Visiting The Bowery Mission
On October 31st, our InvenTeam took a trip to the Bowery Mission to get feedback on the concept of our machine from men who experienced homelessness themselves. The Bowery Mission has served homeless and hungry New Yorkers since the 1870s. This non-profit has counseled people of all backgrounds and ages “caught in the cycles of poverty, hopelessness, and dependencies of many kinds” to help them get back on their feet. The community programs they offer help those they serve “make progress towards individual goals such as regaining sobriety, reconnecting with family and faith, and preparing for work and independent living.”
We recognized this well-established and expansive organization serving the homeless as an ally. Bowery Mission’s Director of Outreach, James Macklin, not only shared the Mission’s history and recent work, but also his own story. Macklin held a stable life and ran a small business in New Jersey, but his addiction to cocaine later turned his life upside down. In 1987, Mackin found himself homeless, sleeping on a subway train, when a stranger gave him a card directing him to the Bowery Mission. Welcoming this stranger’s direction, he entered The Bowery Mission’s yearlong residential program in which he “found new hope and saw his life completely transformed.” The Bowery Mission recognized his ambition and wisdom and hired him for roles essential to the operation of the organization. Macklin introduced us to his co-worker, Spencer, who also graduated from the yearlong residential program. Spencer held down a job in the printing industry but would spend paycheck after paycheck to feed his drug addiction instead of paying his rent. He came to The Bowery Mission for transformation and to find direction after recognizing these choices were completely detrimental. For the past four years, Spencer has been leading the Outreach Program at The Bowery Mission and fills the integral role of collecting donated food from nearby grocery stores at 5 am each morning. These two men, and all homeless men and women, had passions and ambitions before, during, and after experiencing homelessness. Being homeless is often just a period of an individual’s life and never encompasses or defines one’s being.
These two men have observed homeless men and women washing their clothes in the bathroom sinks at McDonald’s. They were very excited to hear about our efforts to make washing machines more accessible. They emphasized how important clean clothes are how people are perceived. For many homeless men and women, it is a critical factor in whether or not they are hired. Having access to clean clothes has the potential to get many homeless men and women back on their feet. We then concluded that our machine would specifically serve homeless men and women actively seeking jobs. In the coming weeks, we will tackle how this decision the dictates function and location of our machine.In addition, Spencer and James recommended that we place the machines in a place where they can be supervised. This way, we can ensure that the machine is treated with care.
While the Bowery Mission serves thousands of people a day, they only have four washing machines for those they serve. These machines are running nonstop, and average around 40 loads a day. Clearly, even at a well-funded organization, there is a need for greater access to washing machines. We are eager to take steps to help bridge that gap.
