Carolyn Harding with David Harewood and Matina Bliss, organizers with First Collective, working to protect, and ensure homes for, Columbus Houseless residents.
David S. Harewood is an Artist, Advocate, and Community Organizer (https://www.davidsharewood.com/). He is a Co-Founder, with FIRST Collective (https://bit.ly/3HBFMHn), Co-Chair of the Columbus Police Accountability Project (https://c-pap.info/), and Executive Committee member of the Columbus Coalition for Rent Control (http://columbusrentcontrol.info/).
Matina Bliss serves as the volunteer organizer and treasurer for FIRST Collective. Matina started volunteering with FIRST Collective during the winter months of 2022 while they were operating an overnight warming station and has been a leading organizer for camp operations. She is also a leading organizer for the FIRST Collective's stop the sweeps efforts.
Press Release Sunday, August 28, 2022, stated
“FIRST COLLECTIVE TO HOLD A SERIES OF DEMONSTRATIONS ON BEHALF OF HOUSELESS CAMP
COLUMBUS, OH-- Members of the FIRST Collective will hold demonstrations at the homes of several elected officials this afternoon regarding the forthcoming September eviction of Camp Shameless, located at 897 E Mound Street.
Camp Shameless is a houseless encampment established on the near east side of Columbus this past spring. This afternoon we will be holding space at multiple locations demanding the following:
1. Cancel the eviction for 897 E Mound Street. (asks are edited for word count)
2. Move all homelessness matters out of the jurisdiction of the Department of Development and to the Department of Public Health.
3. End the Environmental Remediation Contract associated with encampment sweeps.
4. Create a committee to review and revise practices and policies around homelessness. This committee must be inclusive of mutual aid and community organizations that work with this population, as well as folks currently experiencing homelessness.
5. Make space and funding available for an overnight warming center during cold months.
The camp grew from a warming center we created in order to supplement the woeful inadequate resources for warming centers and inhumane conditions in the homeless shelters across the city. Access to buildings that might be used for warming centers from late fall to early spring would greatly increase the well-being of our most vulnerable populations.
Contact: FIRST Collective
Email: firstcollective614@gmail.com
Social: https://www.facebook.com/FIRSTCollective614"
www.first-collective.org
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