“There are problems we need to fix right now, and government is slow,” said activist Lily Baran. “If our elected officials aren’t listening to what we need, which we’ve seen over and over, what do we do?”
For Baran and others who want to help unhoused people get their basic needs met, the answer is to take matters into their own hands. She runs a food pantry from her front yard, and other locals have found ways to provide aid quickly and directly, as well.