The Problem
In MANY towns throughout the World, there are overdoses from various drugs, and homelessness. In Barberton specifically, there are a LOT of youth that are becoming addicted to drugs AND becoming homeless. Couch surfing and overdosing are NOT the way to live life! TOO many people are struggling to find a stabilized place in society.
The Solution
Set up a community that is eco-friendly, self sustainable & self sufficient. This community will teach all of its residents how to be self sufficient/self reliant, how to better live off of the land, how to be a better team player, have a better work ethic, and many other various skills that lead to living a better- more successful- life.
Why Does it Matter?
Our world is full of people with LOADS of potential, and a lot of those people with potential are overlooked, and so they go to waste. Why can't we support our fellow humans?
I have lived in Barberton Ohio for 16 years collectively. When I first came here the city was a very different place, active and full of life. Now... It is FULL of Heroin Overdoses (among other things) .
A lot of people I've went to school with have died from this horrible epidemic we have going around and I just can't help but wonder... Would they have been doing Heroin if they had something better to do with their time? A lot of people do drugs for various reasons but there is always generally a root cause, and a lot of the people I've personally witnessed fall victim to these drugs have- at points in their life- gotten into trouble JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE BORED. It's crazy to think, that if maybe they had a purpose, or a reason to stay, or something to keep them occupied... maybe they wouldn't be dead. A lot of people who feel they are without a purpose, Live without a purpose. Why can't that change?
in the 6 month time that I worked at a factory I met a ton of decent, struggling people. Some were hooked on Heroin and trying to stay clean, a LOT of them were homeless, some were pill poppers, others were alcoholics. Most everyone was an inmate at one point in their lives, but not all of them. Something that caught me off guard was that a lot of the people at that factory lived in Cleveland, yet they were riding the work Van all the way to Barberton (a 46 minute drive if traffic is good) just to work a long 8-12 hour shift. Everyone had their vices, but it was like they were trading in their hardcore vices for something lesser, such as cigarettes, to keep themselves occupied. They didn't WANT to go back to doing the Drugs they fought SO hard to recover from. They didn't WANT to be homeless, they were there to work so they could get a place of their own. Some of them even stayed homeless just to help their families out. One person I worked with sent his checks to his mom just to help his sister, even though he was staying at a homeless shelter. SO MUCH POTENTIAL! Yet, most people would look at every last one of those people I worked with at that factory, and they wouldn't pay an extra second of attention to them. That's when it hit me. The untapped potential, waiting to be harnessed.
We live in a pretty cruel world nowadays, and a lot of people get into trouble because they don't fit in, or they don't have something to do with their time, or they get mixed in with the "wrong" crowd (which in reality is just another crowd of people with nothing better to do with their time) and most of the people who do make mistakes in the world end up being left in the gutter, forgotten, torn apart, forever struggling to find their place in society.
So many people want to help make a difference, yet they don't know where to begin...
Well, you can start here.
Our Project:
I'm creating a self sustainable, self sufficient eco-community right here in the heart of barberton! We have TOO many people on the streets with nothing to do with their time, no purpose, no will to live, no reason to either. I realized that WE are the only people responsible for our lives. That doesn't mean we can just crap out $1,000,000 and boom life is easy. Nope, it doesn't work that way. We can however, help each other ENJOY our lives and have a purpose to live. Life itself should be a reason enough to keep on keepin on but sometimes it just isn't.
We will be teaching everyone involved in the community how to live a self sufficient lifestyle, and they will stay RENT FREE for up to 45 days. After the 45 days is up, all residents will be put onto a 2nd visitor wait list, so that when more room opens up they may return. 45 days might not seem like a long time, but it is. In Barberton ALONE police responded to 4 OD's in less than 48 hours. That's not good for a smaller city, let alone ANY city! I will turn whatever piece of property we decide upon into a flourishing haven of better living. All residents will have their own place to stay, heating/electricity, running CLEAN water, and there will be meals each and every day. Everyone will work together in this community, learning much needed values as well as brushing up on their work ethic and ability to work as a team. Resume building, and job searching will be provided upon request (and more), and there will be plenty of real life skills learned in every single 45 day Eco-Cycle.
The All in all plan;
Build a Self sustainable, self sufficient community for homeless/recovering addicts.
What the Greener Hope will do, and why;
- Teaches those at risk for addiction and homelessness (T.A.R.A.H.) to learn how to utilize Alternative energies, and sustainable living, as well as better lifestyle choices.
- Teaches T.A.R.A.H. to utilize community gardening for food
- Teaches T.A.R.A.H. to work together to achieve goals
- Promotes a good work ethic among the T.A.R.A.H. community
- Specializes in helping homeless and recovering addicts seek a better lifestyle and perspective.
- Everyone who stays, helps. Tasks assigned daily according to need.
- Everyone who stays gets well deserved meals
- Everyone who stays will perform a skills/general knowledge assessment to better gauge efficiency of community abilities.
- ABSOLUTELY NO THEFT OR VIOLENCE IS TOLERATED, we support each other not hurt each other.
- Anyone can leave at any time (we're not running a prison!)
- There will be training courses in everything in the community so everyone knows how to do everything and the community can function as a well oiled, self sustainable, self sufficient, eco friendly community.
- Gives the T.A.R.A.H. community a “second” chance at life, to save money, and get on their own feet all while learning valuable skills that can be applied in the workforce, and in the world.
How we'll be self sufficient/self sustainable;
- Use aquaponics Stack n pack systems to produce more than enough food for everyone in the community.
- By creating our own stream, and by implementing micro-hydro electricity generators (such as the Powerspout) to generate electricity we'll be MORE than self sufficient.
- Use Solar Panels for much needed extra stored energy.
- Use pressure plates to form a path through the community so when anyone walks on it, it generates electricity. (http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/13/tech/innovation/pave...)
- Use Grey water Filtration systems, and rainwater collection systems to have a continuous clean water supply.
- Composting garbage to reduce carbon footprint.
Optional/Included
- Resume building **upon request**
- Job Searching **upon request**
- Free Online College Classes **upon request**
- Small Library
- On the field gardening knowledge
- Self sustainable housing with utilities (Electric, water, heat, LED lighting, Internet)
- Daily Meals
- Full-Range Aquaponics(A) Stack n’ Pack Garden Containing Fruits, Vegetables, Cooking Herbs, and Medicinal Herbs.
- Natural Alternative Homeopathic medicine
Not Exact Idea, but as close as I could get with as good as I am with Graphic Animations;
PLEASE. Help me show the people who struggle with homelessness or addiction that there IS a better path to life
Would you like to see how many people have OD'd in Barberton? (It's quite shocking)
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1ZvisK4ZK...
All prizes are awarded upon completion of the Community, except for the thank you's, recognition, and advertising.
