Díaz-Ross Advo - "HOPTEL Experience"

Joss & Díaz-Ross Advocacy at Hoptel - Let they day begin with some planting

Our Day at Hoptel...

We got a chance to improve the quality of life of several veterans who were down on their luck, and help make their experience with the Hoptel just a little bit more pleasant.

Our favorite part was talking to a couple of the veterans staying in the Hoptel while cleaning. They seemed to have nothing but positive attitudes about the rest of their life and were very appreciative of all the help they were receiving.

Our biggest takeaway was that a small act can make a big difference. Our main jobs were to plant in the garden, cook, and clean around Hoptel. Although these seem like minor tasks, we saw how happy it made the veterans and all the Hoptel staff just to see something nice, like green plants and a clean room. Small and seemingly insignificant acts are so important because they can change a person’s attitude and outlook on life, helping to raise their spirits.

In the future we will continue to work with veterans and those in need and try to improve their standards of living by performing small and large acts.

Takeaways from the Day

"People expect a homeless person to be dirty and unmotivated. Many people do not realize that even with a minimum wage job, it is extremely difficult to meet your daily needs. Many homeless people are actually hard working, but do not have the opportunity to make enough money to survive."

It was easier to see that homeless people aren’t stereotypical hobos and that anyone can be homeless, no matter what they look like.

People deserve, even if they are homeless, a nice place to stay and a recognition of their self worth.


All it takes is a few motivated people to change the quality of someone’s life


The environment that people live in really affect their willingness to rise above their problems and take initiative.

The veteran’s Hoptel looks different than you would expect because it is nicer and cleaner than many would think.

The Hoptel gives people hope and a place that they can feel welcome, even if they don’t have a real place to stay.

The people that staff the Hoptel are extremely generous and spend a lot of time caring for veterans.

Many people expect that once you become homeless, you will be trapped in the cycle. However, as we learned from the manager of the veteran’s Hoptel, it is possible to get back up and start a good life if you work hard and get a little help on the way.