A Message from Suanne Carlson | | |
Dear HOWA Friends and Supporters,
This is a pivotal and emotional time in HOWA’s journey, and I want to speak to you directly, from my heart.
As you read further into this newsletter, you’ll find that HOWA is undergoing major restructuring in response to a serious and ongoing financial shortfall. These past months have required incredibly difficult decisions -- scaling back programs, reducing staff, and focusing our energy and resources on the most essential and sustainable parts of our mission. Throughout it all, our commitment to serve nomads has remained strong and clear.
Before you read about those cutbacks, let me share some good news about leadership in HOWA. I’m excited to tell you that Karen Battaglia will be stepping in as HOWA’s new Interim Executive Director beginning next week. Karen and her husband Tony are long-time nomads who have been involved in the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR) since 2013. Karen is one of HOWA’s founding trustees and Board Secretary, a faithful volunteer. Her long-standing dedication, leadership, and deep connection to the nomadic community make her uniquely qualified to guide HOWA into its next chapter.
As Karen takes the reins, August 8th will be Phyllis Bickford’s and my last day as Interim Co-Executive Directors of HOWA. It has been our honor and privilege to be in this role over these past four months, especially through such a crucial turning point for the organization.
To help ensure a smooth handoff, I will remain available in a consulting role during the transition, if desired. And though I am stepping away from day-to-day leadership, I will continue to advise as Co-Founder and serve on HOWA’s Board of Trustees as Vice-President. HOWA remains close to my heart, and I look forward to supporting its work and mission.
Please continue reading the other articles in this newsletter to learn the details about program and staff changes happening at HOWA -- what we’re pausing, what we’re continuing, and most importantly, how we’re adapting to ensure our work lives on.
These times are challenging, but they’re also filled with possibility. Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for believing in this mission. Together, we will continue to create community and bring hope to nomads in need.
With gratitude and resolve,
Suanne Carlson
Interim Co-Executive Director (through August 8)
Vice-President, Board of Trustees
Co-Founder
Homes On Wheels Alliance (HOWA)
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Dear HOWA Community,
We’re writing today to share important news about the future of Homes On Wheels Alliance (HOWA).
After much consideration and with a clear-eyed view of our financial situation, the Board of Trustees has decided to restructure and downsize HOWA rather than close. This path allows us to continue supporting the nomadic community — on a smaller, more sustainable scale.
What HOWA Will Continue to Do
Even as we tighten our operations, our mission lives on. Here’s what you can still count on:
- January’s Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR) will go forward as planned, with seasonal leadership coordinating volunteers and logistics.
- We’re launching a “hybrid” Mentoring Camp program that brings together elements of the Caravans and the Nomad Training Camps into a single package:
- Three gatherings per year: April, July, and October
- Nine days of boondocking together
- Casual, peer-supported environment with experienced nomads
- Designed for new nomads with priority given to low-income applicants
- Supported by a small team: 1 staff planner and up to 10 volunteers for as many as 60 new nomads
- Due to a generous $30,000 anonymous donation to cover the Nomad Emergency Fund’s grants and staff coordination costs, the eFund will continue until those restricted dollars are used up.
Our goal is to maximize impact per dollar while continuing to build community, empower nomads, and provide meaningful support.
What HOWA Will Let Go
To make this future possible, we are making difficult — but necessary — reductions:
- September and October 2025 planned events are suspended but will be replaced by the hybrid “Caravan Mentoring Camp.”
- We will not hire a new Executive Director. Rather, a board member, Karen Battaglia has volunteered to take the lead.
- Staffing will be reduced:
- Regretfully, Bobbi Stice’s Client Services position ends
- Tracey Power’s Admin/eFund position will continue full-time with some reduction of responsibilities and some increase in other tasks to administer operations, communications, and core programming
- Pete Bettencourt’s private contractor hours will be minimized through reductions in costly software use
- Karen Battaglia, Board Member, is volunteering to be the new Interim Executive Director
- These changes will reduce labor costs from $8,800/month to approximately $3,300–$5,500/month, depending on ongoing technology needs.
Why We’re Doing This
HOWA is currently facing a financial shortfall of $7,000–$8,000 per month, driven in large part by labor and program costs. Programs like the BYOV and Emergency Fund, while incredibly valuable, are both cash- and labor-intensive. In restructuring, we focused on preserving services that offer the greatest impact with the least cost, so we can continue helping those who need us most.
Thank You
We are endlessly grateful for your support. This community — of volunteers, donors, staff, and nomads — has made everything possible. These changes reflect our determination to keep going, together, in a way that is realistic, responsible, and hopeful.
With heartfelt thanks,
— The HOWA Board of Trustees
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Help HOWA Rebuild —
Your Support Can Restore What We've Had to Pause
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Dear HOWA Friends,
Homes On Wheels Alliance (HOWA) is restructuring due to a critical financial shortfall. To survive, we’ve been forced to make deep cutbacks — suspending programs, canceling events, and reducing staff.
But here’s what you need to know:
--- We don’t want these changes to be permanent.
--- With your support, they don’t have to be.
Our vision remains the same: to empower low-income nomads with the tools, skills, and support they need to thrive. And right now, we’re still doing that — just on a smaller scale. We’re continuing RTR, launching new low-cost gatherings, and keeping essential operations going.
Yet we had to pause programs like the BYOV — not because it isn't working, but because it requires more funding and staff than we can currently sustain.
You Can Help Us Rebuild
Your donation today can help us:
- Restart build events like BYOV
- Rehire essential staff as funding allows
- Restore canceled events in 2026 and beyond
Every dollar helps us move from survival back to stability — and from stability back to impact and growth.
From the Community, For the Community
HOWA has always been powered by people like you — caring, generous, and passionate about making sure no one must face life on the road alone. If HOWA has helped you, someone you know, or someone you care about, please consider giving back today.
DONATE NOW
With deep gratitude and hope,
— The HOWA Board of Trustees
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With Regret and Appreciation | |
DEAR HOWA COMMUNITY,
We want to share some sad news.
As part of the difficult restructuring necessary to ensure HOWA’s financial survival, we must say goodbye to one of our dedicated team members — Bobbi Stice, who will be laid off in August.
Bobbi joined HOWA in 2020, and since then, she has been a steady and compassionate presence, serving the nomadic community with kindness, warmth, and deep commitment. Whether assisting Emergency Fund applicants, supporting volunteers, or helping manage events, Bobbi’s work has touched countless lives.
Her belief in HOWA’s mission and her heart for helping others have made her a beloved member of our team and our wider community. While we wish we could continue working alongside her, our current financial realities simply make it impossible.
Please join us in thanking Bobbi for her years of service and wishing her the very best in the journey ahead. Her contributions to HOWA — and to the nomads we serve — will always be remembered with gratitude.
With appreciation,
The HOWA Board of Trustees
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Emergency Fund: The unexpected happens to all of us | |
The HOWA eFund Program is for active nomads in need whose primary residence is their vehicle. Unexpected situations happen leaving us out of control without enough financial, family, or friend resources to fix the emergency.
That is when the HOWA eFund may be able to help.
The HOWA eFund is 100% funded by donations from the nomad community. In 2024, 51 awards were made totaling $28,434.50. What an amazing community that supports other nomads in this way. To learn more about the HOWA eFund or if you would like to contribute to the HOWA eFund to assist active nomads please visit:
Donate to the eFund
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| Enter the Sweepstakes to WIN Bob's Ambulance | | |
Check out the HOWA sweepstakes featuring Bob Wells 4-wheel drive, diesel amulance!
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