By Lance Johnson
An Ogden-Weber Technical College student is funding her effort to provide unhoused Utahns with food and protective masks by selling her homemade masks to those who can afford it.
“I initially funded the project myself, unsure if it would be a one-time thing,” said Brittanya Blanck, the 22-year-old student behind the project. “But more people wanted to get involved, donate, and it has gotten a lot bigger.”
Blanck’s bags for the homeless consist of face masks, gloves, water, sandwiches, fruit, granola bars, and other miscellaneous essentials that she is able to afford.
The service project was developed after another project at Habitat for Humanity was shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“That night I was thinking of what I am going to do now,” Blanck said. “I remembered that my grandma, who recently passed away, had a lot of fabric that my grandpa was willing to give me.”
That same night she looked up face mask patterns and began sewing masks for the homeless.
“The next day I went out to buy bread, peanut butter, jelly, fruit, and Emergen-C,” Blanck said. “I have a friend who also donated a bunch of gloves and masks, which we are able to use while my masks were still being finished.”
She dropped off the first batch of prepared bags to the Volunteers of America Homeless Youth Resource Center in Salt Lake City, and surrounding areas.
“My first response was to help the kids,” Blanck said. “We then went to Pioneer Park and ran through the streets looking for homeless people to give bags to. It was really cool to see everyone so excited to get the bags.”
That excitement fueled her desire to keep making more bags, but she needed additional funding—so she began sewing and selling additional masks for $7 each to friends and other people in her community.
Blanck also asked friends to help spread the word across the social media platforms she does not use, including Twitter and Facebook.
Chelsie Pachuca and Anthony Trueba were among those who shared the project with their own followers.
“It’s amazing what she is doing for the community, to be so selfless in such a terrifying time,” Pachuca said. “Social media is the best way to spread what she is doing, it was the least I could do to help her.”
Trueba agreed, and said service is a part of who Brittanya is.
“She’s stepping up in a legitimate time of need to help others, when most people are focused on how they can help themselves,” Trueba said. “She’s the type to give away anything she has to help someone else, regardless of her situation. If she has something to give she will.”
Blanck has a history of service, volunteering at Youth Conservation Corps, the Catholic Community Services food bank and the Canyon View School Life program. She has also been member of AmeriCorps, a voluntary civil society program, since September 2019. Her college training has provided her with carpentry and construction skills that she’s used to help build homeless housing through Habitat for Humanity.
Since launching last week, Blanck has prepared more than 260 bags for the homeless. She hopes to double that in the coming weeks.
Blanck understands what it is like to be unhoused.
“I was homeless between 14-15 years old, up until I was 20 years old,” Blanck said. “I initially tried to couch surf, but ultimately became homeless.”
Her experience is the reason she wants to be an additional source of help for those who are unaware or unable to utilize other resources.
“I never utilized any state programs or anything like that, though I should have,” Blanck said. “I wasn’t that informed; I didn’t know resources were there to help. I was always so scared they would put me into the foster care system like a lot of my friends were.”
Blanck eventually found support in a friend, who allowed her to stay with her for four months.
“I was able to get a job at a bakery, and saved all my money to be able to afford my own place,” Blanck said. “I also found a program that allowed me to get my high school education, a full diploma.”
COVID-19 uncertainty has affected the number of volunteers showing up to help feed the homeless, and displacement has also put unhoused people at even greater risk.
“Homeless people are being displaced from shelters having to shut down,” Blanck said. “They are not getting the food they normally were, and a lot of people have stopped volunteering to cook for them. It has really taken a big impact on them.”
Blanck hopes people recognize the gift that is the ability to social distance.
“Social distancing is a privilege,” Blanck said, “It means you have a home and running water, and I don’t think a lot of people realize that. Many homeless people don’t have access to running water; they can’t wash their hands.”
She hopes others will be inspired to volunteer and help in their communities, but also recognized the importance of self-care.
“People are worried about themselves and their family,” Blanck said. “Which is important, you can’t help others if you are not in a place to.”
Blanck expressed gratitude for all donations and volunteers helping in her mission to make homeless Utahn’s a little bit safer during COVID-19 — and after.
“This has all helped me better myself and better my community,” Blanck said. “I want the homeless to know that they are cared for and valuable.”
Individuals interested in mask orders and volunteer opportunities can contact Blanck at brittanyablanckpolitical@gmail.com, and financial contributions can be made via Blanck’s Venmo account, @BrittanyaBlanck. Updates on the project are available via Blanck's Instagram Story at https://www.instagram.com/brittanyablanck.
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