LP Board Members & Volunteers Make Contact with Unhoused Community in First Direct Outreach Event

Friday, August 15th, 2025

This past Friday marked a milestone for The Lumina Project as our board members conducted our first successful direct outreach event to two different homeless encampments in Bloomington-Normal. This accomplishment represents the culmination of months of preparation and brings our original vision for LP to life. With the help of two dedicated community volunteers—a nursing student and a pre-dental student—we were able to extend our reach and amplify our impact. Their involvement embodies one of our core goals: to grow The Lumina Project not only through community partnerships but also by welcoming fresh identities, perspectives, and resources.

Photos Taken at the Adelaide St. Homeless Encampment in Normal

During this effort, we distributed a wide range of supplies: 18 Narcan devices, 3 Deterra Drug Deactivation Kits, feminine hygiene products donated by a generous community member (480 pads & 250 tampons), 104 bottles of water, 7 plastic-ware sets, 24 toothbrushes, and 12 tubes of toothpaste. This experience not only allowed us to establish what we hope to be a consistent relationship with the unhoused population, but brought their stories to life while enabling us to better gauge the needs of those we serve.

At the first encampment, located off Adelaide Street in Normal, we met several residents, including Randy—who happened to be suffering from a toothache—alongside Jessica, Jamie, Bianca, Dylan, and Lewis Star, the camp’s self-proclaimed “medic.” Conversations with Lewis and others highlighted pressing needs: NSAIDs, paper hygiene products, non-perishable foods, and even basic items like ice to combat the extreme summer heat. We also learned about the challenges within camp life, including strained internal relations and the unfortunate reality of resource hoarding. These insights were invaluable as they guide how we can more effectively serve in the future.

Our second stop took us to a site termed 'The Gravel Pits' off Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Bloomington. There, we met Lucas and his partner, who greeted us near an open fire where they were dismantling an old RV “one piece at a time.” For the next twenty minutes, our team trekked through humidity, sweat, and overgrown dirt trails to reach another cluster of residents. This community welcomed us openly and gave us further perspective into the realities of unhoused life in Bloomington-Normal.

Photos Taken at the 'Gravel Pits' site off of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Bloomington

Among those we met were Sam—who shared his journey of being 10 years sober from methamphetamine, relapsing, and now working toward recovery with 10 months of sobriety—Karen, who is 36 weeks pregnant but struggling to obtain proper prenatal care due to lack of valid identification, and Joey, a self-described “walking paraplegic” recently discharged from the hospital in poor condition. Each story reflected both hardship and resilience, and underscored the urgency of LP’s mission. Many in this camp also shared their experiences migrating from other parts of Illinois and beyond, highlighting how homelessness is not just a local issue but one deeply tied to broader systemic inequities.

LP Outreach Team Pictured with Matthew, Johnny, Joey, Sam, Karen, Ian (Left to Right)

This event was more than an act of service—it was the beginning of a long-term commitment. We hope to establish involved relationships with these encampments and provide not only supplies but also advocacy and visibility for the challenges they face. The success of this engagement makes future outreach less intimidating and only reiterates the receptivity of those we serve. As we continue to grow, Lumina Project will strive to address these disparities head-on, ensuring that communities too often overlooked are seen, heard, and equipped with life-saving resources.