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926 Grant Ave #128 Novato, Ca 94945
415-879-7940
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Marinpeerconnection@mprcc.org
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Jenn Mallow, Carrie “Bambi” Klyse, and Robbie Powelson stand together at a community advocacy event in Marin County.
As core leaders of the Marin Peer Resource Community Collective (MPRCC), Jenn and Bambi collaborate with Robbie Powelson, a key member of the California Homeless Union’s legal team. Robbie has been instrumental in defending the rights of unhoused individuals across California — from helping secure a $540,000 settlement in Sausalito, to winning key legal challenges in San Rafael and beyond. His support continues to empower grassroots action and protect the dignity of those living without shelter.
Founders of Camp Compassion — Jason Sarris, Carrie “Bambi” Klyse, Jenn Mallow, and James Styles — stand arm-in-arm at the heart of the camp they built from the ground up.
Taken in the center of Marin County’s first peer-led, city-supported encampment, this image captures the strength, unity, and shared purpose of leaders who turned survival into solidarity. Together, they created a haven rooted in dignity, mutual aid, and lived experience — a model for what true community can look like when led by those directly impacted.
Chris Hill holds a handmade sign that reads “I Love You” — a message he lived by.
A Krishna monk who studied in India, Chris radiated love for all living beings and became a beloved figure among Marin’s unhoused community. He was Jenn Mallow’s best friend during her time on the streets, offering spiritual grounding and unshakable kindness. Though Chris tragically took his own life in 2017, his message of love and compassion remains the emotional foundation of MPRCC’s work.
Early protest in front of Novato City Hall led by Jenn Mallow, Carrie “Bambi” Klyse, Robbie Powelson, Jason Sarris, and founding members of Camp Compassion.
This powerful moment captured the beginning of a movement — unhoused leaders and allies demanding equal rights, protection from displacement, and recognition of their humanity. It laid the groundwork for Camp Compassion, Marin’s first peer-led, city-supported encampment, and helped ignite lasting advocacy for housing justice.
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Our Vision
We’ve built something powerful with almost nothing. Now, we’re ready to build the future.
The Marin Peer Resource Community Collective is on a mission to launch the first peer-led Wellness Campus and Workforce Housing Village in Marin — a space where healing, housing, purpose, and ownership live side by side.
This isn’t just about shelter. It’s about systems change. Our vision is rooted in everything we’ve already been doing — outreach, healing, advocacy — and scaled into something replicable across the nation.
The Wellness Village Will Feature:
- 🏠 25+ Tiny Homes: Lease-to-own, co-op housing, and deeply affordable rentals
- 🛠 Job Training: In construction, caregiving, peer support & wellness services
- 🌿 Peer Wellness Hub: Healing circles, recovery support, life skills coaching
- 📦 Social Enterprise: Farmstand, thrift store, art market — run by residents
- 🔗 Wraparound Support: Peer mentorship, access to services, leadership training
What We Need
We’re seeking land, development partners, funding allies, and strategic investors to help make this vision real. We don’t have deep pockets — but we do have deep impact.
If you believe housing should be built with the people it serves, we want to work with you.
📰 Press & Recognition
MPRCC has become a powerful grassroots force for justice, housing equity, and peer-led recovery in Marin County. We’re proud to be featured in local media and recognized by communities, city councils, and civil rights allies for the work we do from the ground up.
🗞 Featured Articles
📺 TV & Radio Coverage
- ABC7 Bay Area: Coverage of Camp Compassion protest and ordinance debate (2024)
- KWMR Radio: Interview with Jenn Mallow on peer advocacy and housing rights (2023)
🗣️ Quoted in the Media
“Jennifer Mallow, a Novato resident who has been living in her car and organizing food and clothing drives at the market, said she was devastated by the city’s reaction.”
– Marin Independent Journal, 2021
“Mallow said the site [Camp Compassion] provided a safer and more stable environment for people who had nowhere else to go, especially women.”
– Marin IJ, 2024
“The group also organizes outreach to encampments, offers peer-led support, and advocates for policies that protect Marin’s most vulnerable residents.”
– ABC7 News, 2024
“City Hall was lined with protest signs calling for compassion, safety, and peer-led housing solutions.”
– Marin Local News, 2024
“Camp Compassion was Marin’s first peer-run, longest-operating, city-supported encampment — a lifeline for those left behind by broken systems.”
– Community statement quoted in press conference, 2024