Solomon Olshin

Portland, OR | 17

2019 Award Recipient

Shine builds upon work Solomon led with his school’s InvenTeam and Community Engineering groups. Solomon led the building and installation of 85 solar-powered “JuiceBox” devices that provide hundreds of houseless Portlanders with light, power, heat and internet access, improving their daily lives while providing access to social services, online job applications, and connection with family and community. Solomon also led the development of ShowerPod and WashPod, solar-hybrid bio-filtered mobile hygiene facilities that provide houseless Portlanders with clean hot water for handwashing, dental care, showers and laundry while incorporating greywater irrigation systems that nourish gardens in these communities. Shine also trains houseless Portlanders to build and maintain JuiceBoxes and pays them for their work, helping them gain dignity, independence, and employability as they transition out of homelessness.