Our Story
In December of 2014, armed with this simple list of critical supplies and accompanied by one resourceful and compassionate friend, our first outreach for people experiencing homelessness successfully completed. Spread the Love was born. It was evident then that one of the major keys to solving our homeless crisis was to facilitate and foster the personal connection and collaboration between those experiencing homelessness and those outside of it.
Thanks to social media, this outreach was immediately embraced by family and friends. With their support and commitment, Spread the Love Commission expanded its reach. In September of 2016, after the completion of over a dozen more distributions throughout the U.S., we became a National 501(c)(3).
Today, through personal outreach and established partnerships we have served over 40 communities and cities across the U.S. We have created an impactful model of how to approach our homeless crisis in an informed, respectful, and empowering manner. This approach breaks the stigma of homelessness and the invisible wall between those inside its pain cycle and those of us who can offer a hand up. Most importantly, our distributions are centered around personal delivery of the most vital supplies to the most vulnerable in the homeless population. Improving their chances of getting and keeping employment, acquiring housing and in some cases literally saving lives.
Our outreach model may seem like a drop in the bucket to this growing humanitarian crisis, but we believe it is a critical first step to breaking the pain cycle of homelessness across the U.S.
Spread the Love Commission has completed over 70 distributions. We have delivered over $750,000 worth of high quality and vital supplies and clothing to 40 locations. And this has been accomplished with a staff of one, a little Honda Element and a growing and dedicated team of supporters, volunteers, sponsors and collaborators. We named our organization Spread the Love for a reason and we are ready to take the next step in our growth by sharing the model we’ve created with other communities across the country. However, we are still a small organization and are going to need your help to continue to accomplish our mission. Imagine what we can do together!
Our Founder
Wren Fialka is the founder and Executive Director of Spread the Love Commission. Her first introduction to those facing homelessness was at an early age in Washington D.C. Read article in JH Style. Since this first early encounter, this crisis and the people caught up in it, have had a special place in her heart. Unfortunately, it also became a constant source of heartbreak because she never felt like she could do enough to help. Then, in December of 2014, a conversation, with a man living on the street in San Francisco, lead to an epiphany and the compilation of a simple list of vital supplies. This list changed the course of her life and has now positively impacted the lives of many others.
Support Staff
Sara Johnson
Administrative Assistant
Service to others has been instilled in me throughout my life. Between my family's passion and my education I have always been invested in humanitarian causes. Growing up, my family adopted Bosnian refugee families during the holidays to provide gifts and food. We would hand deliver and visit with them on Christmas Eve. This was the catalyst. In highschool and college I consistently volunteered for Habitat for Humanity building homes in urban areas working directly with the families that benefited. I also annually attended protests at the Fort Benning military base in Georgia in opposition to the School of the Americas human rights violations. I graduated with a BA in communications but my two minors were my passions; sociology and human rights. There is always a need to help someone, somewhere and I have felt this calling my entire life.
Melissa DePierro
Chief of Operations
In 2010 after I finished undergrad, I decided to volunteer in India as I was unsure of what career path I wanted to take. During this six month stay in India, I witnessed countless numbers of people experiencing homelessness or overcrowded living conditions. Although the suffering was sometimes unimaginable and immense, the level of kindness and generosity I experienced from the most vulnerable populations was inspiring. From that moment on, I knew my calling was to be a Humanitarian.
Outreach Truck
We finally have our first outreach truck! And she’s quite the stunner! She was originally built as a Mercedes Fire Engine in 1989 and briefly used as a coffee truck in recent years. She will now serve alongside our trusty Honda Element Javier, to collect and deliver critical supplies, survival gear, serve warm and cold beverages and offer support to our housing insecure and unhoused neighbors locally and regionally. This little truck is finally getting back to her roots as the life saver she was meant to be.