PILLOW BAG

ABOUT PRODUCT

• A durable bag for any conditions of weather.
• It is a backpack containing a pillow and waterproof pockets inside of it.
• The bag can turn into a handbag or backpack depending on the homeless person’s desire.
• The pillow will have a pillow case on it.
• The pillow case will be decorated with fun designs and inspirational quotes to lift up their spirits if they’re going thru a rough time.
• The pocket inside of the pillow can hold non perishables and their necessities.

HOW IS OUR PRODUCT WATERPROOF

• Our product is waterproof because we have a plastic layering around the pillow.
• This allows no rain or liquid to get into the bag/ backpack.
• The pocket in the pillow also has a plastic waterproof casing which presents any spillage from getting to the pillow.

HOW TO USE PILLOW BAG

• On the top of the bag, there is a hand strap allowing the person to carry it like a purse or hand bag.
• On the side of the bag, there is two backpack straps allowing the person to carry the Pillow Bag on their back.
• When they want to sleep or lie down, you just take out the pillow from the casing.
• The pocket inside the pillow case will provide them with extra room to put their necessities.

HOW CAN IT ASSIST THE POPULATION

• Our product can assist the homeless population by giving them comfort.
• The pillow will give them a good sleep since they will be sleeping on a hard surface.
• The waterproof casing on the outside will keep their pillow and other important items dry.
• The pocket inside of the pillow offers more room for the homeless person to store first aid, food, or any important items in it.
• The pillowcase will give the person hope on finding their way.

CONNECTIONS TO LESSONS

• This relates back to our homeless lessons because it shows why homeless people are struggling.
• In class, we learned why it is easy to become homeless in Hawaii.
• The main reasons are: the expenses, housing/ rent, taxes, and family issues.
• Our product helps all of these homeless people feel comfortable and safe since they don’t have a home.

CONNECTIONS TO ACTIVITIES

• In class,
• We were allowed to be in the shoes of a homeless person by doing the VR.
• This connects back to our product because in the VR, it showed how homeless people need to move around constantly. Our bag allows the person to move around more easily because they can carry a lot of items in the Pillow Bag.

CONNECTIONS TO VIDEOS AND POETRY

• In class, we watched two homeless videos which took place in Oahu and the Mainland. It shows the lifestyle of homeless people on streets and camps.
• This connects to our product because homeless people are aloud to bring some items and bags into camps but they also loose a lot of important items.
• In class, we wrote a poem as a homeless person. We needed to express our emotions and why we felt we were homeless.
• This connect back to our product because our pillow case has inspirational quotes to lighten up their day.

LEARNING TAKEAWAYS

• We learned that the main reason of becoming homeless in Hawaii is the cost of living.
• They can also become homeless because of medical bills, family problems, or being brought up homeless.
• Many homeless people end up going into permanent housing from the helping with government.
• Permanent housing requires a lot of rules such as: no pet companions and cleaning after yourself. Many homeless people do not want to follow certain rules so they decide to stay on the streets.

HOMELESS FACTS

• Chronic homelessness is the term given to individuals that experience long-term or repeated bouts of homelessness.
• Nearly 48,000 or 8.5% of all homeless persons are veterans
• On a given night, nearly 20% of the homeless population had serious mental illness or conditions related to chronic substance abuse.
• A renter earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour would need to work 90 hours per week to afford a one-bedroom rental home at the Fair Market Rent and 112 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom.
• Poverty is the other major factor that contributes to the homelessness epidemic. A lack of employment opportunities, combined with a decline in public assistance leaves low-income families just an illness or accident away from being put out on the streets.

THANK YOU