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The idea of "oneDAM" started in 2011 while working in San Francisco at ING Direct now, Capital One's, financial cafe. I was serving coffee and pastries and marketing but at the end of each night is when this little "start-up" came to life. Every single night we had at least 50 meals worth "waste". Instead of throwing them out we thought outside the box, bagged them up and on the walk home on Market Street between Montgomery to Powell Street Stations we handed out food and drinks to every homeless person we met.
I would talk with hundreds of them and listen to their stories and I remember distinctly stories that were not too foreign to all of ours. That the fall from stability is only out of reach for the few not the many.
We spent many sleepless night thinking how can be bridge this gap and came up with what if everyone gave one DAY A MONTH to their community.
So here is how we give oneDAM with every sale we have a purpose with the goal of "making a difference that outlasts our existence."
The Journey of Bobby from retired to homeless to a Wildwood Warrior
We met Robert Ricci aka "Bobby" on August 12, 2020 in Atlantic City, New Jersey just handing out food like we do. At the time he was 73 and homeless, sleeping on concrete.
We got to talking and what we learned was, what happened!!!
See Bobby was a retired AC Convention employee going about his retirement living in his Northfield Home of 40 years when he had an unexpected medical event.
2018 Fermoral Artery Bypass Surgery in 2018. Medical bills the overwhelmed him and he was unable to make mortgage payments on his home of 40 years. He tried working with ABCO Credit Union to come up with a plan but in November of 2019 they foreclosed on him.
He only owed $40,000 a refinancing could have very easily been covered and justified with his Social Security Income but instead they kicked him to the streets.
Bobby then stayed at the Rescue Mission in Atlantic City for 5 months, but when Covid hit, he contracted it and spent a month in the hospital and quarantine.
While in the hospital his belongings were stolen at the Mission. After being cleared from Covid, he wasn't allowed back to the Rescue Mission and was forced to stay in a motel for 2 months with little to no help, After that money ran out. And it was off to the streets.
When we met we immediately got to action finding him short-term housing and raised $3312 dollars to provide Winter Housing. This created a foundation for us to work from.
During this time we worked tirelessly to helped Bobby get back on the grid. Driving circles around South Jersey to re-obtain his;
Birth Certificate ✅ Social Security Card ✅ New Jersey State ID ✅ Bank account ✅Social Security Direct Deposit ✅ Phone Plan ✅ Snap Food program ✅ Health Insurance and Medicaid ✅ and Doctors Appointments ✅
After Winter we got him into a temporary Nursing Home and in August of 2021 nearly a year after meeting to date Bobby made his 7th and FINAL MOVE of the year!!
He is now a full-time and permanent resident of Wildwood, New Jersey 🎡 🏡 🤙🏽 home of the Warriors🏖
A fitting place for a man who has been through it all!!!
Hurricane Dorian Relief collaboration with Dorian's Caribbean Flat- Patties
We met Renold St. Fleury simply having a cup of coffee at the Marsh Harbour International airport 2 years ago ☕️ and the bond that has transpired and our love and admiration for this young man words can't really capture.
We just ended volunteering for 2 months after Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas with All Hands and Hearts and the thought of leaving with so much work still left to do was hard.
But our serendipitous conversation paved the way for a friendship and bond that has helped us continue to support the Marsh Harbour and the Bahamas island of Abaco.
We collaborated with Jerika Renne to create a Limited Edition Shirt and thus far we have raised over of $1750 in resources. We have sent over 3 care packages including; work boots, clothes, and basically an entire kitchen; knives, spatulas, Iron Skillet, Baking Supplies, Measuring Cups etc.
All of this oneDAM support is to help Renold get closer to re-building his dream and bringing Dorian's Caribbean Flat-Patties Restaurant to life with the goal of reinvigorate and nourishing the future of Marsh Harbour community. 💜 🇧🇸
Good Hearts Project Uganda
Through our friend Donn Curry and his good friend Stasa Petros, we are delighted to collaborate with the Good Hearts Uganda project.
The story of the Stasa's creation of Good Hearts is so heartfelt and grassroots we couldn't wait to get stared. Stasa met Tukesiga about two years ago who lives in a small village, Kabere Parish, an area in the Rubanda district of Uganda.
It started with Tukesiga reaching out to get seeds to grow food and with Stasa's determinitaion has turned into a beautiful connection that is helping Tukesiga overcome so many overwhelming challenges from; food and shelter needs, to clothing and medical. Things that we certainly take for granted!!
Good Hearts has been able to fill gaps once never believed to be possible and recently we together were to coordinate a care package filled with; Shirts, Hats, Children’s Clothes, Medical Kits for Women and an order of seeds for farming 🌱👨🏿🌾
We also were able to connect with childhood friend and amazing artist Drew DiPasquale, aka @thepaintedmustache, who has been commissioning his paintings 100% to help raise $4000 so Tukesiga can build an Orphanage and school!
Right now every purchase of the Bodhi Hearts and Bananas shirt and the Retro Tri-line Long-Sleeve we are putting $7.77 towards Good Hearts Uganda Project as well as 100% of Sticker Sales $3.33 ❤️🙏🏽
We have more to come on this project and if you want to get involved please reach out - whether donating of children and clothes of financial resources.
Brigantine Skate Park Petition
After hearing that our local skate park was going to be closed to make room for a pickle ball court we could not sit idle. Shane and local grommet Jack Faust organized a petition to the city of Brigantine to rethink the long-term impacts of such a decision.
Brigantine is a small island just off the north of Atlantic City. Home to many year-round families with kids who in the summer time love to surf. But in the fall, winter and spring during flat spells the skatepark has been a sanctuary on the island for over 30 years.
It has been a place where tens of thousands of kids have learned; patience, determination, motivation, joy, happiness, victory, defeat and humility.
It is a safe way for them to connect with friends, teach each other tricks, challenges themselves and overcome fear.
Over 5,000 peopled joined the fight to keep the stoke alive and strong within the Brigantine skating community.
We are committed to following this through and ensuring the city follows up on their promise to the youth and future generations.
Giving oneDAM can be done in so many ways and it is fun to see some many people support a cause that truly will "make a difference that outlasts our existence"!
Consider starting your own and let us know how we can help!
Change.org Petition to SCOTUS for 4th Amendment Due Process Right to DNA Testing enacted for prisoners
We created this petition after following Innocence Project and Equal Justice Initiatives countless stories of innocent prisoners be exonerated after useage of DNA Testing.
Thousands of years of life and memories have been stolen and our goal is simply to overturn the denial of the scientific tool, called DNA testing, by the U.S. Supreme Court to individuals who continue to exclaim their Innocence.
On June 18th 2009 (a day before what we now call Juneteenth) "the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a lower federal court ruling. This ruling at the time held that the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees a convicted inmate the right to a DNA test on evidence that might prove his innocence" (1)
The reversal, denies the right to DNA testing...
The evidence of absolute necessity of Testing can be seen in countless cases. For example, Archie Williams, was in jail 37 years, innocent and wrongfully convicted.
The Innocence Project took on his case in 1995. and FINALLY were able to petition a Judge to grant him the Unalienable Right to have due process in 2019.
24 years later Archie was exonerated within mere hours as the DNA Testing and Fingerprints from the Crime Scene Revealed he was not the Murderer, and Stephen Forbes was. (2)
There are other cases as well; Anthony Hinton spent 30 innocent years in jail (3)...Jonathan Irons spent 22 years (4)...and so so many more as a result of the hard work by Innocence Project and Equal Justice Initiative have been exonerated.
Why is this petition important?
Anywhere 2.3% and 5% of all prisoners in the U.S. are innocent (As per Innocence Project, for context, if just 2.3% of all prisoners are innocent of the 2.3 million population, that would mean that more than 52,000 innocent people meaning 52,000 criminals could still be free.
In 2021 this is an unconscionable obstruction of justice. Innocent People should not be silenced by the stigma of a crime that they did not commit.
There is a bias within our legal system and it preys on those that cannot afford to fight the law, who do not have the financial means to have the best lawyers defending them ensure all evidence is being used to ensure FAIR TRIAL.
The fact of the matter is in the US we have the largest prison system in the world and Black Americans are jailed 4X more than White Americans. 3/5 of ALL PEOPLE in jail are legally presumed innocent, awaiting trial or resolution of their cases through plea negotiations and simply too poor to post even low bail. (5)
DNA costs are high, HOWEVER incarcerating an individual "costs between $20,000 and $40,000 per year to house inmates in federal and state correctional facilities." (6)
Why do we continue to Deny these rights to people that maintain their innocence.
WE are BETTER than ignorance, their are DATABASES that can quickly pull fingerprints from scenes and look through and find criminals who most likely have been fingerprinted and booked before.
Please sign and PLEASE share. The 4th Amendment of due process is a constitutional right for all citizens.
Thank you so much for your support in advance.