Davis Empowerment Project Goes to Work

The time has come for change.  We, as members of the homeless community, have decided it’s time to stand on our own feet and empower ourselves to move out of homelessness.

Since March 2010, we have been working to create a social enterprise, a small business venture that provides jobs for the homeless and offers a creative avenue for self-sufficiency.  We have chosen to reclaim our dignity and self-worth, and have come to believe that we can indeed change the course of our future.

With the encouragement and support of the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter and members from Davis Community Church, First Baptist Church, and the Unitarian Church of Davis, we have taken the first step toward achieving independence and self-sufficiency.  We have formed into the Davis Empowerment Project.  Over the last several months, we have worked hard to create a website, develop a presentation to offer to the Davis community, and have formulated Mission and Values statements.

The mission of the Davis Empowerment Project is to “create a business that creates jobs for the homeless and returns wealth to the community; encourage self-esteem, value, worth and sense of purpose while empowering the homeless; provide service to our community and educate the public about homelessness; and support environmentally sound practices.”

We dream of a day when we will be seen as valued and serving members of the community, and not as a drain on non-profits and community resources.  We dream of a day when the mentality is no longer “us” and “them,” but instead one that uplifts our common humanity.  We dream of a day when we can stand on our own feet, creating jobs to help move us and others out of a state of homelessness.  We have a dream, but we need your support to make it a reality.  At this point in our journey, we desperately seek the collective wisdom, guidance and expertise of the greater Davis community to help us move forward into the next phase of this project.

Therefore, we invite you to join us.  On Tuesday, August 10 at 7:00pm, we will be offering a presentation in the Davis Community Church Fireside Room (map).  We want to thank DCC for providing us space to share our vision with the community, and the opportunity to invite community residents join us in this empowerment venture.  With your help, we will be able to take the next step toward achieving our dream.

Please visit our website www.davis-empowerment.org or contact Lawson Snipes, thesparechanger@hotmail.com, for more information.