Coronavirus California

South Bay high school, college students support homeless with hundreds of COVID-19 relief packages

Thursday, August 27, 2020

South Bay students support homeless with COVID-19 packagesSince the Summer of 2019, a group of High School and College students have created hundreds of care packages that include sanitary and personal-care supplies and raised thousands of dollars to support the largest homeless population in the country.

EAST PALO ALTO, Calif. (KGO) -- Among the many impacted harshly by the coronavirus pandemic is the homeless population across the Bay Area.

A group of young people in the South Bay wanted to make sure that they are not forgotten through a nonprofit called Hope Hearted.

Some say that age is just a number and few personify that more than the young group of Hope Hearted who are helping the homeless population in the Bay Area every day.

"I think people doubt how experienced that we are, how much knowledge that we have and how credible we are," Hope Hearted Chief Marketing Officer Heather Duckworth said. "But, I think it makes us more optimistic. We're more idealistic about how much we can do and we are so young, so we have a lot of dreams for the future."

Their dream is to make sure that no one is without the items needed to survive.

Since the Summer of 2019, this group of High School and College students have created hundreds of care packages that include sanitary and personal-care supplies and raised thousands of dollars to support the largest homeless population in the country.

"You don't realize how big the problem is when you are living in a comfortable life," Hope Hearted Founder and CEO Asavari Gowda said.

"But, when you step out and see that problem in society, it's almost an obligation for you to, when you're in a position to help out, for you to do so."

Hope Hearted has distributed these care packages to shelters across the Bay Area including here at the Project WeHope RV Safe Parking lot in East Palo Alto.

"The homeless are that most people don't see, or choose not to see," WeHope Development and Communications Director Dina Bartello said. "Programs like this help this population really see that people care."

Helping others starts with an individual who decided it's time to make a change.

And you don't have to have all that much life experience to spring into action.

"I hope that young people know that they can make a difference, no matter how young or old they are," Duckworth said.

"Just being able to contribute in a small way, even though we aren't fixing the inequity problem, just helping out a little bit in what way we can, it really does feel good to be there for somebody in a time like this," Gowda said.

To get involved visit the Hope Hearted website here.

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