Delivering Radical Hospitality During COVID-19
March 26, 2020
This week, LavaMaeˣ created COVID-19 hygiene kits and passed them out, along with other essential supplies, to our unhoused neighbors and service partners in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles.
Words From The Street
On Tuesday, staffer Annie Stickel delivered hygiene kits to our unhoused neighbors in San Francisco, and here's what some of our guests had to say about their lives during this unprecedented time:
"It's quiet and like a ghost town, I don't like it." - Tammy
"It feels like prison. I don't like it. It feels like we are all left out here to die." - Al
"I don't really notice a difference. They're is still a lot of people out in the day. The only difference is at night. Also, cops are asking us to spread out and not congregate." - Seth
Although some of these words broke our hearts, we are committed to doing all we can to deliver Radical Hospitality and deliver hygiene supplies to our unhoused neighbors until it's safe for us to resume shower service and our Pop-Up Care Villages.
"People were saying that these hygiene kits are representations of love. Folks were very, very happy just to see a familiar face."
Annie, LavaMaeˣ
What Can I Do?
Write a letter to Congress to include emergency funds for our unhoused neighbors in COVID-19 response.
Sign this petition to demand that the City of San Francisco take these 7 steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 amongst our unhoused neighbors.
Contact your local leaders and ask them to push for public handwashing stations and mobile showers, and increase the amount of shelters that meet social distancing requirements.
Donate COVID-19 prevention kits to LavaMaeˣ, we're accepting them on a case-by-case basis. Or donate to us directly and we'll purchase supplies and keep distributing. Also please consider donating supplies to your local shelters who accept donations.
Practice strict physical distancing and shelter in place ordinances, preventing the spread to our unhoused neighbors can help with you staying indoors.
Resources
"Thank you for allowing us to be the vessel of your love. We told the community that this is Lava Mae love, we are just the vessel.
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Louie, Urban Alchemy