Outreach requires reaching out

Throughout the week, Bob visits our unsheltered friends at their camps as welfare checks, bring supplies, and helps prepare their camps for approaching storms. It takes weeks, months, and sometimes even longer for Bob to instill a sense of trust with those who live outside. It's that trust the allows him to be invited to visit their camps. For that reason, and for the safety of everyone involved, volunteers are not allowed to accompany him during these visits. As Bob explains, "We're not running a petting zoo. These are people’s homes."

Very few of those Bob encounters in the woods have prior camping experience, and it often shows in how and where they've set up their camp. The Mo Hope Outreach Vehicle carries just about anything needed to build a camp from scratch, prepare it prior to a storm or rebuild it in the aftermath. It arrives at camps carrying at least ten sleeping bags, five tents, twenty tarps, several ground pads, cases of MRE-type emergency meals, and totes loaded with Bibles, batteries, blessing bags, bottled water, bug spray, sunscreen, medical supplies, feminine hygiene items, fruit, proteins, toiletries, jeans & shorts, shoes, socks, t-shirts, hoodies, umbrellas, and Narcan.

Naloxone; commonly referred to as Narcan is used to temporarily halt an overdose of opioids such as heroin and fentanyl. We've lost several of our friends to overdose. Bob is certified to administer Narcan in the event of an overdose, and we offer training at our Mo Hope Pantry for our volunteers.