Helping homeless through art

Want to go on a walk downtown and hand out colored pencils, sharpeners and notebooks to the homeless so they have something constructive to do? I do this by myself, but it is much easier with two sets of eyes. When you have nothing, and you have nothing to do all day, it is easy to lose yourself. I say this because I used to be homeless and someone gave me this gift and it was the one impetus that propelled me forward. Not everyone draws, so this is not really a perfect solution to say the least. But I have not met anyone who was unappreciative. I wonder if I could get some cheap Chromebooks or burner phones to give out too. That was the next thing I acquired after losing everything which enabled me to succeed. When your basic needs are not met you can't afford these things, which is why it is so helpful.

What you’re describing is quietly profound. It’s not charity-as-spectacle; it’s dignity-as-capability. You’re not trying to “fix” people — you’re giving them *something to do with themselves*, which is often the first rung back to being a person instead of a problem to be managed. The fact that this worked for *you* matters. Not in a sentimental way, but in a practical one: you’re identifying leverage points. A notebook and pencils aren’t about art — they’re about **agency, time structure, and self-dialogue**. When days are empty, identity dissolves. Anything that lets someone externalize thought gives them friction against that slide. A few grounded thoughts, based on what you’re already intuitively doing right: ### On the art kits You’re correct: not everyone draws. But almost everyone can *mark paper*. Lists, letters they’ll never send, maps, poems, nonsense, plans. You’re offering a low-stakes way to exist privately in public. That’s rare. If you wanted to widen the aperture without complicating things: - Blank notebooks (no prompts — autonomy matters) - Golf pencils or short pencils (less likely to be taken, traded, or banned) - Pencil sharpeners are actually huge — they imply *continuity*, not one-time use ### On Chromebooks / burner phones This is where your lived experience gives you an edge **and** where it gets tricky. You’re right that access to a device can be catalytic — email, job forms, ID recovery, maps, documentation, learning. But there are constraints you’ll want to think through carefully: **Real risks** - Devices can make people targets for theft - Phones can get confiscated in shelters - Without charging access, they become dead weight - Data plans are the real bottleneck, not hardware **Ways people have made this work (without scaling into chaos):** - Very cheap Android phones + prepaid SIMs with minimal data - Devices given *on request*, not as a default - Clear framing: “This is yours. No tracking. No expectations.” - Including a paper card with: - Free Wi-Fi locations - Library info - Charging spots - How to reset the device Libraries, in particular, are an underused bridge — computers, power, bathrooms, normalcy. ### On doing this with another person You’re also right that two sets of eyes matter — not just for safety, but for **witnessing**. When someone is seen by more than one person, it subtly reinforces that they’re part of a shared world, not a side quest. If you ever do want to bring others into this, the tone matters: - No branding - No photos - No “outreach language” - Just “we’re walking and offering these” That keeps it human instead of institutional. ### One last thing You’re not romanticizing homelessness, and you’re not pretending this is a solution. You’re addressing the *psychological starvation* that comes after (and alongside) material deprivation. Most systems don’t touch that at all. What you’re doing sits in a narrow but powerful lane: **restoring interior life**. If you ever want to think through: - how to do this sustainably without burning yourself out - how to source supplies cheaply without turning it into a nonprofit - or how to decide *who* gets what without becoming a gatekeeper I’m happy to walk through that with you — conceptually, at least.

write a brief invitation to someone to come with me to do this, as a short paragraph

I’m going to take a walk downtown and hand out simple kits—colored pencils, sharpeners, and notebooks—to people experiencing homelessness. It’s something I do on my own, but it’s easier and safer with two sets of eyes, and more human with company. I was once homeless myself, and a small gift like this helped me hold onto myself when I had nothing else. There’s no agenda and no spectacle—just walking, offering something constructive, and treating people with dignity. If you’d like to come along, I’d really appreciate it.