California nonprofit organization launches RV project
The Hearts of Fire Project, a Southern California-based nonprofit organization, has launched a program to provide both homes and transportation to the homeless with RVs.
The Motor Home Housing Program aims to award deserving homeless individuals with used RVs.
"This is an attempt to address people who are already living on someone's couch and to recycle an old RV," said Hearts of Fire Executive Director Bob Ballard.
The first recipients, Maria Pollack and her 12-year old son, who suffers from arthritis and fibromyalgia, were recently awarded their new home on wheels. She says she hopes to take advantage of "safe sleep" programs in different cities that allow people to sleep in their cars in designated places. She also says she may park the RV at a friend's home.
Ballard says he hopes the program will succeed in collecting, renovating and distributing late-model motor homes in good working condition to homeless families in Ventura County, California. The county is believed to have as many as 2,200 people living on the streets and no full-time homeless shelters.
"It all depends on how many people donate them," he said. "We also need an intake place to store them."
In addition to RV donations, Hearts of Fire is in search of garages and mechanics able to repair and help renovate the RVs.