FARMINGTON, N.H. (AP) - To passing motorists, the Brewer family’s “kindness cabinets” in Farmington, Somersworth and Rochester might look like discarded white furniture awaiting disposal on the side of the road.
Look closer and you’ll find the cabinets are actually troves of food and supplies for individuals society has kicked to the curb. They’re designed to allow homeless residents and others to take whatever they need to survive, no questions asked, and the Farmington family hopes their message of love and hope spreads as far as possible.
“The system doesn’t work,” said Terry Brewer, who runs the kindness cabinets with her husband, children and a small team of volunteers. “This isn’t right. We’re the land of opportunity. We shouldn’t have homelessness anywhere.”
Falling rental vacancy, skyrocketing rent, an increasingly competitive housing market and a variety of social issues have contributed to a significant uptick in homelessness up and down the Seacoast in recent years. All the while, local homeless individuals say they feel ignored and demonized more than ever before, making it hard to feel at home in society as they wait for packed homeless shelters and housing assistance programs to find a spot for them.
Terry Brewer, her husband Newell and their children, whom asked not to be named, say they’ve seen that public disdain firsthand. It’s what inspired them to start giving away items outside their 499 Main St. apartment in Farmington two summers ago, which gave way to their first kindness cabinet in December after they saw a similar project down South. Since then, they’ve added cabinets at 296 Main St. in Somersworth and on Maple Street in Rochester, although the Rochester cabinet has been removed until the Brewers can find a better location for it.
The cabinets haven’t been operational long, but a significant contingent of community members and organizations have joined the grassroots cause to help the Brewers pack them to their hinges with a variety of fresh food, homemade desserts, farm-grown produce, nonperishables, hygiene products, clothing, utensils, pet food, children’s items and books. The Brewers also make survival tote bags they pack with handmade sleeping mats, tents and cooking supplies, and they’ve been known to provide diapers and wipes to those who can’t afford them.
Terry Brewer is quick to point out they aren’t doing it to help themselves in any way, although she said it has helped one of her sons’ “come back” from a brain injury he suffered while standing up for a bullied girl. In many ways, according to Brewer, homeless individuals are victims of bullying, and she said it’s been beautiful to see the impact the kindness cabinets have made in just the past five months.
“These people deserve kindness,” she said. “Why are we treating people like this?”
Some of the biggest gains made by the kindness cabinets have come through some of the smallest gestures. Brewer couldn’t help but get emotional while reflecting on Magic Mike, a man who had been homeless for eight years until a whoopie pie - “of all things,” she said - convinced him to reconnect with his sister, move back to Florida and get mental health counseling.
“Our whoopie pies reminded him of his grandmother’s and made him realize how much he missed his family,” said Brewer. “To a lot of people, it might sound stupid, but if you’re in survival mode, something small could trigger good memories and make you want to get help. All his sister wanted was for him to be safe, and thanks to a whoopie pie he decided to get mental health help and get off the street.”
There are plenty of small success stories, too. While Seacoast Media Group was interviewing the Brewers at the Farmington kindness cabinet last week, a couch-surfing young father was able to grab fresh eggs, graham cracker snacks and a jar of mayonnaise so his toddler son didn’t go hungry that morning.
Individuals like that father and son are the reason why locals say they contribute items to the cabinets as often as they can. During that same interview, a local nonprofit organization dropped off a truckload of bread, rotisserie chickens, cases of water, a couple of birthday cakes and numerous other items. That organization, which asked not to be identified, makes regular donations even though its contributions to the kindness cabinets, an unregistered nonprofit, could jeopardize funding for their own food pantry.
The Brewers say they’ll never officially register as a 501(c)(3) because they claim they would have to report a variety of information about the people who take items from the cabinet, including names and addresses. Terry Brewer said they’re extremely protective of their recipients’ privacy, particularly since staying hidden is a crucial part of survival for many homeless individuals.
At the same time, the family refers individuals as much as possible to various area medical and social service agencies, even though the Brewers know services are limited in Farmington and it’s tough to find transportation south to larger communities.
As public awareness about homelessness grows, the Brewers hope organizations and businesses create at least one kindness cabinet in every New Hampshire community to help homeless individuals. Thanks to Facebook, communities in California, Tennessee, Florida and Massachusetts have already adopted the Brewers’ idea, according to Terry Brewer.
Terry hopes the cabinets will one day no longer be needed because enough of the country has made strides to eradicate homelessness. She recognizes that’s a lofty goal, though, which is why she’s focusing instead on doing everything she can to help the individuals in the immediate area while providing a roadmap for others to follow.
“As much as I want them to get better and get help, I know it’s not going to happen or that it’s not possible for everyone,” she said. “Those are people we see weekly and we want to make sure they’re OK. For some, we know that’s all it’s going to be. That’s really, really sad.” …
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Online: https://bit.ly/2KnFTbq
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Information from: Portsmouth Herald, http://www.seacoastonline.com
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