Origin Story
Our Founder, Bill Sullivan, is a San Jose native. A graduate of St. Martin’s Elementary, Bellarmine Prep, and San Diego State University, he has run Bills Brush Works (a residential painting service) for over 40 years. He has lived in West San Jose for the past 34 years.
After ‘The Jungle’ (a large homeless encampment on Coyote Creek in San Jose) was shut down, many of the unhoused residents relocated near Bill’s neighborhood. Soon after, Bill encountered two of his new ‘neighbors’ (Rocco and Michael) and offered them modest stipends to clean the nearby freeway off-ramp. The guys were amazing cleaners, showing up every day, removing trash and pulling weeds. Their self-esteem got a boost from the stipends and friendship, and the off-ramp looked much better.
The following week, the three-man crew moved to Santana Park, where eventually through word-of-mouth, 20 unhoused partners would gather on a daily basis to clean the park. As long as they were clean and sober and willing to put their best effort forward, they were welcome to join.
Eventually, a total of three West San Jose parks were cleaned during the summer of 2018. The city took notice and began to schedule regular pick-ups of the collected debris. A local caterer and food pantry started delivering food to the jobsites. Good things were happening! The results were notable: The parks looked better, and, more importantly, unhoused people were being engaged through a dignified cleaning opportunity, building confidence, and feeling a sense of community. It was a win-win! Neighborhood Hands was born.
The potential for Neighborhood Hands’ community-based homeless work and outreach program was becoming increasingly clear. After a brief hiatus to regroup financially and set up an official non-profit, Neighborhood Hands relaunched in March 2020 at Columbus Park, home to one of the largest homeless encampments in California. Despite the onset of Covid-19, our first Saturday at Columbus drew 20 unhoused folks to clean the neglected park. As of July 2024, we are empowering ~120 unhoused people every other week, with the support of ~40 volunteers, the City of San Jose's Cash For Trash program, and ~10 nonprofits and community partners that provide food, clothing, bike repairs, mental health consulting, transitional employment, and so much more. It has become, as they say, a ‘party in the park’ and a chance to love and connect with thy neighbor.
After ‘The Jungle’ (a large homeless encampment on Coyote Creek in San Jose) was shut down, many of the unhoused residents relocated near Bill’s neighborhood. Soon after, Bill encountered two of his new ‘neighbors’ (Rocco and Michael) and offered them modest stipends to clean the nearby freeway off-ramp. The guys were amazing cleaners, showing up every day, removing trash and pulling weeds. Their self-esteem got a boost from the stipends and friendship, and the off-ramp looked much better.
The following week, the three-man crew moved to Santana Park, where eventually through word-of-mouth, 20 unhoused partners would gather on a daily basis to clean the park. As long as they were clean and sober and willing to put their best effort forward, they were welcome to join.
Eventually, a total of three West San Jose parks were cleaned during the summer of 2018. The city took notice and began to schedule regular pick-ups of the collected debris. A local caterer and food pantry started delivering food to the jobsites. Good things were happening! The results were notable: The parks looked better, and, more importantly, unhoused people were being engaged through a dignified cleaning opportunity, building confidence, and feeling a sense of community. It was a win-win! Neighborhood Hands was born.
The potential for Neighborhood Hands’ community-based homeless work and outreach program was becoming increasingly clear. After a brief hiatus to regroup financially and set up an official non-profit, Neighborhood Hands relaunched in March 2020 at Columbus Park, home to one of the largest homeless encampments in California. Despite the onset of Covid-19, our first Saturday at Columbus drew 20 unhoused folks to clean the neglected park. As of July 2024, we are empowering ~120 unhoused people every other week, with the support of ~40 volunteers, the City of San Jose's Cash For Trash program, and ~10 nonprofits and community partners that provide food, clothing, bike repairs, mental health consulting, transitional employment, and so much more. It has become, as they say, a ‘party in the park’ and a chance to love and connect with thy neighbor.