#OpSafeWinter: We Are Our Brother's Keeper

Greetings:

We previously made the grave mistake of posting an Anonymous "Join Us" video - attempting to gather more assistance in our quest to aid the homeless - that evidently gave reason for the entire original OpSafeWinter thread to be trashed by the ever-vigilant Mods.

We feel that this life-saving information is still important, so we will attempt to share these vital links and stories again and not be violated.

We invite your participation by sharing local opportunities to assist in the effort.

In the beginning...


OpSafeWinter potluck

#Anonymous re-launches #OpSafeWinter for the Homeless

#Anonymous re-launches #OpSafeWinter for the Homeless
BY RAINCOASTER on SEPTEMBER 26, 2014

OpSafeWinter, one of Anonymous’ most effective non-hacking Ops, is back (not that it actually went away) and we’ve got an interview with the international team behind it. As is traditional, the interviewees declined to identify themselves, other than as organizers of OpSafeWinter.

Launched November 7 of 2013, the operation aims to support the homeless by providing basic needs like food, warm clothing and camping supplies, as well as by raising public awareness of the housing crisis. It’s also one of the most “outreachy” operations, working alongside non-Anon organizations and individuals who are already active in fighting homelessness.

The op grew spontaneously and inevitably out of various winter holiday-themed ops scattered around the globe which had been perennially popping up, winter over winter. In its first year, OpSafeWinter boasted participation from 12 countries on an official basis, and several others on an ad-hoc basis.


The most active countries in last year’s coalition were the UK, the US, and Brazil, where the normally fearsome Black Bloc were highly active in a food and toys drive in Sao Paulo.

Throughout the year several local groups continued their operations, liaising with non-Anonymous organizations, creating resource banks, offering soup kitchens and more.

Portland produced a Million Blanket March, in solidarity with the spirit of the November 5 Million Mask March.

The UK’s East Coast Homeless Outreach project, which is up for an award from the Lloyds Bank Foundation, grew out of the operation.

Organizer JediKnight says, “Nov 5th I am planning #OpFeedTheHomeless in London. I have teams ready on standby for donations to give to homeless on the streets all night. We want all people going to London to bring a drink and a sandwich to donate.”



In traditional Anonymous fashion, the press release was posted on Pastebin first, with a video follow-up. This year’s op specifically calls on participants to help create a census of the homeless in each locale, as well as indexing services both civilian and Anonymous.

Anonymous #OPSafeWinter Re-Engaged 2014-2015

Fellow Anon and Citizens of the world, We are proud to re-announce #OPSafeWinter.

In this age of consumerism there is very little love or care about each other, we're here to change that.

No longer shall we stand by and watch isolation and fear be spread by the establishment, which is killing and destroying community and lives. We all have a voice, so make yours heard, you are the power, your choice, your life, you are the motivation for justice.

OP mission, to highlight the homeless situation in areas throughout world and build up a resource network for food supply, blankets, clothes, socks, amenities for warm showers, etc. that can be donated.

1st Mission: Please list the current homeless count in alphabetical order by town/City Country.

Within each town, contact local charities, shops, businesses that will support with any of the above list and more.

You can get the latest figures from your local council by sending them a freedom of information request if you are not sure of the figures in your town.

2nd Mission: Coordinate with anons and others willing to participate in the execution/distribution of services we are able to provide, whether it is transport, collection of donations etc.

This is not definitive, and any other suggestions and ideas are welcome. Please list at the bottom of the pad as bullet points to make it easy to follow.

Lets make winter as safe and comfortable for as many people within our reach and beyond.

Please share this OP with as many people as possible.

Work together online or RL, everyone can help no matter how small or big the activity.

@OpSafeWinter #OpSafeWinter

opsafewinter.org...

www.facebook.com...

Everybody is me #OpSafeWinter - YouTube







Here's a feel-good story from Minneapolis, MN USA, from just last week.

#SpreadTheLove Event #OpSafeWinter - YouTube
Published on Feb 15, 2015
On Valentine's Day 2015 our Anonymous Street Crew went out to feed and clothe anyone who needed it. We helped roughly 60 people and had great support from the community. We love helping our people. Happy Valentine's Day and have a Safe Winter!

Operation Safe Winter - Helping The Homeless - YouTube

Published on Dec 2, 2014
#OpSafeWinter

Anonymous is for Freedom

#OpSafeWinter From The Mouths Of Babes. - YouTube

Published on Feb 6, 2015
#OpSafeWinter 8yr old boy's call to action.

An inspiring piece from our contingent in San Diego a year ago.
#DUPLICATE SUCCESS!

#OpSafeWinter2 Gift Drive for the houseless Feb. 28, 2014 - YouTube

Published on Mar 10, 2014
On February 28, 2014 heavy wind and rain did not deter activists from Occupy San Diego from holding their second gift drive for the houseless at the San Diego Civic Center.

While many houseless were staying out of the rain, waiting in lines to get into emergency shelter tents that were set up due to bad weather, they continued their mission and were able to give warm food, clothing, warm blankets, toiletries and rain gear to many houseless people that did show up. 200 delicious bean and veggie burrito's, rice and baked goods were prepared, a majority of which, were handed out to the many hungry houseless found huddling under cover all over downtown.



To all who so graciously donated so much, who spent two months collecting donations from co-workers, friends, family and neighbors we want you to know we could not have given so much without your help. Your shared compassion for the houseless in San Diego touches our hearts deeply.

You are all angels! Please know that all left over donations were dropped off at the shelter on 16th St. and Island to be passed out to the many in need.



Please help us to continue our efforts to help the less fortunate.

Our next 'giving' event is scheduled for May 4, 2014

GLOBAL HOMELESS DAY 
May 4, 2014

San Diego Civic Center

4 pm - 6 pm (Sunday)
Send us an email telling us how you wish to help at www.sandiegooccupy.org



Here is some great footage of our FIRST gift drive for the houseless Dec. 20, 2013.

www.youtube.com...


Edmonton Food Bank experiencing record calls in time of need

EDMONTON – Edmonton Food Bank staff are experiencing a demand they haven’t dealt with in nearly a decade. The number of calls requesting the organization’s services is so high that some callers are having a hard time getting through.

Lori Staranchuk is one of those frustrated callers. She doesn’t know where she’ll get her next meal if she can’t access the food bank.

“It has been very difficult to get in touch with them. I’ve been trying for the last two weeks,” says Staranchuk.



"The Edmonton Food Bank has 23 phone lines and staff are encouraging callers to be patient as the call will be answered eventually."

#OpSafeWinter engaged. Because in a cruel world, a simple act of kindness is revolutionary.

OPSafeWinter (@OpSafeWinter) | Twitter

Anonymous Opsafewinter | Facebook

You guys rock. Keep up the good work. For the poor, spread of information, anti-child porn, ect...

All I can say is I wish to god more people opened their eyes to what Anonymous does & stands for. Thankyou for reminding me that people still exist that remember humanity is more important than the almighty dollar & acceptance more powerful than control over the masses.

OpSafeWinter: Anonymous Mission to Help Those In Need- Learn About It

#OpSafeWinter Nottingham 2014

Please, please watch this video and have compassion for those less fortunate today...

Everyone wants to go home...


Anonymous #OpSafeWinter 'Am a human being '

Montreal Police should be ashamed…


opsafewintermtl.cf


Main Stream Media Reports

Anonymous Threatens Montreal Police For Closing Homeless Village | | Global News Report

Anonymous Targets City Hall & Montreal Police Over Bulldozing Of Homeless Village | CJAD Radio Report

The City Of Montreal & SPVM Are Now At War With Anonymous | MTL Blog Report 

Anonymous Operation Safe Winter Montreal Announces Occupy Viger Square | Anon Insiders Report

Anonymous Begins Op Safe Winter Montreal | Daily Haze Report

Anonymous Has Targeted Montreal Police For Their Treatment Of Homeless People | VICE Report

Anonymous Wages War On Montreal Police for Dismentaling Homeless Village | HackRead Report

Le site du SPVM piraté par Anonymous | Metro Report |

Anonymous’ Op Safe Winter MTL Takes Up The Cause Of The Homeless Against Montreal Police | Cryptosphere Report

East-Coast Outreach on Twitter: "Busy night out on the streets tonight, over 75 fed, lots of coats and sleeping bags gone out #OpSafeWinter"


#OpSafeWinter: Generosity Goes Viral
by free • December 6, 2014

#OpSafeWinter: Generosity Goes Viral



It’s the time of year when we are most often asked to “think of the less fortunate.”

But what if we felt empowered to take action that might actually help them?

#OpSafeWinter, inspired by the lessons learned at Occupy Wall Street and from teachers like Sharon Salzberg and Bob Thurman, aims to do just that by providing a decentralized network of support for the homeless.

Instead of waiting around for relief organizations, is it possible for us to involve ourselves in direct mutual aid, thus revealing the interdependent nature of suffering and compassion?




Inspired by the real-world experience and skill sets developed on the ground during Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Sandy, folks involved in these two previous relief missions came together to address another problem threatening more and more people during the economic crisis: homelessness.

An #OpSafeWinternyc contact describes mutual aid as a two-way street. Not only do the homeless and hungry receive relief in the form of coats and food, but those doing the relief are developing contacts and getting the chance to use their skills. Everyone gets an expanded sense of what’s possible by learning to interact with their neighbors, homeless or not, in an informal setting.

From Sharon:

Lovingkindness



Lovingkindness is a quality of friendship. Lovingkindness meditation is the cultivation of a steady, unconditional sense of connection that touches all beings without exception, including ourselves. The quality of lovingkindness is associated with three other qualities: Compassion, Sympathetic Joy & Equanimity.

Compassion is our caring human response to suffering.

A compassionate heart is non-judgmental and recognizes all suffering—our own and that of others—as deserving of tenderness.

Sympathetic Joy is the realization that others’ happiness is inseparable from our own. We rejoice in the joy of others and are not threatened by another’s success.

Equanimity is the spacious stillness of mind that provides the ground for the boundless nature of the other three qualities. This radiant calm enables us to ride the waves of our experience without getting lost in our reactions.


#OpSafeWinter is different from traditional relief organizations in that it’s a horizontal, decentralized network. Anyone who thinks up a mission that might help the homeless can feel empowered to do so, and the network is a tool to connect those in need with those who can provide.

There are people working to document and skill-share online in major cities across not only the US but across the globe as well. It’s also different from a consciousness raising campaign that merely increases awareness of a problem and possibly inspires people to donate money.



#OpSafeWinter takes awareness and builds on it with action.

The movement makes use of direct aid to the homeless rather than relying on intermediaries, a technique we saw in the days after Hurricane Sandy when people refused to wait for the lagging and incomplete support of the Red Cross or FEMA.

The process does one better than merely highlighting the homeless problem across the globe, but also builds a resource network of donated food, blankets, and clothing, thus stepping in with a safety net where the city and federal government has dropped the ball.

This horizontal network emerged not only from the practical on-the-ground experience of the Occupy community and decentralized online tactics like Anonymous, but also drew inspiration from teachers like IDP Lineage Mentor Sharon Salzberg and Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman.

Generosity is the heart of #OpSafeWinter, and it hopes to “inspire or incite people to look at their relationship with others through service to those on the streets.”

The open set of tools provided
by the #OpSafeWinter hashtag
succeed in amplifying compassionate intentions.

This method breaks down the self/other boundary so often seen in relief organizations where I, a person of means, can give my time or money to help the amorphous suffering other. By breaking down this binary, #OpSafeWinter exposes the interdependence of suffering and provides tools for mutual aid.

We are, in effect, helping each other.

If you’re interested in being involved in #OpSafeWinter, we recommend finding out if people are already active in your city and following them on Facebook and Twitter.

For New Yorkers, @opsafewinternyc is the twitter handle where you can find out about actions, donations, and suggested tools and missions in alleviating the suffering of those most vulnerable during the winter months. You are encouraged to act on your compassion with your unique skills and forms of contribution.

Links to find out more about #OpSafeWinter & keep up with local actions:
opsafewinter.org...
www.facebook.com...
twitter.com...

Read more: www.theidproject.org...

We are #Humanity OpSafeWinter - YouTube
Published on Mar 3, 2014

#OpSafeWinter The Pleibeians - Have a heart - YouTube

Greetings.


We come to you asking for your help in making life more bearable for those less fortunate.


When compassion, tolerance and peace are hard to find, it falls to ordinary citizens to show that there is still love and respect in the world.
Anonymous #OpSafeWinter 2015-16 - YouTube

We ask you to help us help those who are suffering the most in our societies, we DO NOT ask for donations of money.

Willingness to listen and even a smile can change a person’s day, but a blanket, some warm clothes or even a sandwich can change a person’s life.

Never underestimate the positive impact you can have on the life of another.

After all, we are our brother's keeper.

Thank you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Anonymous Merry Christmas - YouTube

Do you want to play a game?

Anonymous - A Message To Our Subscribers ~The Secret Anonymous Idea~ - YouTube

Happy New Year


Anonymous Music - Occupation Alliance [ Hacktivists ] - YouTube

Just wanted to add a footnote:

You don't have to be into Mask and Hoodie cosplay to participate in charity and Goodwill.

Check with your local community centers and churches and ask what donations that are in most need of this season.

Even your local Police Department might be greatful for military surplus blankets, sleeping bags, coats, shoes, socks.

If you're more of a lone wolf vigilante activist, just walk around town with a bunch of dollar bills and offer to take someone out to coffee or a bite to eat in a warm environment.

I think it's wonderful Anon is doing this, but don't think they're they only game in town on this issue.

Props to the OP for reminding us all how important it is to care for those in need of kindness the most.

Warm winter wishes.
Peace.