When I purchase an item, what is my money going to exactly?

            Let’s consider the basic POVERTEE. When you purchase a shirt, your money first goes directly back into buying provisions for the poor [blankets, clothing, food, hygiene products, etc.] that are not available to us through donation. Second, your money goes to DMV costs for our friends whose identification has been stolen, and who are looking to get placed in a rehab that required id. Third, your money goes into the costs of running our company that are not provided through donation. This includes paying employees [like every self-sustaining company must], putting on events, purchasing fabric and wholesale clothing, etc.

Do you give money directly to the poor?

            Deciding when [if ever] it is appropriate to give money to someone who asks is a frequent dilemma. We believe that it is generally best to not give money out directly, so that we do not contribute to the furthering of addiction. HOWEVER, this opinion is often used to legitimize a refusal to give anything at all. If you would like to give, but are against giving money, then it is very easy to buy a meal for a person in need, rather than giving him or her money directly. The same goes for donating clothing, blankets, or hygiene products instead of donating money. Although we can never know for sure that some of these items will not be sold to further an addiction, we feel more comfortable donating a blanket with this concern in mind, rather than refusing to donate at all. In this case, it is worth the risk.

Do you ever have food, clothing, or blanket drives?

            At certain times during the year, generally leading up to each new season [winter, etc.] we will have a blanket drive. Obviously, this is most important during the cold months, but it is also necessary throughout the year. The same goes for warm clothing. Warm socks are quite the desirable item as well.

Why do you say that your pocket styles are “limited”?

            Because we purchase our fabrics wholesale, we do not have an unlimited amount of a certain style. If our wholesalers run out of a style, then we too run out. We will be listing how limited each style is, so if you prefer a specific style, make sure to buy it quickly!

What does a normal trip to visit your friends in LA consist of?

            Every trip to LA is a little different, and we cannot predict exactly what a trip will consist of. Some trips are meant to touch base with our people there and just to see how they are doing. Some trips focus more on delivery after a clothing/blanket drive. Holiday trips often involve barbecuing or setting up tables of food to pass out (such as Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts). But generally, we bring food to pass out, and as we are giving out food, we will just hang out with our friends and talk about anything and everything that is going on. They are informal, and we just look to have a good time with people we care about.