HOPE Events

HOPE events (aka United Earth Hopeforce) were started in 2010 by Razorhawk.  The first one took place in San Diego, CA on July 24, 2010.  The goal was homeless outreach and to bring the RLSH community together for a single event.

San Diego HOPE 2012

Over the years, the events have spread to various other cities around the world such as: Seattle, New York, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, London, and Liverpool.  The brilliant part of the HOPE events is that any Real Life Superhero can set one up, which we’ll get into.  You could even consider it as an “open source” event.  The basis for all HOPE events is homeless outreach, but some events have also included collecting donations for a charity (like the food bank or a homeless shelter or women’s shelter, etc), a group patrol, self-defense seminars, etc.

HOPE events bring RLSH together for a good cause, primarily to promote homeless outreach in some capacity. Not all RLSH do regular homeless outreach, so this is a good opportunity for everyone to give it a go. It also provides a very positive reflection of the RLSH community, which can stretch as far as any news and social media allow. It should make you feel good to help others. It also is a great way to meet new RLSH in your area or visiting. Be ready for heightened altruism!

The RLSH Wiki entry for United Earth Hopeforce has a list of all HOPE events, as well as a good deal of photos.

2 members handing out food to the homeless at San Diego HOPE 2022

Are You Interested In Hosting A HOPE Event?

You can hold your own HOPE event, but it's going to take some planning. I have a basic planning guide in PDF form below that you can download.

HOPE Event Planner.pdf

Download PDF • 97KB

• Plan Your Basics - Have an idea of when you want this event to be, what you’ll be doing, what it's going to cost, and your HOPE event schedule.  If possible, set some event goals.  Will you need a sign?  What about a flyer for the RLSH community?  How will people RSVP?

• Ask For Help - Ask others to help you plan and actuate the event.  One person can do it, but it's easier if you have some help.  You can also ask for help from people who have already done HOPE events.  They are a great resource for planning!

• Invite Others - Invite your fellow RLSH to show up to the event.  This means you need a dedicated time frame so they can make the appropriate plans.  Often there will be RLSH flying or driving in from other parts of the country, as long as you give them time to make plans.  It’s a good idea to have a solid schedule available so everyone knows what to expect.

• Be Ready - You need to be ready for the event.  You should not be hitting up Costco an hour before your event, unless you’re picking up something like fresh oranges or something.  A prep schedule is going to be needed for this and you can even have it listed as part of the HOPE event.

• Take Action! - Get photos and get out there and do it!  Community service is awesome!

• Wrap Up - When you’re done, make sure you clean up your area and take care of any garbage.  Your fellow RLSH will probably have no problem lending a hand, which will make it go faster.

• Additional Action - After your homeless outreach, you might have additional action planned.  Go for it!  Make your HOPE event everything you want it to be.  You may also just want to keep it minimal with homeless outreach and then just hanging out with your fellow RLSH.  That’s cool too.