Hope Village, HomeFirst In Great Need Of Goods To Warm Homeless

SAN JOSE, CA -- The stormy weather is a major problem for more than commuters. The homeless are having a tough time of it and are in need of services in the South Bay

Peter Miron-Conk, founder of the Hope Village encampment near Mineta San Jose International Airport, told Patch the encampment he serves is in dire need of tarps, sleeping bag and four-person tents on the 15,000 square-foot grounds.

The area is starting to flood with heavy downpours, prompting many of the 30 people residing there to experience damage to their supplies.

"It's pretty horrific -- lots of wind, lots of rain. If people don't move their stuff on time, it can get damaged," said Miron-Conk, who has worked under the umbrella of San Jose Catholic Workers since 1974. The group is loosely affiliated with Hope Village during the phasing of the project that sent the city of San Jose and Santa Clara County scrambling to find an alternative space about a month ago when the California Highway Patrol moved the assembled collective out of its underpass location.

The need is great as the local jurisdictions deal with spillover of people from all directions. Miron-Conk estimated the encampment needs another 8,000 feet to accommodate the other people who roam in seeking a safe harbor.

"A lot of these people live on the edges of the creek, so they're not visible," he said.

But just the proximity of a campsite so close to a water source may prove problematic when drenching rain causes it to flood. And it's only beginning of a winter in which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a growing El Nino, a tropical weather phenomenon that often brings flooding to the San Francisco Bay Area and south.

Donations for Hope Village can be dropped off at 318 N. First St. For more information, visit https://www.sjhv.org.

San Jose isn't alone. HomeFirst in Milpitas is also collecting donated items including underwear for women, blankets, sleeping bags, travel-sized hygiene supplies and towels. Donations may be accepted through donategoods@homefirstscc.org.

--Image courtesy of Karen Lattin, Hope Village