More Than a Charge: Power, Connection, and Hope for the Unhoused

Power Creates Connection & Resource Stability

Access to power is a fundamental human right, yet many individuals experiencing homelessness live daily with limited or no access to electricity. Our partnership with Universal Human Rights Initiative (UHRI) and Hand to Hand Hunger Project highlights how essential this resource is, not just for stability, but for survival. 

UHRI and Hand to Hand Hunger Project facilitated projects in Santa Monica through our Gift of Light Partner Program (GOLPP) to provide solar-powered solutions to unhoused individuals so that they may overcome barriers faced in their every day lives. Their efforts also expanded to aid those impacted by the Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles, providing safety and connection in moments of crisis. 

The Salvation Army of Santa Monica demonstrates the Chandler Charger’s functions to those seeking support.

Power as a Necessity

In a recent conversation, Rebecca Cannara (UHRI Executive Director) and Kevin Glover (Hand to Hand Hunger Project Executive Director) shared about the experience distributing Chandler Chargers and other resources out of The Salvation Army of Santa Monica. Cannara and Glover explain that a charged phone is more than a device –it’s a lifeline. It provides access to critical resources that are necessary for the resilience of those experiencing homelessness. These are a few they highlighted: 

• Case management and social services
• Job applications and employment opportunity access
• Contact with family and loved ones
• Shelter or housing availability and assistance
• Medical appointments and health resources
• …many, many more!

“We’re in a society where we need phones to survive,” Glover says. In an increasingly “homeless-proof” city such as Santa Monica, it is harder than ever to use public spaces to charge devices, let alone ride buses or pay for meals in cashless environments. It also doesn’t help that most free government phones hold a charge for only a few hours, leaving their users stranded or searching for power most of the day. Moreover, accessing the resources listed above is just the first step, but actually getting employment or housing requires constant communication and reliable service. “Staying connected is how these opportunities arise”.

Michael Williams, a Chandler Charger recipient at The Salvation Army, shares their story and difficulties living without reliable power: “...I saw most jobs ask you to apply online. Since I don’t have an address here I can’t use the computers at the library and gave up on the job search.  When I got the charger from my case manager I was encouraged to apply for jobs on my phone. It wasn’t an overnight thing, but I started my first shift at California Pizza Kitchen today and things are turning around.” 

The lack of reliable power poses serious barriers to safety and well-being, as individuals experiencing homelessness have higher risk of struggling with health issues or encounter life-threatening situations in which they have no way to call for help. Just a day before our talk with Cannara and Glover, there were reports that an unhoused woman had been murdered on Santa Monica Beach. In such a desperate time of need, having access to connection can mean the difference between life or death.

A Salvation Army Distributor gives a Chandler Charger to an unhoused man.

​Fostering Connection

When fires recently swept through LA, Glover and his team took Chandler Chargers to the Westwood and Stoner Park recreation centers, where many previously and newly unhoused individuals sought resource relief. There, power sources were scarce and one of the centers only had one charging station available. The solar chargers allowed recipients to charge their phone on-the-go instead of leaving their devices behind at the station. With reliable power, many individuals were able to connect with their families and loved ones to ensure they were safe.  

Cannara and Glover provide insight on a deeper impact that, beyond survival, regaining access to power restores a sense of dignity. Much like the experience of restricted phone privileges in prisons, such limited phone use often causes unhoused individuals to feel a loss of freedom. Something as simple as being able to know what time it is, or being able to call one’s children at any time, maintains a sense of control in one’s life that can make all the difference. The relief of reconnecting with a lost loved one after being stranded can significantly change someone’s trajectory to a path towards security and stability. A charged phone means more than communication– it fosters hope, resilience, and connection in front of systemic and seemingly impassable barriers.

You can support our neighbors experiencing homelessness by making a donation to Unite to Light. Select “Homelessness” at checkout as the project you want to support. 

​Let’s change the world one light and one life at a time. 

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