Jessica's Homeless Helpers

Hello! My name is Jessica Valdes. I am 18 years old and I live in the beautiful city of Cartagena, Colombia. My passion and life's work is creating change in the global problem of homelessness. I started Jessica's Homeless Helpers when I was only 4 years old, and 14 years later I have collected and distributed over 110,000 toiletry items for the homeless in my city. I educate my community about the issue of homelessness and fulfill practical and emotional needs of the homeless in my community. Starting at such a young age I believe that I embody my mission statement, "It doesn't matter if you are big or small to make a big difference".

I believe that the homeless community has been overlooked for far to long. The project I am proposing will help bring visibility to the homeless community and will fulfill their hygienic needs. I have been distributing toiletry items in my city for over 14 years. However, it has mostly been a solo project. Through this new project, my goal is to reach and assist more people than I ever have before and inspire others to help make this a widespread global mission. One of the most important things to me through this project is building strong relationships with the homeless in my city. Instead of just giving them food and leaving, I want them to feel loved and heard. I listen to their stories and lift them up. This project elevates humanity by bringing it back to one of its most basic principles, The power of love and relationships. 

The specific problem I am trying to solve is sanitation issues for the homeless. This issue is extremely prevalent in my community. I live in the city and it is not uncommon for me to spot a homeless man attempting to bathe in a fountain outside an apartment building with nothing but a cloth. When presented with a choice on spending the little money a homeless person has they will most understandably pick food over toiletry products. This not only an issue in my city but globally. In the world, 150 million people are homeless. In Colombia, 5% of the population is homeless. If I can not solve homelessness in my life time the least I can do is make their lives as comfortable as possible.

My project provides the homeless with toiletry items such as soap, shampoo, and conditioner. These items are presented in a fancy goody bag and are handed out in the city. For the past 14 years I have been able to run this ministry on a minimal budget. I ask people when they go on vacation to save the toiletry items that they don't use from the hotel. If the items are not used, the hotel legally has to throw them away anyway so this is not stealing. These items are perfect  because they are travel sized. It wouldn't be realistic to expect a homeless person to carry around a full sized bottle of shampoo because they are always on the move. These items are practical for them to carry around and free! With the funding that this grant provides I would be able to improve this project significantly. I would be able to buy higher quality supplies for the homeless instead of giving them hotel items. When developing relationships with the homeless I also become aware of there more specific needs. This grant money would allow me to provide for case by case needs, such as a need for clothes.

My project works to meaningfully improve the lives of the homeless. I think that one of the most important things you need to do in ministry is get to know the people you are serving. I build relationships with the homeless people around where I live and in conversations I learn about their needs. They express their need for food and sanitation products. Sanitation products has been an ever increasing need in the homeless community due to the corona crisis. I take their feedback in to account and work to fulfill that need. I use my own money to buy them food and give them a "manna" bag which includes sanitation products such as soap given to me by donors. I engage with the homeless community every time that I leave my apartment. I am on a first name basis with many of them and am able to provide them with assistance consistently. 

My selected dimension deals with elevating people who are traditionally left behind. I believe that the homeless fall into this category perfectly. Most people when they see a homeless person, roll up their windows and continue driving. Society would rather comfortably ignore the issue of homelessness rather than get uncomfortable and deal with it. My project elevates the homeless by advocating for change through public speaking. This project goes farther than only activism by enacting the change that I push for. My project elevates the opportunity for the hopeless to have cleanliness, through donated toiletry items, and to be heard.

When I was four years old I was walking home with my family when I saw a man setting up his bed on a park bench. Curious, I stopped and asked the man questions about his life and why he had to sleep there. My parents later that night explained to me what homelessness was. I didn't understand how it was fair that I got to sleep in a warm bed that night when my new friend had to sleep outside. Weren't we both human? I woke up that morning determined to do all that I could to right this wrong in society. It started with placing a jar on my kitchen table and collecting change for the homeless. Later, I developed the idea of "manna bags". In these bags I put change, food, and travel size toiletry items. I collected these items myself by knocking on doors and asking for donations. I would carry these bags with me everywhere and whenever I saw a homeless man I would give them the bag and tell them that Jesus loves them. What stared out as a four year old mission has blossomed in to my ministry of Jessica's Homeless Helpers. 

My passion for helping the homeless was sparked at four years old when I saw that man setting up his bed on a park bench. It is reignited everyday when I look in the faces of the humans I have the privilege to serve. Being human means that you have three basic needs: food, water, and shelter. If we acknowledge that shelter is one of these needs we as fellow humans should not be comfortable watching people live on the streets. This sadness when I look at society today is what motivates me in my work. When you acknowledge that something is wrong in our society that is when change can happen. I am passionate about bringing about the change that allows everyone to have their basic needs fulfilled, including the need for shelter. This passion is what founded Jessica's Homeless Helpers, and it is what it continues to be founded on today.

I am an accomplished public speaker. I started speaking at University of Tampa retreats when I was only 8 years old and have continued speaking at these retreats for 10 years. I also regularly speak at churches and local elementary and middle schools. The skills that I have accumulated in public speaking through this equips me with what is necessary to effectively advocate for change in the homeless community.  

I also believe that I am uniquely positioned location wise to carry out this project. Where I live in Cartagena, Colombia, the streets are flooded with homeless people. The dense homeless population allows my ministry to have maximal influence. The homeless community has a huge need here and I work tirelessly everyday to do my best to fulfill it.

I am working on becoming fluent in Spanish. Despite being born in Costa Rica and my Hispanic background, I did not know Spanish when I moved to Colombia. I can now speak conversational Spanish and I am confident that with another 6 months of classes I will be fluent. This allows me to better advocate for change because being bilingual opens more people up to your sphere of influence. This skill also helps me to build relationships with the homeless people of Colombia in their native language.

My ministry began in the United States. For over a decade I created strong relationships with donors and affiliated my self with many charities. When I heard that my family was moving to Colombia my entire ministry foundations were threatened. I could no longer rely on these relationships to assist in keeping my ministry afloat. Instead of being discouraged at this prospect I looked at it as a rare opportunity. Once I arrived in Colombia, I rebuilt my ministry from the ground up. I talked to people about my goals and what I was doing and I started receiving toiletry donations again. I saw the need here, but I also saw the language barrier. I took endless Spanish classes every week and now have overcome the language barrier allowing me to effectively minister to the need I see. I once saw the relocation as daunting but now I see it as a blessing. It allowed me to take my project globally and reminded me why I started this ministry in the first place, to serve the homeless with everything I had, no matter where. What seemed like an obstacle at first has strengthened my passion for serving the homeless.

I have spoken at leadership conferences at the University of Tampa for 10 years. When I first started speaking at these retreats I was only 8 years old. At these conferences I would give a speech advocating for the homeless community. I would also talk about how they could be leaders in their community. I worked to convey my mission statement, "it doesn't matter if you are big or small to make a big difference". At the end of my speech I would lead the college students in making "manna bags" which had toiletry items for the homeless and would encourage them to hand them out the next time that they saw a homeless person. I believe that being able to speak at a leadership conference to college students at only 8 years old and for 10 years after that highlights my ability to be a leader in my community. 

I have a direct relationship with my church Calvary Chapel of Cartagena and they have allowed my ministry of Jessica's Homeless Helpers to affiliate with them.