- Hi everybody!
(murmuring)
If you've been followin' me, you probably already know
where I am, because I come here more than any place else.
That's because Alan Graham is my hero.
Could not help but be in awe hearing you speak
about your vision of community first
and how it all started 10, 15 years ago,
(laughing) seein' an RV.
So tell me about what's goin' on today.
- Well, today is the big groundbreaking.
It's kind of the beginning of the culmination of that dream.
The ribbon cutting was actually--
- Right.
- Be the big deal.
It ain't much, but.
This was the day when we formally break ground,
where we're gonna build all the roadways,
and infrastructures, and PAD sites.
That's gonna bring so much hope to our community,
those that are living on the streets of Austin, Texas,
and those of us that are collaterally impacted
about those that live on the streets.
- Yeah.
- And it does have an impact in our community.
- And there's this big thing called the tiny house movement,
which we've talked last time.
It's not a new thing!
And tiny homes aren't gonna end homelessness!
Community, people, people first, community first,
which is why I love what you're doing here!
- Well what we wanted to do was take the housing first
model, to a degree,
which I don't think goes quite far enough.
People are lost.
In fact, sometimes I find more community under a bridge
than I do in some of the fanciest homes in Austin, Texas,
so it's really about understanding what home is.
And that's more than the four walls
that's some type of a structure.
- Yeah.
- So tiny homes, you're right,
are not going to end homelessness, but community will, man.
Loving our neighbor will. - Yeah, yeah.
And it's so awesome, because not only is this
a community, you're establishing community,
it was the Austin community that kinda rallied.
You introduced a senator that helped pass some bill
that you're able to do this without,
so people can live economically that don't have an income!
And all these people you're introducing to make this happen,
and then you're gonna have Alamo Drafthouse here!
- Yeah.
- And, like, a bed and breakfast!
But, what is cool about that, it's to get people to serve!
It wasn't to come see a movie and have a nice place
to stay, it's!
- Well, our vision statement,
what drives Mobile Loaves & Fishes,
is that we empower communities
into a lifestyle of service with the homeless.
Not we feed people, we cloth people, we shelter people.
No, man, it's connecting people,
human to human, heart to heart.
- Right, right!
The feeding, the clothing, that's just something that--
- That's a conduit, man.
- Yeah, exactly, exactly!
So, I really believe this is a movement.
This is something that needs to be replicated, duplicated,
throughout any community that's havin'
an issue with homeless people.
- Well, what's amazing about this is that people
are out here that have never experienced homelessness
the way that we think of homelessness.
- Yeah.
- Saying "I wanna live here."
- Yeah.
- You know, they're rethinking their lifestyle.
- Yeah, right.
- And how they can be a bigger impact,
and what kinda legacy are you going to leave.
- Yeah, right.
And, like, behind us is a nice two-room.
- Yeah.
- And the rent is?
- That one's about $250 dollars a month.
- $250 dollars a month.
But you also provide--
- To live in a gated community
with running water, running sewer,
trash collection, a way to prepare meals--
- Right!
- Safety and security.
- And you have social enterprise so that they can
make that. - Afford that.
- Make that money.
- That's correct. - So many places
just throw you in, and then you expect
government assistance or different things.
And often, people just can't go back to a nine to five job.
- Yeah, yeah.
- And you cover all the bases.
- Well, we're tryin' to cover all the bases.
We're tryin' to reach into our customer.
- Yeah.
- And go what do you want.
- Yeah.
- The homeless population is the only customer base
in the United States of America where we try
to deliver a product to them that they don't want.
- Yeah, yeah!
- So ask them what they want and what they desire
out of life, and then let's deliver it.
- Yeah.
- And what they don't want is to live under the bridge
and have a Mobile Loaves & Fishes truck
sling some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches out.
They wanna be home in a community.
- Yeah.
So how do other communities do this?
- Well, really what they need to do is come down here.
You gotta see this firsthand.
And by the time we open this space,
we're gonna have a tool package
that people can come down here
and we're just going to give them for free
everything that we've ever learned
and know about doing this in their community.
- Right, right.
Well, I consider you a close friend.
- Well--
- And I am overjoyed to see,
'cause you've been talking about this,
showing me maps, takin' me to trailers
since I started Invisible People!
And this is one of the first places I've ever came,
come here every year, sometimes twice a year.
To see this happening, I'm so happy for you
and overjoyed for our homeless friends in Austin.
- And I can tell, emotionally,
that you feel that way, brother,
and I feel that way about you.
Thank you for doin' what you're doin'.
- Yeah.
Thank you everybody!
If you're around the Austin area,
support Mobile Loaves & Fishes, community first.
If you're anywhere else,
support Mobile Loaves & Fishes, community first.
And start thinking about building
a community first model in your neighborhood.