The Empowerment Plan is a humanitarian project that creates jobs for those who desire them and coats for those who need them at no cost. The Element S Coat is self-heated and waterproof and transforms into a sleeping bag at night. Homeless women would be paid minimum wage, fed and housed to create these coats for those living on the streets. The goal is to empower, employ, educate and instill pride. What is important are the people, not the products.

“A remarkably well considered design from start to finish.  The Empowerment Plan not only addresses the urgent needs of the homeless for warmth and shelter, it looks beyond the immediate, to provide long term job training and job creation – all while enabling and allowing people to remain self reliant.” – Ed Dorsa, IDSA, Assistant Director School of Architecture & Design, Associate Professor of Industrial Design, Virginia Tech

Credit: Veronika Scott of The College for Creative Studies

Contact: Veronika Scott: [email protected]