TULSA, Okla. — In Wednesday’s cold temperatures, Be Heard brought mobile showers, laundry facilities, clothes, and a charging station in trailers to the city’s homeless.
They do this four times a week.
The organization started in Tulsa just two years ago and they call it a movement because they want to move their outreach beyond Tulsa.
Indeed, it has received attention and donations from around the country and even outside the country.
Now they want to buy a trailer to be used as a warming station for people to transition of out of the showers before going back out in the winter cold.
Evan Dougoud is the president and founder of Be Heard Movement.
“It’s a huge 27-foot camper where people come in and just sit down and be warm as least while we’re here so they can take a shower and still have that warmth inside,” he said.
The $21,000 the organization brought in on “Giving Tuesday” will help them do that.
“Giving Tuesday! We’re still trying to process what happened but we’re so thankful to get support from Tulsa, people from Atlanta were donating, people from New Zealand were donating,” he said. “So, it’s just been a great way for everybody to come together and help the community.”
Clarence Watson has been homeless for nearly two years, after his 10-year-old son was killed, he spent time in prison.
He still has his son’s bike at his campsite. “I worked on a pipeline. I’m a certified safety rep by trade,” Watson said. “I went from having everything I needed every day to losing everything I needed. In the blink of an eye, it was gone -- everything.” He says Be Heard gave him his dignity back and hope for tomorrow.
Be Heard also launched a mobile barber shop early this year that comes every other week to the outreaches.
Two weeks ago, Be Heard was awarded the 2022 Best Non-Profit Organization in Tulsa by Tulsa’s Young Professionals.