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Unique coat offers warmth and job opportunities for homeless Detroiters

The Empowerment Plan photo
Courtesy photo
Coats that convert to sleeping bags are being made for the homeless in Detroit.

A Detroit non-profit is getting national attention with the innovative way they are caring for and employing the homeless. We find out about The Empowerment Plan.

An individual who is homeless is usually dealing with a lot more than not having a place to live. Homelessness makes it very hard to keep a job or find a job. It makes it hard to go to school. And in the worst cases, when people can’t find shelter anywhere, they might be left in the cold.

Empowerment Plan coat photo
Credit Courtesy photo
When unfolded, the Empowerment Plan coat becomes a sleeping bag.

A Detroit woman named Veronika Scott had an idea that could provide solutions for all these problems at once. She invented a unique kind of coat specifically for living outdoors, and then turned the production of those coats into a non-profit that employs the very people who needed them in the first place: the homeless. It’s called The Empowerment Plan. So far they have employed 39 homeless people, and helped many find housing and accomplish other life goals.

Current State talks with Communications and Projects Manager Cassie Coravos.

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