HERO Tent San Jose

My name is Alison LaBouff. I'm a Bay Area native, a high school teacher, and I'm proud to be involved with HERO Tent Bay Area during this time of global transformation. HERO Tent began as a simple idea of providing hydration to protesters on a hot day. With just an umbrella for sun protection and a few cases of water, 22-year-old Kiana Simmons started handing out water to those who needed it. Each day as word spread, more volunteers showed up to help out, more people came by to drop off donations of all kinds, including canopies, tables, snacks, cases of water, medical supplies, masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, supplies for making posters, even pizza and sandwiches. Local businesses like Lee's Sandwiches, Pressed Juicery, and Manresa Bread started donating as well. The group of regular volunteers joining Kiana grew each day, and soon we realized we had the opportunity to do so much more for the community, and that's how HERO Tent was born. HERO stands for Kiana's original goal--human empowerment--plus the force that helped it grow and flourish--radical optimism. Our mission is to fuel and sustain the heroes who are out there every day making their voices heard. Many people have asked to donate money, but thus far we have not accepted any cash donations. However, with a small fund we know we could continue building on our momentum and provide even more to the community. All donations through this GoFundMe will be used to purchase water, food, and medical supplies to keep the HERO Tent going each day, plus more infrastructure like canopies, tables, and cooler so we can support more protest efforts. Thank you to all the heroes who have already donated so many supplies every day, and to all who are able to help us do even more with this GoFundMe!