WaterBox #6 SkidRow, Skid Row Los Angeles, ReFresh Spot
You can help Skid Row right now. Here's how https://www.501cthree.org/the-water-box.
501CTHREE.org, Kindhumans, and Homeless Healthcare LA (HHCLA) have launched the 501CTHREE’s 6th Water Box at the Refresh Spot, in the Skid Row community of Los Angeles.
501CTHREE.org is a non-profit reimagined for the next generation and founded by long-collaborating partners Jaden Smith and Drew FitzGerald. Since its inception in 2019, four Water Boxes have been deployed in Flint, MI, 1 in Newark, NJ and now 1 in Skid Row, Los Angeles totaling over 49,000+ gallons of free water to community members and over 399,000+ 16 oz plastic bottles replaced.
Skid Row is facing a public health crisis in the midst of a pandemic, creating a lack of hygiene access and access to safe drinking water. Water on Skid Row is a scarcity as many of the 4,000 residents of the homeless community get their water from “hijacked” fire hydrants. In response to COVID-19, HHCLA began providing water to the community at the ReFresh Spot. The double crisis that has hit Skid Row is affecting families in terrible ways. The ReFresh Spot is where the Kindhumans Water Box will live, delivering clean drinking water at the rate of 10 gallons per minute during hours of operation. The Water Box is the game-changer for the ReFresh Spot and helps address access to clean water which has heightened throughout the pandemic.
Upon meeting the team at the ReFresh spot and HHCLA, 501CTHREE quickly learned that the needs of the community were different than previous water box locations like Newark and Flint. Specifically, addressing the heat factor in LA and that Skid row lies in the heart of downtown LA, reaching temperatures of up to 110 degrees during the summer. The engineering team made adjustments to the Water Box to include a chiller to chill clean water after the filtration process as well as solar panels as a secondary power source.
The 501CTHREE Kindhumans LA Water Box launch is in collaboration with HHCLA at The Refresh Spot, serving as the first Water Box in Los Angeles and the second Water Box donated by Kindhumans. The Water Box launch is a culmination of the community training and testing being implemented by HHCLA this past month. The clean water will be distributed and tested by HHCLA to make it extremely transparent for the community.
The HHCLA ReFresh spot, strategic partner of 501CTHREE.org in Los Angeles, did an agency-wide pivot in March of 2020 when the pandemic hit. And took their services to the streets. They reconfigured the layout at each of their sites, providing on-the-spot telehealth services for counseling sessions while maintaining social distancing. In just the first 8 weeks of opening, the ReFresh spot provided almost 40,000 units of service in the form of showers, laundry, and access to the restroom.
For more information about 501CTHREE.org and HHCLA and to view further information on how to fund a jug or another Water Box on behalf of HHCLA, visit: https://www.501cthree.org/waterbox-home
About 501CTHREE.org
501CTHREE.org’s mission is to mobilize the next generation to fight climate change by creating a global community that embraces and understands accurate climate change innovation and technology. To learn more about 501CTHREE.org visit https://www.501cthree.org/.
About KINDHUMANS
Kindhumans was created to celebrate the good in humanity by elevating community, commerce, and world-changing causes. Co-founders Suzi and Justin Wilkenfeld dreamed up Kindhumans based on their journey as parents and philanthropists. The goal is to set a good example for the next generation by fostering a community of kindness, making it easy for everyone to consume responsibly, and always giving back. https://kindhumans.com
About HHCLA
Homeless Health Care Los Angeles (HHCLA) is a nonprofit, community-based organization that provides comprehensive behavioral health and holistic health care to address the unique challenges of people who are experiencing homelessness. Driven by socially conscious Angelenos for fellow Angelenos, HHCLA has been providing a pathway to health, recovery, and emotional well-being without bias or judgment for more than 30 years.
https://www.hhcla.org/
About ReFresh Spot
The ReFresh Spot is a community-driven project that provides Skid Row residents access to restrooms, showers, laundry, and phone charging with supportive services. It is a public facility open to anyone in the community with no discrimination for entry. The ReFresh Spot is open 7 days a week and offers a place for people to have their basic needs met with dignity.
https://www.hhcla.org/programs
501CTHREE Contact:
Renee Samms, Director of Community
renee@501CTHREE.org
KINDHUMANS Contact:
Jenn Summers,
jsummers@kindhumans.com
HHCLA Contact:
Stephany Campos, ReFresh Spot Director
scampos@hhcla.org
