What's the purpose of Kare Kits?
Santa Clara County (SCC), as part of Silicon Valley and home to many of the world's largest tech companies, is a place of both extreme wealth and poverty. According to many sources, including CBS News, San Jose is the 7th most expensive city to live in the United States. Many factors, including the tech boom and lack of affordable housing, have led to the unsettling rate of homelessness in SCC.
Kare Kits aims to bring together the local community with three major goals in mind:
1. To raise awareness of the homelessness rates in Santa Clara County.
2. To promote the understanding of human dignity, regardless of circumstances,
and the ability to see each and every individual as a person, never a problem.
3. To purchase, assemble, and distribute at least 150 "Kare Kits" to the homeless.
1. To raise awareness of the homelessness rates in Santa Clara County.
2. To promote the understanding of human dignity, regardless of circumstances,
and the ability to see each and every individual as a person, never a problem.
3. To purchase, assemble, and distribute at least 150 "Kare Kits" to the homeless.
"How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure,
but it is news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion."
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium
What are Kare Kits?
Kare Kits are essentially care packages with each including the following items:
- 1 backpack
- 1 reusable water bottle
- 1 flashlight with batteries
- 1 space blanket
- 1 pair of crew socks
- 1 toiletry travel kit: toothpaste, toothbrush, toothbrush holder, hand/body lotion, shampoo, conditioner, feminine products (female kits), soap, deodorant, washcloth, 20"x40" bath towel, razor, shaving cream, clear plastic Ziploc travel bag
- 1 chapstick
- 1 toilet paper roll
- 1 pack of Wet Ones wipes
- 1 water
- 2 snack bars
- 1 bag of trail mix,
- 2 Cup of Noodles
- 1 laminated card with contact information for local support services (i.e. housing, food, and employment) in both English & Spanish