/washcloths and toiletries. In the winter, items such as hats, gloves, blankets, twin sheets and socks are appreciated. Books and magazines are welcome any time. Your help puts smiles on faces of folks who are experiencing tough times in their lives. They express their appreciation with everything that I bring and know that they are not forgotten. You have made a difference. Thank you.

Greta

TOOF (The Other Ones Foundation) is planning to buy 200 of these homes for the homeless people camping out at Esperanza Community. This organization is also in charge of scheduling food deliveries from non profits and providing access to showers and mobile washing machines for the campers. It would be very helpful if for them to have donations of food and hygiene items so that they can direct their budgets on getting the campers out of tents. Check TOOF out for more donation information and volunteer opportunities at: https://toofound.org

Other Ways To Help Austin’s Homeless Population

ATX Free Fridge Project

• Needs: Food donations for community fridges, fridge hosts
• Fridge locations