almostHOME

PLEASE MEET AUNTIE:

Falling into homelessness is a unique journey. Every person has their own details of when, how, and why. If we stop to listen we find a truth shared by all, that nobody chose their homelessness. In fact, quite the opposite. At every decision, they chose what they thought best for them among the available options.

Auntie lives with chronic pain. Doctors inserted a pain-pump in her abdomen as a method of giving medication directly to her spinal cord. It worked until she got behind in payments and the doses of medication were cutoff. To address the pain, she turned to heroin. That was several years ago.

When I first met Auntie and her sweet dog Mr. B she was sitting on the tailgate of an RV wincing with pain because the man she was sharing space with beat her up. She thought maybe he had broken her wrist. I drove her to Virginia Mason to have it looked at. While it was not broken, they kept her for three days due to her vitals being in such bad shape. She was released and went back to the railroad tracks in SODO.

If you asked me what Auntie's chances of making it were at that time I would have said not very good, not good at all. In fact beginning of April I was told by folks on the street that Auntie had died, died with a needle in her arm. I was heart broken. I wrote her obituary and posted it on this page. After an outpouring of LOVE for Auntie was shared by so many in this community, I received a phone call from Auntie, telling me she was still very much alive!

She told me she had been at Sophia Way and that they were helping her move forward in a beautiful positive way. They were also looking to find housing for her, wowWOW!!

Keep in mind that housing wait-lists are running between 2-3 years. Which is a whole other conversation of frustration. However Katie, who is Auntie's case-manager, is asking us for help to make housing happen over night, housing for a year which will give time to then figure something permanent.

Here is the PLAN: Katie will find a year-lease for Auntie at $1,000 a month. Auntie pays $450 with $550 being paid by donations. $550x12=$6,600.00. This community, on a previous post has already raised $2,350.10 for Auntie, leaving $4,249.90 needing to be raised.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5N7YH38JASYFY&source=url

If you asked me again, what Auntie's chances of making it were now, I would say very good, like really really good!

Katie said, "My hope is to get her set up with resources and programs that will sustain her so that she will never be homeless again." She went on to share that Auntie has been taking great care of herself. Going to doctor's appointments. Taking her medicine. Her left eye has gone blind and she is seeing her doctor regularly to get help. She's also only smoking a couple cigarettes a day, trying her best to quit. On top of all that, she's been saving money. For all of you that have worried about her dog, Mr. B has seen the vet and is doing great!

Here is the icing on the cake, Auntie has been sober since 12/25/2019. She attends recovery meetings and working on her bright beautiful future!!!

Let's raise the $4,249.90 and get Auntie inside for a year and make good on Katie's HOPE of never letting Auntie be homeless again. ALL LOVE!

Seattle neighborhoods | Rex

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!

beautifulVOICE

PLEASE MEET AUNTIE: 

Three days ago I sadly shared that our goodGOOD friend Auntie, who was living homeless, passed away. Over a thousand of you expressed sadness and hundreds more shared comments of LOVE for her and her sweet dog Mr. B.

Yesterday evening I received a phone call. The caller ID said it was Auntie. At first it took me back, then I figured somebody had found her phone and was calling to let me know.

I answered. The scratchy voice on the other end said, "I just read I was dead!! But I am not, I am very much alive!"

I am still smiling so big from that moment!!! I can't convey how happy I was to hear the familiar beautiful voice of Auntie!!! After getting over the shock, and then the shared laughter, I told her the story on the streets was that she died with a needle in her arm. She assured me that she was not only alive but that she was doing veryVERY well.

She told me she'd been free of heroin since the first of the year and has been getting stronger and stronger since staying at the Sophia Way shelter, wowWOW!!

As we got chatting, Auntie stopped me, she said, "Please tell all those people on the FB page who reached out wanting to take care of Mr. B how much that meant to me."

I am hoping we can make something extraordinary happen from Auntie still being ALIVE! Auntie is searching for housing, the lists can take years. Perhaps we can get her inside for a year during the wait-time. She can afford about $450 a month in rent. If we added $500, she could look for a studio or room-in-a-house for $950. I know it is a stretch, but it's worth the try! Hoping we can raise $6K to make one year happen!

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7SDXGD8WAWJQS&source=url

It was beyond wonderful seeing you today Auntie and Mr. B!! Word is spreading on the street and on this page that you are still alive and it is making for so much joy and thankfulness!!!

Bellevue Neighborhood | Rex

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 #JustSayHello #FacingHomelessness Crosscut KING 5

negativeSPACE

PLEASE MEET AUNTIE:

What happens when all the in-between left over undeveloped wiggle room spaces are gone in this city? Before we finish making Seattle all beautiful new, seems like we should build affordable housing for everyone first.

After the City of Seattle sweep took place on Occidental South, where three blocks of vehicles and tents were cleared, this is where Auntie and her dog Baxter ended up. Up against an abandoned building.

She's a woman in her 60's sleeping on the pavement without protection from the elements. Everybody okay with sweeps?

She's been there for two days with no sleeping bag or tent, just a blanket and a couple of coats. I asked what if it rains? She smiled at me for a moment and said, "I'll be alright."

After she finished the breakfast sandwich and coffee I brought, and after I agreed to come back with a pack of Camel 100s, which was a new experience having never bought cigarettes before, I thought to myself, I know she said she's alright, but the honest truth is, I'm not.

It comes in waves. Right now I'm not okay with this situation. Sorry for the rant. I'm not pointing fingers, none of us are individually to blame, but somehow, here we are.

I've come to be good friends with Auntie. Here is the problem with friendship. You begin to care. When you live in a city, no, in a country with a broken relationship to those in need, it places a heavy burden on the individual reaching out. It kills connections that are vital to a healthy community. It begins with guilt and turns to frustration. And ultimately, it has all of us turning away, walking past, making up excuses like, 'The homeless choose to be homeless', or 'They deserve it.'

We need to get more creative and compassionate than sweeping people. We need to work to fix the system that separates us and we need to keep reaching out to 'Just Say Hello' no matter how difficult it can be. We need to do this for those living outside and we need to do it for ourselves.

I love you Auntie, you are all BEAUTIFUL my friend.

Atlantic neighborhood | Rex

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!
#JustSayHello #FacingHomelessness #Kindness

oneVOICE

PLEASE MEET AUNTIE:

Nobody should go hungry.
Everybody deserves a home.
Nobody should feel unsafe.
Everybody wants law and order.
Nobody should face addiction alone.
Everybody should have health care.
Nobody likes litter and needles.
Everybody should be loved.
Nobody should feel unwanted.
Everybody wants to end homelessness.

Believe that we are all oneVOICE.

We all want the same thing. However, we are spending vast amounts of time, dollars and energy spinning our wheels, arguing how best to address the issue of homelessness.

And while we bicker back and forth over who has more compassion, or is smarter, or more informed, or knows what is best, and on and on, the homeless remain homeless.

I am not religious, but Jesus said, "And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand."

It is time for all of us to come closer to each other with open hearts and minds, to LISTEN, LEARN and LOVE. We need to look inward and question our own fears, assumptions and prejudices. We need to ask what is keeping us from stepping forward and when ready, how can we contribute, even if that means having a little less for ourselves. Anything less in the face of this humanitarian crisis is shameful.

It is not enough to share at dinner parties how hard it is to walk past people living outside, or how terrible it is to see so much garbage in our city. We all know this conversation, it is time to help those suffering.

Auntie is living with her dog "B" in a make-shift tarp tent in SODO. She is among others living in tents and RV's that are all there for various reasons, but all suffering, and all now scheduled to be swept this coming week.

Auntie could use a warm sleeping bag, a warm medium size coat, a small tent, a good flashlight, and triple A batteries. If you can, please dropOFF or shipTO: Facing Homelessness c/o Auntie 4001 9th Ave NE, Seattle WA 98105. Thank you.

If you want to learn more about how we can all come closer to address the issue of homelessness, please contact Facing Homelessness. www.facinghomelessness.org

So much LOVE and ADMIRATION for you Auntie.

SODO neighborhood | Rex

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 #JustSayHello #FacingHomelessness Crosscut

doingBETTER

PLEASE MEET AUNTIE:

Just to let everyone know, Auntie is doing much better! She's been reunited with Mr. B, her adorable sweet dog, and she's been staying at DESC's Crisis Solutions Center, which honestly was a life-saver for her with winter temperatures!

Next on the list is to get her pain-management pump replaced. Enough was raised by this generous Facing Homelessness community to clear her past bills, all systems go!

A bigBIG community LOVE to you Auntie and to Mr. B!

First Hill neighborhood | Rex

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!
#JustSayHello #FacingHomelessness #Kindness DESC

controllingPAIN

PLEASE MEET AUNTIE:

I met Auntie 10 days ago, she was sitting on the bumper of Buddy's RV, head bent down, groaning and holding her wrist. Buddy, also homeless and a friend to many, shared that the person she was staying with beat her up. It was clear she needed to go to the ER.

While on I-5 Auntie needed to throw up. We got the window down just in time, a good deal of it finding the side of the car. She couldn't stop apologizing. I couldn't stop thinking how horrible to be 68 yrs old in such pain, getting a ride to the hospital from a complete stranger.

Yesterday we met again. She was feeling better, lots of smiles. Her wrist had not been broken, still swollen, but healing. When I asked where she'll be sleeping, Auntie put her hand on the seat, said, "Right here". I looked at the darker sky forming over West Seattle and asked "What if it rains?" She looked at me like I was stupid, replying, "I'll get wet."

We had a long talk. Conversation that included her growing up in Seattle, her mom dying when she was 16, her father trying to rape her, and lots lots more. Too much to tell. I asked what her plans were. Not just for tonight but for her future. She said, "Getting housing, but that seems all but impossible."

In 2000 Auntie had a pain pump surgically implanted. Without medication she couldn't even walk due to the pain in her legs from an auto-accident. It worked great till 2016 when they cut off giving meds because she owed $280.00. She turned to heroin to control the pain.

I asked if she were to get the meds again, would she get off heroin? Auntie looked squarely at me and said, "In an instant".

UPDATE: The Paypal link has been pulled in that our goal of raising $280.00 has been reached with $494.92 donated!!! With these funds we will cover the cost of getting Auntie's meds started again. Remaining funds will be used to give care to Auntie. No cash goes directly to her and as is always the case, no funds whatsoever go to Facing Homelessness. A heartfelt THANKS to everyone that reached out with support and LOVE!

There are a good many challenges in front of Auntie, but she is a fighter, a tough survivor. It feels like this could be a good start for her, giving her a chance to get back on her feet. Let's raise the $280.

A bigBIG COMMUNITY LOVE to you Auntie!!!

SODO nieghborhood | Rex

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!
#JustSayHello #Kindness #FacingHomelessness