Unifying Community Organizations
After joining the Washoe Food Not Bombs team nearly seven months ago, local activist Heather Carpenter, 35, decided to launch her own initiative, Washoe Basics, in hopes of helping her unhoused neighbors in other ways as well, from mutual aid group collaborations to spreadsheets and maps listing available resources.
Some of the reasons Carpenter got involved she says were both her need for community interaction during the pandemic as well as a search for like-minded people who wanted to help others.
“While I was doing Washoe Food Not Bombs I was like, okay … I'm not a chef, right? Yeah, I can cook up a few little things here and there, but cooking has never been my passion,” she told Our Town Reno during a recent interview. “But I do love participating, so one of the things I started doing was making these little, like, med kits, like hygiene kits … Because like I wanted to do more, you know? I love Washoe Food Not Bombs, but there were other areas in which I wanted to expand my work and do more.”
One issue Carpenter saw with the different mutual aid groups within the Reno-Sparks area was the lack of communication between each other, and the general public.
“So that was kind of where starting this whole documenting of all the different services I could find came about, was just again, kind of a frustration of you know, where can I do more? Where can I help, what needs need to be met? And how can I advocate for that?”
Since she lacked the experience needed to create an entire website for this information, Carpenter took to mapping out the different resources she found on Google Maps.
“As far as what I do for Washoe Basics, I’m still figuring it out essentially. But, you know like I said, Washoe Basics is just what I’m calling my work. I’m not necessarily married to this name or this organization or whatever it is, it’s more about doing the work, meeting the need, and finding different ways to collaborate with others to bridge those gaps and facilitate communication, because I think that’s a key thing here … Whether it’s because they need a resource, whether it’s because they want to volunteer for a different provider, or if it’s because they really want to donate, but they need to know which organizations they can trust.”
A Plethora of Resources
The map above created by Heather shows a documented collection of the different types of available food resources in the Reno-Sparks area. The interactive map also includes other areas of Northern Nevada. Carpenter hopes to one day expand beyond Northern Nevada, and include information for other areas as well.
Carpenter’s main goal is to connect those with resources to those who need them.
“There are a plethora of resources, you know, we are conditioned to have a scarcity mindset that is kind of one of the basis of capitalism, right, is this idea of scarcity. I don’t think it’s accurate. I don’t think it reflects the true conditions. We have so many resources. We have, you know, so many things available to us and it's just artificially being kept away from fair distribution … It’s a matter of communication, drawing people’s attention to the fact that there’s more than enough food to go around here.”
Carpenter also voiced concerns over the distribution of PPP loans to businesses during the pandemic, and how many potential housing units sat dormant during this time. The Santa Fe Hotel, which closed during the pandemic, had received a PPP loan, she says. While many lost their homes during this time, the hotel sat empty.
“There’s no reason why anyone should be sleeping on the streets,” Carpenter said. “There’s no reason why anyone should be hungry or suffering in these ways. We have the resources. There are plenty of people who are so ready and willing to do the work, they don’t even ask for all that much in return. All they want is to have a roof over their head and food in their belly at the end of the day … There is so much there, ready to create a beautiful community, and we’re just not doing it. Yet.”
Carpenter volunteers for Washoe Food Not Bombs every Saturday from 10AM to 2PM at Bennett Park. The menu on this day included tortellini, vegetables, hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, greens, and more.
Helping Hands
According to Carpenter, Washoe Food Not Bombs supplies many people with what will be their only serving of fresh vegetables for the week. People can also receive donations including masks, medicine, and backpacks filled with supplies, like those donated by Revolution Coalition in Las Vegas.
Carpenter pointed out that when she arrives at the park in the morning, many of those who benefit from the services help out with unloading her car and setting up the table for serving. She stressed that it is very much a group effort.
When it comes to helping out Washoe Basics or Washoe Food Not Bombs, Carpenter said that donations are always welcome and can be accessed through a Linktree. She is also looking for help regarding collecting donations on Fridays, which would include driving around town to pick up food and supplies from others.