Second Chance Village serves people surviving outside in Akron through direct outreach, practical support, and relationship-based care. Our Sponsor a Village program (our camp sponsorship program) highlights zones we visit, the basic needs present in each area, and ways supporters can help keep outreach consistent.
Each zone below can be sponsored from within the camp itself, by an outside donor, or through shared support. Sponsorship is $50 per drop. Drops happen weekly or monthly depending on funding available for each zone. The more a zone is funded, the more often we can come and the more we can bring.
HOW IT WORKS
The $50 per drop pays for the mobile delivery itself:fuel, vehicle costs, time, logistics, and the act of physically showing up at a zone. It does not pay for the supplies on the truck. Supplies come from general donations, community drives, and whatever SCV has on hand. If a camp or sponsor wants better or more supplies included in their drops, they can donate above and beyond the $50 drop fee to help stock what goes out.
In each zone, SCV builds relationships with known contacts who act as ambassadors or representatives of the camp. These ambassadors help us understand what the zone needs, communicate with residents, and distribute supplies to people who were not present during the drop but live in the zone.
OUR ZONES
THE CONDOS
One of the largest and most volatile zones on our map. Near industrial scrap yards, high population, high risk. SCV has served the Condos since day one. Many of our members and our founder have lived here.
PAPERVILLE
A smaller, lower-population camp with a friendly, welcoming reputation. Quiet, easy to overlook, and exactly the kind of place that falls through the cracks without consistent support.
THE DRINKING BRIDGE
A gathering spot near sanctioned shelters where people go to drink and use between curfews. Few live here long-term, but many cycle through. Adjacent to a dangerous park with active drug sales and territorial violence.
TWACKBACK RIDGE
One of the oldest and most consistently used survival camps in our network, tucked along the Freedom Trail corridor. Twackback Ridge has deep history with Second Chance Village and has sheltered many of our members over the years. It is a high-use, high-wear zone where people cycle through quickly, leaving the land and residents in constant recovery mode. Sponsorship here keeps long-term relationships alive, stabilizes basic needs, and helps us keep showing up in a place most systems never see.
TWEAKER MILE
A long stretch of abandoned railroad line functioning as a survival corridor. Close to resources but isolated and volatile, with periodic gun activity and unpredictable threats.
THE BEYOND
A camp at the end of a corridor you can only reach by passing through several other unwelcoming encampments. Most providers never make it this far. We do.
BIGFOOT
One of the most private and protected camps on our map. Strict rules, deep trust, and intentional secrecy. More rumor than destination. We are lucky to be associated.
HOW TO SPONSOR A VILLAGE
Sponsor a drop: $50 per drop (weekly or monthly depending on funding)
Sponsor from:
- Inside the camp (residents, camp fund, passing the hat)
- Outside donors (family, friends, churches, businesses, community groups)
- Or both working together
How to give:
- PayPal: paypal.me/secondchancevillage
- CashApp: $IArmTheHomeless
- Venmo: @IArmTheHomeless-6621
- Note the camp name in the memo line so we can track and prioritize that site
Contact us after making your gift and we will confirm which zone you are sponsoring and share updates as we are able to do so safely.
TENT LENDING PROGRAM
Second Chance Village does not sell tents and does not give away tents. All tents provided to sponsored or paying members, students, and clients belong to SCV at all times. Only sponsored or paying members, clients, and students are eligible for tent loans. We lend tents for overnight use only, for the duration of that night period. They are returned clean in the morning, sanitized inside, and reserved for the same person.
We used to give tents away, but years ago we moved to this discipline to maintain accountability, reduce waste, and keep our resources circulating. Rumors circulate, often from organizations that sell donated tents to people online, that SCV sells tents to homeless people. This is not true. If someone tells you that rumor, we encourage you to look into who is saying it and why.