Renewal for the city. Dignity and honor. Self-respect and productivity. Pursuit of life and happiness. The ReWork organization was created to facilitate and grow all of these things specifically for the homeless community in Austin, Texas.

The goal is complete renewal of the person through meeting needs and promoting personal growth. ReWork creates a space of creativity, allowing men and women to use the knowledge they already have in woodworking, sewing, and other pursuits, or teaching them these skills so that they can have some kind of income. ReWork has the space, the tools, the materials, and the volunteers well-versed in each category and ReWork invites the homeless in to participate. ReWork Gallery will be a storefront that puts these products produced by the homeless up for sale...each person retains 100% of income from these sales. ReWork believes that teaching these trades enables individuals to continue to support themselves no matter where they are, as well as giving purpose and meaning where perhaps there wasn't before.

ReWork also has a computer lab equipped with a printer and telephone. Men and women can create resumes, search for jobs, receive online training (for example, TABC certification or Food Handlers), as well as print applications and call businesses or family. Volunteers are also available to help create or edit resumes, complete applications, or search for jobs.

In the works

Currently ReWork is equipping itself to have showers and a washer/dryer setup. This would allow men and women to prepare for interviews, and just gain a little dignity and self-respect. The benefit of a good shower is something everyone can understand.

ReWork is already functioning and making real impacts on the lives of many in the homeless community...but there is a long way to go to complete everything the organization wishes to do. There is a lot of need for volunteers.

Pick up Army

Volunteers are needed that have large vehicles, preferably trucks, that can carry materials from drop off points to the ReWork facility. ReWork constantly has a large influx of donations, but lacks the ability to gather all materials as they are available. These volunteers would be on a call list and when a shipment is ready, a leader at ReWork would call down the list to see who was available to pick it up. Volunteers would be utilized on an as-needed basis.

Desired amount - 20

Homeless Advocates

Most of the homeless that ReWork interacts with are men and women that have been forced into homelessness because of circumstances or lack of family to help them. Many men and women would like to be reunited with family, need new copies of identification, need help creating a resume or finding a job or finding a housing situation.

This volunteer homeless advocate would spend some one on one time with one or two men/women. It's important to learn that person's story, in order to help them the best. Once the needs are clearly outlined, the advocate would most likely spend a lot of time on the phone, online, seeking out the information that is needed.

Because this volunteer position has the homeless advocate working very closely with men/women that have already been taken advantage of many times, a background check is required as well as some training. ReWork is happy to provide all homeless advocates with as much resources, training, and help that they need.

Desired amount -

Gallery Volunteers

This is basically retail work. In shifts of 3 or 4 hours, volunteers would sell the items put up in the gallery. Of course, volunteers would be handling money as well as doing mild cleaning or organizing.

Currently the gallery is not up and running but ReWorks hopes to have it operational sometime in April.

Desired amount -

General Volunteers

This is perhaps ReWork's greatest need right now. There is so much organizing, cleaning, building, etc still needing to be done in the ReWork facility, and not enough people available to do it. Anyone and everyone can volunteer in this capacity. If someone is more detail oriented, there are tasks for that. If someone is better at moving big and heavy things, there is definitely tasks for that. If someone has a specialization, say electricity, there is definitely tasks for that. More than anything, ReWork needs helping hands on a daily basis to engage with the homeless as they come in, build relationships with them, and help ReWork become more equipped to do all that it is designed to do.

Desired amount -

How to be a Volunteer

Fill out the form below with your name, number, email, and availability as well as any special desires or areas to work in.

Come to the Volunteer Orientation on April 15th at 3pm at Soma Austin Community Church 4201 S Congress Ave.

Email Sarah Boyd at reworkvolunteers@gmail.com

KONY 2012

I just finished watching the KONY 2012 video created by the non profit Invisible Children.

There's been a lot of chatter about this video and about the issue it brings up all over twitter, facebook, memes, etc. A lot of blind participation, a lot of informed opinions, and a lot of critiques from those for and against the video or the organization.

Here's what it boils down to...do you believe that anyone should hurt a child? Do you think it is ok for children to run scared from their homes because they will be kidnapped? Do you think it is alright for a child to be forced to kill their parents? Do you think it is acceptable for young girls to be passed around an army for sexual favors?

Kony is just a man. We can arrest him, kill him and another man will just rise up in his place. This is bigger than just one man.

Stopping Kony is not enough. With Kony out of the way, 300 other evil men will have the chance to rise up again. We can't win this war with just military strength...we have to change the game. There has to be education for these children, there has to be police to keep them safe, there has to be a stable environment where evil is pursued and stopped.

We can't just update our statuses.

We can't just call our representatives.

We can't just march in our cities.

We can't just send troops.

Do you understand? All of these things are not enough. History will continue to repeat itself.

We have to go.

We have to leave our homes and go where this chaos lives and we have to love and protect and change the game ourselves. We cannot fix the situation isolated from the problem.

This is a war that requires our lives. It requires that we live our lives fighting for the innocent, for those that can't fight for themselves. It requires that we be willing to die in order that another may live.

How many of you who have updated your status have actually bought the Action Kit the video talks about? How many have plans to canvas their city on April 20th with the posters and stickers provided? How many have donated money? How many have called their representative?

How many are going? How many are so infuriated by the images that they saw that they are selling all they have and moving to make a difference?

Words without actions are worth nothing.

What can one person do? What impact can one person have? One person can give his/her life in order to protect or save another...and that is a huge impact.