Valerie Overton Howard has been a community activist and success coach in Lorain for years.
Over the past few years, Howard has found ways to assist in causes dear to her.
Through her Join Forces project, Howard has helped to institute a new cause to support.
Known as Tools Under the Tent, the project aims to provide hats, mittens and hot meals to Lorain’s less fortunate residents living under the city’s bridges.
“I thought this would be an awesome way to get people who are like-minded; to come together and make it big,” she said.
Howard now hosts a talk show called “Valerie Overton Howard is Keeping It Real.”
It has featured a number of guests since its start in 2020, and she said has allowed her to connect with the wider Lorain community.
“In 2020, when the pandemic hit and a lot of things happened, I just realized that a lot of things were going on in the community,” Howard said. “I decided to join forces, and I started the show.
“We brought on a lot of guests like the chief of police, the mental health board, LCADA, all of those individuals, and we would plan events.”
Thanks to her talk show, Howard said she was able to connect with churches and activist groups around Lorain for her newest event.
Instead of working as different groups, the activists came together under the same umbrella.
“We all decided just to come together and collect care packages, and give them out to the homeless underneath the bridge,” Howard said. “Instead of reinventing the wheel … why don’t we just come together and put all of our resources together to make it bigger and better?”
The first 25 of this year’s care packages went out to the community Dec. 5, according to Howard.
She and the rest of the team for Tools Under the Tent still are looking for help from the community, however.
“We’re going to do it all through the winter,” Howard said. “Well, (at least) through December, and possibly carrying on past that.
“Let’s come together, put those together and get our first ones out because people need it, instead of just waiting.”
The rest of the first round of care packages will go out at 1 p.m., Dec. 22, Howard said, as part of the initiative’s “Community Day.”
Along with physical items, Howard said the group is looking to provide hope and holiday spirit to those who need it.
“We’ll have some Christmas music going, (and) we’re looking to pass out some soup,” she said. “People aren’t just concerned about me and mine.
“How I was raised is that the whole family was the community. Giving them that sense of hope. we want to remind them that they’ve got a community of people.”
Those looking to get involved with Tools Under the Tent’s care package program, can contact Howard for donations at alstontamara2@gmail.com.
Donations will be accepted until Dec. 11.
