Hi my name is Moses and I’d like you to look at me for a second.
Do I look homeless? Do I look like the kind of person who got lunches at libraries, schools, and community centers for years? Can you imagine me sleeping in homeless shelters, often waiting in long lines then rushing just to get two mattresses (one in each hand) for my family of 5 to share? Do I look like the kind of person who was living in a Ford Focus with my mom and 3 siblings, homeless, just a few months ago?
Well all of that really did happen to me. My family was homeless for 3 years. Imagine making less than $24,000 a year while supporting 4 growing kids. My mom has done just that for the past 7 years. We ended up homeless a month after she graduated from community college. So, we slept in our car for 3 years. We did not live in our car.
The shelters only allow people in who meet their specifications. There are shelters for people who have escaped abusive homes, use drugs, have mental illness, have small families, or are unemployed. There are even shelters that are gender specific. Our family met none of those requirements. Even worse, our family was often turned away because of me. I was 5 foot 7 inches by 11 years old. Shelters treated me like a predator and demanded I sleep in the Men’s section. My mom preferred to keep our family together.
Shelters and organizations with great intentions provided us with giant packets of resources. This is time-consuming and a waste of paper. Those lists had all programs in the entire county. Many no longer exist, have changed contact information, or simply do not meet the needs of our family because my family didn’t qualify. Often we found out that we didn’t qualify over and over the same way: My mom dedicated HOURS a day during operating business hours to calling on the phone, then she would drive to the programs with us in tow to apply, she would then be told to return with many documents, after returning, we would finally be given an application, then an appointment would be set to return a third time. After the appointment my mom would come get us from the waiting room, then fall apart in the car explaining that once again our family doesn’t qualify for reasons out of her control.
My name is Moses Ismerio-Goddard and I hope you will join me in changing lives with my business: Two Shirts. It is my dream to create an online resource that consolidates all of the resources available to the social and economically disadvantaged people in our community. Our clients will never have to pay for any of our services. We will be helping to save the lives, dignity, and self respect of individuals and families in our community. We will be providing ways for people to become self sufficient, less dependent, and confident.
What does everyone have access to? The internet. Free internet is everywhere. Free computers are at the libraries. Even Obama phones come with internet.
In order to run my business I plan to find as many volunteers as possible to help research, then contact organizations, businesses, and programs to find out what they have to offer, availability, application requirements, expectations of clients, and any other requirements or information future clients should know when looking into programs. I hope to use grants and donations to get my business started and classified with a nonprofit status.
I will have clients fill out an online survey of their needs, family dynamics, and available resources. The answers will first be used to determine what programs the client qualifies for. The applications will be prefilled out as much as possible with results from the survey minimalizing time spent on applications, and ending mistakes from handwriting that result in delayed services.
An email of results from the surveys will be sent back to them within 48 hours with links to more information in regards to what the client qualifies for that meet their stated needs. This email will contain any applications applicable, too. Applicants will show up with applications, required paperwork, and informed to programs that they actually qualify for. This will streamline resources, and time spent seeking help. This will also maximize the number of people helped on the side of organizations.
The clients will have access to availability of resources and what they qualify for. They will know what to bring or do next, where to bring it, what to expect in regards of waiting time, program availability, program information, and who they can contact within that program if they have further questions when first contacting or visiting a program.
We can follow up with those people at set intervals through automatically generated emails containing a different survey, to see if their needs were met and if any further needs exist. This secondary survey will be used to measure our success, and to give more referrals if needed.
After I have done my best to consolidate the resources, I intend to pass out flyers and posters with information on them to spread awareness at venues that service people who fit the demographic that I can help. I will also set up stands in parks and the like to attract more people to my site and to help more people.
Donors can make contributions in exchange for recognition in Public service ads, or even plaques. Investors could pay for the biggest costs such as computers. I plan to reach my investors through email, and through face to face meetings.
I will measure social impact by tracking the number of people I help.
I want to help save the lives, dignity, and self respect of individuals and families in my community. I will also be providing ways for people to become self sufficient, less dependent and, eventually, independent. My best resources right now are my passion and my experience. I hope you will join me in changing their lives with my business: Two Shirts
Well all of that really did happen to me. My family was homeless for 3 years. Imagine making less than $24,000 a year while supporting 4 growing kids. My mom has done just that for the past 7 years. We ended up homeless a month after she graduated from community college. So, we slept in our car for 3 years. We did not live in our car.
The shelters only allow people in who meet their specifications. There are shelters for people who have escaped abusive homes, use drugs, have mental illness, have small families, or are unemployed. There are even shelters that are gender specific. Our family met none of those requirements. Even worse, our family was often turned away because of me. I was 5 foot 7 inches by 11 years old. Shelters treated me like a predator and demanded I sleep in the Men’s section. My mom preferred to keep our family together.
Shelters and organizations with great intentions provided us with giant packets of resources. This is time-consuming and a waste of paper. Those lists had all programs in the entire county. Many no longer exist, have changed contact information, or simply do not meet the needs of our family because my family didn’t qualify. Often we found out that we didn’t qualify over and over the same way: My mom dedicated HOURS a day during operating business hours to calling on the phone, then she would drive to the programs with us in tow to apply, she would then be told to return with many documents, after returning, we would finally be given an application, then an appointment would be set to return a third time. After the appointment my mom would come get us from the waiting room, then fall apart in the car explaining that once again our family doesn’t qualify for reasons out of her control.
My name is Moses Ismerio-Goddard and I hope you will join me in changing lives with my business: Two Shirts. It is my dream to create an online resource that consolidates all of the resources available to the social and economically disadvantaged people in our community. Our clients will never have to pay for any of our services. We will be helping to save the lives, dignity, and self respect of individuals and families in our community. We will be providing ways for people to become self sufficient, less dependent, and confident.
What does everyone have access to? The internet. Free internet is everywhere. Free computers are at the libraries. Even Obama phones come with internet.
In order to run my business I plan to find as many volunteers as possible to help research, then contact organizations, businesses, and programs to find out what they have to offer, availability, application requirements, expectations of clients, and any other requirements or information future clients should know when looking into programs. I hope to use grants and donations to get my business started and classified with a nonprofit status.
I will have clients fill out an online survey of their needs, family dynamics, and available resources. The answers will first be used to determine what programs the client qualifies for. The applications will be prefilled out as much as possible with results from the survey minimalizing time spent on applications, and ending mistakes from handwriting that result in delayed services.
An email of results from the surveys will be sent back to them within 48 hours with links to more information in regards to what the client qualifies for that meet their stated needs. This email will contain any applications applicable, too. Applicants will show up with applications, required paperwork, and informed to programs that they actually qualify for. This will streamline resources, and time spent seeking help. This will also maximize the number of people helped on the side of organizations.
The clients will have access to availability of resources and what they qualify for. They will know what to bring or do next, where to bring it, what to expect in regards of waiting time, program availability, program information, and who they can contact within that program if they have further questions when first contacting or visiting a program.
We can follow up with those people at set intervals through automatically generated emails containing a different survey, to see if their needs were met and if any further needs exist. This secondary survey will be used to measure our success, and to give more referrals if needed.
After I have done my best to consolidate the resources, I intend to pass out flyers and posters with information on them to spread awareness at venues that service people who fit the demographic that I can help. I will also set up stands in parks and the like to attract more people to my site and to help more people.
Donors can make contributions in exchange for recognition in Public service ads, or even plaques. Investors could pay for the biggest costs such as computers. I plan to reach my investors through email, and through face to face meetings.
I will measure social impact by tracking the number of people I help.
I want to help save the lives, dignity, and self respect of individuals and families in my community. I will also be providing ways for people to become self sufficient, less dependent and, eventually, independent. My best resources right now are my passion and my experience. I hope you will join me in changing their lives with my business: Two Shirts