Tonight I Begin Living in a Tent to Protest Akron's Treatment of Our Homeless Neighbors
Tonight I Begin Living in a Tent to Protest Akron's Treatment of Our Homeless Neighbors
I need you to see this sign:
This is what houseless people face CONSTANTLY in Akron Ohio.
It is saying your life, your belongings, your existence is a nuisance. Therefor we will be removing all of it on October 31, 2024.
Akron Ohio sees homelessness as a nuisance problem. Not a mental health problem, not even an addiction problem. It is just a problem of “junk” that needs to be thrown away.
I thought it would be better under our new, young mayor. But it’s not. It’s exactly the same as before. Nothing has changed.
I can’t stand on the sidelines watching this human disaster unfold over and over again in front of me. I can’t.
Therefore, I will be living in a tent until our city leaders are ready to have a serious conversation about winter shelter solutions for our homeless neighbors, or they take me to jail. It’s their choice.
I have asked for meetings repeatedly with anyone in the mayor’s office and they have ignored me. Homelessness is the great American tragedy. We can’t allow it to go on.
ALL PEOPLE NEED A SAFE SPACE TO SLEEP.
I have a very clear proposal for creating a winter safe sleeping space here:
Creating a Winter Safe Sleeping Space for Akron’s Houseless Community: A Proposal for Change
I’m not asking for any money. I’m just asking for a space where these people can safely sleep without worrying about losing all their belongings to the city because they are seen as nothing more than a nuisance.
I will be heading there this afternoon. You are welcome to come visit me. I’m next to our house that the city condemned at 85 Kent Place in Akron.
Ways to Help
Please share any of this on social media, via email or text message. We change the world one message at a time.
Here are some documents that may help you.
PRESS RELEASE: Winter Safe Sleeping Space Protest
https://bit.ly/10-31-2024-akron-homeless
PROPOSAL: Creating a Winter Safe Sleeping Space for Akron’s Houseless Community: A Proposal for Change
https://bit.ly/safesleepingspaceproposal
Supporter’s Guide: Help Amplify the Fight for Winter Shelter in Akron
https://bit.ly/homelesssupporters
Here’s a PDF of all those links that you can print and share.
Sage Lewis
330-416-7519.
sage@houselessmovement.org
I’ll be posting on X because that’s the only social media that hasn’t banned me yet.