From the Director
On May 1, 2024, it will be three months since I assumed my new role as Executive Director of Homes on Wheels Alliance (HOWA) and the awesome responsibility to support this caring and compassionate community. I am thrilled to report that the foundation of this wonderful community organization is healthy and thriving thanks in no small part to the staff, board, and you – members of the HOWA community. I have a professional history of full-time travel, nonprofit management, and human services delivery to displaced persons, making me uniquely suitable for this role but what drew me to this organization is the powerful community you built to support one another.
You may notice some changes to the organization as we move forward with HOWA positioning itself for future growth and establishing the policies needed to serve more nomads and ensure compliance with donors. Internally, we are looking at updating the organizational structure to make HOWA more effective and efficient, modernizing our financial reporting and controls, strengthening support for our staff and creating the most generous policies for remote and flexible work in our industry, updating our website, and revisiting programs such as the eFund to prioritize transparency and access for those in need.
Thank you for the opportunity to join you as we pursue our mission of changing lives together to build a supportive community and prevent homelessness one person at a time. I look forward to meeting each of you soon.
J.D. McCrary
Please Give Generously
HOWA only exists through the support of donors like you. What the organization has accomplished over the past five years is astonishing, considering our limited budget. Did you know that the great majority of HOWA’s budget is funded by individual members of our community? While we are strategically researching additional funding sources, HOWA will always be primarily a community donor-based organization. By supporting HOWA, you can be part of creating a future where everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can find stability, resilience, and a sense of community. Your generosity is a catalyst for transformation. Please make a much-needed donation today.
Once you are on our donation page, please consider becoming a monthly recurring donor. While we are eternally grateful for all support, a recurring monthly donation allows HOWA to budget for smoother operations and avoid the fluctuations stemming from month-to-month fundraising. Additionally, please see our full list of opportunities to support the HOWA mission and your fellow travelers.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support this powerful organization.
Save the Date
Our annual gathering, the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR), is a time for us to gather as a community, share our collective knowledge, build relationships, and learn new skills. The next RTR will be the 6th time we have come together, and all are invited to join us again in Quartzsite, AZ at the town park baseball field. As in the past, the event will be held in two phases. The Women’s RTR (WRTR) will convene on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, and conclude on Friday, January 10. The All Gender RTR (AGRTR) begins on Saturday, January 11, 2025, and closes on Thursday, January 16.
Stay tuned for additional information on volunteering, camping, sponsoring, and attending throughout the coming months. As always, the event is free and open to everyone who supports the HOWA mission. Please join us.
HOWA Program Updates
For those of you who have been part of the HOWA community for the past few years, you know that our signature programs, such as vehicle distributions to those in need and Bring Your Own Vehicle (BYOV) events, have been temporarily suspended due to rising insurance costs. HOWA remains insured, but unfortunately, our current policy limits our available programming and even some locations where we can provide services to the community. HOWA is actively seeking a new (affordable) policy, and we hope to resume our full spectrum of programming soon. More to come, and if you are an insurance broker or someone interested in financially supporting our insurance payments through a major gift, please let us know.
Thankfully, some of our other programs are active and doing great work.
Thanks to caravan leader Phyllis, an in-person caravan gathered earlier this month near Pahrump, NV, with over two dozen vehicles participating. Until recently, we have been limited in developing formal caravans due to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requirements, but as our partnership with BLM develops, we are planning to gather in person more often. Stay tuned for our next caravan in October in Pahrump.
On Friday, April 12, the in-person caravan and others in the community led a cleanup in the Pahrump area. Thank you to BLM for providing the dumpster, and thank you to everyone in the HOWA community who participated in this important service project. Taking care of our public lands and ensuring access for all visitors is an important part of HOWA’s mission.
Developed during COVID, the Virtual Caravan program remains strong and welcomes dozens during each Zoom session. All are welcome to participate, and you can find a time and gender-appropriate meeting that best suits you. Sign up for alerts on HOWA’s Meetup page to ensure you do not miss an opportunity to connect with fellow nomads (or nomad curious). No matter where your travels may take you, there is no reason not to bring the HOWA community with you.
We recently had two distribution events. In March, we provided four full solar power setups, and in April, we distributed four 100 AH lithium batteries to members of the nomad community most in need. Notifications for future distribution events and the requirements to apply will be posted on our Facebook page.
Finally, since the 2024 RTR concluded, we have distributed a tent ($600+) (Thank you, Springbar) to a couple who needed the extra space after their van was totaled from getting rear-ended and just shy of $10,000 (Thank you HOWA community donors) in direct financial support to dozens of nomads facing unanticipated emergencies.
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