Why we are doing this

This is a story about how we became interested in mutual aid. We live in the lower bottoms of West Oakland, which has one of the highest concentrations of encampments in the United States. Dawn's mother is a dermatologist who specializes in wound care, so we have become acutely aware of the needs of unhoused populations in our area. We were also aware of efforts to address these needs, such as the creation of natural building shelters for the Wood Street encampment during COVID.

A few years ago, we reconnected with an old friend, Eric Rasmussen, who told us about the efficacy of a product called BrioTech, which produces hyperchlorous acid (HOCl), one of the world's most effective disinfectants. We began using it around our home and later discovered that we could generate HOCl at home using a generator. We started giving it to our friend Dakota, who had been in an accident and had wounds that needed care. Dakota reported that it was working wonders for his wound care and he even used it as a pesticide to kill flies in his living conditions.

Our interest in respiratory health and hygiene grew as we learned more about the role of hygiene in respiratory environments. We began committing to nasal irrigation twice a day and were surprised at how well it worked to help us clear our sinuses. We decided to create a website to share the research we have collected and to engage a broader community in the lower bottoms of West Oakland and beyond in developing simple, inexpensive strategies and practices to optimize respiratory hygiene and hygiene in general for those in need.