Occupy Boston: Building Alliances; Encuentro 5
Occupy Boston would not now exist if it were not for the support of a large number of often unnamed benefactors. We also benefit from relationships with supporting institutions and supporting groups at rather unsupportive instituitons. I’l mention the latter after discussing with them their exposure. Strong among the supporting institutions is Encuentro 5. They have given us a place to meet, get warm, dry off, and blog. So as not to over tax their resources, our media group has become a tenant. They have a desk.
I’m forming a relationship with Tecschange: Technology for Social Change. People at Occupy Boston certainly know about it, but I don’t know if they know what TecsChange can actually provide. One occupier had her laptop stolen and asked TecsChange to get her a new one. TecsChange usually gets donations of used equipment and most of them are desktops. But at least one occupier has benefitted from having a relationship with them. I could have done a real repair on my laptop’s AC adaptor if I had been able to find their soldering iron. But my pliers1 disappeared along with my SLR2. So with Charlie’s pliers I could improve greatly on the wire and tape repairs I’ve been making.
1It was actually a multipurpose tool – an imitation of the famous Leatherman. it cost $30 and has much lower resale price, but it was worth much more in allowing my to repair my sleep gear. Being homeless has put me into a strange relationship with property. I don’t have a TV and don’t miss it, but if someone nabs my sleep gear on a cold night, I could die.
2It was a Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I had some hope it would help me become homeful. I also lost 3 Sigma lenses. The f/1.4 allowed me to do low light photography – i.e. police raids in the wee hours of the morning. It’s a thing, but I miss it.
