Outreach with KFA

Anyone is welcome to join us for outreach, regardless of experience! We will give you a quick training with our best practices and partner you up with an experienced lead.

We meet in the parking lot of Immanuel Presbyterian Church on Saturdays at 12pm, except for the first Saturday of each month. Anyone is welcome to drop in. We split into groups covering different routes through the neighborhood, and there are experienced route leads guiding each group.
We make supply kits to drop off during outreach, which are zip-locks containing our primary supplies: wet wipes, snack, candy, garbage bags, a mask, hand sanitizer, and a zine containing resources (all items pending availability).
Folks sign up on the sign-up sheet to make supply kits, lead routes to connect with our unhoused neighbors and deliver the supply kits, or deliver meals. The sign-up sheet currently gets posted on our Discord, where we do our organizing.
It’s not necessary to sign up to join outreach! If you want to simply come by and join the group on a Saturday, that is ok.
Anyone under 18 participating in KFA outreach must be accompanied by a guardian or adult family member.
To ensure the safety of our volunteers and unhoused, members of law enforcement are not welcome at KFA outreach.

KFA Outreach Best Practices

People who are unhoused are living in trauma. If people seem a little different or out of it, some of that is because they are regularly living in traumatic situations. Keep in mind that we’re trying to meet them where they are. This might mean understanding, listening, or walking away.
Open by saying you’re with Ktown for All and the items you are offering. Don’t press if individuals do not want items or help, or don’t respond. If someone ignores you, or asks you to leave, respect that.
Feel free to introduce yourself but don’t press someone to respond in kind. Sometimes people may be uncomfortable sharing personal information.
Don't knock on tents, shake tents, open by asking if anyone is home, or reach into tents without permission. These are private dwellings and we need to be respectful of them.
We’ve learned that people are often roused by police shaking tents or asking if anyone is home.
Do not engage with arguments or fights. If a situation starts to escalate, tell your team lead and walk away with your group as a group. Try and stay with your group as well.
Offer to listen to people, engage in conversation but don’t ask prying questions about how or why they are homeless.
Avoid engaging with or using racist, sexist, transphobic, or other exclusionary or discriminatory language, even if we hear it.
On rare occasions, it may be appropriate to ask for permission to film / photograph and share on Ktown for All social media; for example, if someone describes how encampment sweeps have impacted them. If you ask for consent, also be clear on how you wish to use the pictures / videos and make it clear that they have the option to refuse.
If you wish to film or photograph outreach volunteers, we ask that you request, in advance, if any individual would like to speak on camera or be photographed, and set up a later time and place to do so.
If someone requests an item that you don’t have on you, we can offer to try and obtain, but do not guarantee anything beyond trying. Notify KFA on the Discord or by emailing outreach@ktownforall.org of any such requests (item, person requesting, location) and we’ll do our best to fulfill it.
In order for us to build trust with our unhoused neighbors, we’ve found it is very important that we truthfully represent ourselves as neighbors or friends, and are not associated with several agencies that have failed to build trust with our unhoused neighbors. Many people we meet are distrustful of institutions, particularly city or county ones with resources that they don’t see.
Please remember that while you’re out, your actions will reflect on the organization. That might mean that activities that are fine on your own time may reflect less well on the organization as a whole.

Connecting to Resources

If a person is interested in being connected to resources, we have some best practices for getting them in contact with services on our Connecting to Resources page.

Emergencies and Safety

These are situations you are unlikely to encounter.

This section is to be utilized in the off-chance an emergency situation occurs. Unless there is an imminent threat to safety, we do not call any agency, particularly law enforcement, without consent.

First aid kits

Very basic first aid kits (bandages, antibiotic cream, gauze) are available to any interested volunteers.

It’s OK to leave

If at any point you feel unsafe or uncomfortable completing your route, it is absolutely ok to end outreach early. The safety of you and all our volunteers should be your highest priority. If you or anyone in your group feels unsafe, leave together as soon as it is safe to do so.

Responsive person in need

If a volunteer is wounded or endangered, and they are ABLE to respond, ask them how you can help.

Unresponsive person in need

If a volunteer or neighbor is wounded or endangered, and is UNABLE to respond: call 911.

We try to keep law enforcement and city agencies out of our outreach, so this action should only be taken in serious emergencies. When on the phone with the dispatcher, request paramedics - not police.

Noting that a person is unresponsive is more likely to obtain a non-police, medical response.

Mental health crises

When approaching someone experiencing a mental health crisis, treat them normally, kindly, and approach them like you would any other person. If they do not want supplies, attention, or conversation, respect their wishes.