I walk through Harvard Sq. everyday on my commute. Everyday I see people, people that could have once been my neighbor or ridden the bus with me, homeless and starving. It was -16 degrees once and I was cold in my down jacket and thick minutes. I saw this man in a tattered shirt and pants. It was the saddest thing I'd ever seen. I decided then I wanted to do something about it.
My name is Joanna Munson-Palomba. I come from a politically aware family and go to a progressive school, which teaches me about important issues. My campaign is a creative twist on the used donation process. You send in money or a gift card, maybe used or regifted. If you chose to send in money, I would turn it into a gift card myself. The gift cards then get handed out at the door of the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter. Just one ten dollar donation could feed a kid on the streets or give them a warm sandwich and coffee. What seems like a impersonal gift from a distant relative can give a homeless man or woman some relief from a hard life.
I chose the funding goal of 500 dollars because that's my stepping stone goal. It's a good start and when broken down into 20 dollar gift cards that's 25 people that will be helped. That's a great start. If I don't reach my goal, whatever funds I have gathered will still go to the homeless. Even if I only get $10, it will always go directly to the homeless in the Boston community. The beauty of this concept is that you can fund something of your choice. If you send in $20 with a note that you want it to go towards a gift card for Shaws then I assure you it will.
The truth about panhandling is that generally, people want to give money to the homeless but we all know it's complicated and I know that I'm not in any place to give $5 to the homeless woman every morning. I also don't feel like I can walk by her as if I don't see her and/or don't care. This is a way to help!
I understand that you can't always donate and that's totally OK! What I would appreciate though, is you forwarding this link to your network with a sentence of support. My email is jomunpalomba@gmail.com if you have any questions. Also, talk, talk talk! Talk to friends, family, neighbor or strangers on the bus about homelessness and this campaign. Anything helps!