PLEASE MEET DAMIAN:
I want to introduce a longtime friend of Facing Homelessness and a key contributor to this page. Damian Monda grew up in the region, and at a very young age was inspired by his grandfather Joe who lived in Wenatchee. Joe owned a little grocery store, was very active in St. Vincent de Paul and had relationships with many people experiencing homelessness. During his childhood on Beacon Hill, Damian and his brother would explore the abandoned neighborhoods surrounding I-5 construction. This was the 60s. They made friends with the people taking refuge in the boarded-up homes. “We grew up building tree-houses down in that area. Even after we moved, I would return year after year. I never really stopped going down into the Jungle.” Around that young age, Damian began what would become a life-long journey of bringing food and basic essentials to the folks living there, offering his time and friendship.
Damian, and now his wife Debbie, still spend a lot of time doing that. They share the belief that these simple acts are of paramount importance, that living in service of others enriches both their lives and those that they encounter. “The greatest gift you can give is just your time, some respect, and to treat people with dignity.” When I asked how he discovered the importance of this, Damian recalled early days working in Georgetown when he would sometimes walk past, or step over, someone sleeping outside his office. “I would get to my desk and realize, I’ve already missed the most important opportunity of this whole day.” He shared that loving others isn’t complicated. “It’s easy. They’re right there. You don’t have to overthink it. The opportunity to serve others is right in our face.”
Our founder, Rex Hohlbein, crossed paths with Damian in 2016 doing similar work: sharing photos, dispelling myths, and meeting the needs of our unsheltered neighbors. “There was one week where I’d go out to meet someone [living outside,] and Rex would have just been there the same day or the other way around. Finally, we said, “We’ve got to meet.” They did. “We met down in Georgetown outside Zoe’s bus. That was about three years ago.” We are so grateful for the important work Damian does in our community and look forward to more of his contributions on this page.
Facing Homelessness is in a season of growth. You’ve likely noticed this page being more quiet than usual, and we have missed connecting with all of you regularly. In addition to Rex’s departure, COVID-19 has presented challenges to our work of coming closer. Facing Homelessness is also taking this opportunity to examine how we share stories in the most ethical manner that protects and honors the people we are lifting up. We’re excited to grow in the direction of having all our programs more informed by those we serve.
Damian and other staff members will be sharing more stories about our work. This page may look a little different moving forward and that simply reflects the times we are in. Please reach out with any comments/feelings/suggestions. We look forward to seeing you here and continuing our work together! You can also follow our Instagram profile and sign up for our newsletter on our website for regular program updates and events.
With Love and Gratitude,
Barron l Beacon Hill Neighborhood
Barron is an architect, photographer and the Communications Manager at Facing Homelessness
A QUIET THOUGHT - If you’re moved by the goodness of this community, please visit http://www.facinghomelessness.org/ and click on the ‘donate’ button and consider a “monthly recurring” donation of just $5 in support of the work. THANK YOU!
#Kindness #FacingHomelessness #JustSayHello #YesInMyBackyard #theBLOCKproject