Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Crescent City in Del Norte County, and it’s a place and a community that will stay with me for a long time.
From the moment I arrived, what stood out most wasn’t the geography or the remoteness often associated with the area, but the people. Crescent City is full of individuals who care deeply about one another and who show up, day after day, to support their neighbors with compassion and persistence.
One of the highlights of the visit was spending time with the Del Norte Mission Possible team. Their work is rooted in trust and genuine human connection. They didn’t just introduce me to their organization; they introduced me to the community itself. Through them, I met so many wonderful people. Each conversation reinforced something we see everywhere we go: when outreach is led locally, by people who truly know their community, the impact runs deeper. Del Norte Mission Possible is exactly that kind of presence in Crescent City.
Del Norte County faces unique challenges. Geographic isolation, limited resources, and housing instability intersect in ways that make local outreach both essential and complex. What makes the difference here is collaboration. Various organizations, funders, and community members are working together to meet people where they are. That’s why partnerships like this matter so much to us at The HomeMore Project.
Thanks to the generosity of the Smullin Foundation, we’ll be sending 35 Makeshift Traveler backpacks to Crescent City for distribution through Del Norte Mission Possible.
Visits like this remind us why we do this work. The Makeshift Traveler Journey isn’t just about products, but it’s about people, relationships, and communities coming together to support one another.