PLEASE MEET GIZMO:
Gizmo invites me into his RV home. I don't ask where to sit as there's only half a chair seat available. While he talks I find myself scanning the dimly lit space. Everything, I mean every little thing stuffed into the RV, including Gizmo, is different and interesting. I nestle in getting comfortable.
Gizmo enjoys talking. It's clear he's smart and has opinions to go with. He asks if he can light up his pipe and smoke some weed. I nod because he hasn't stopped talking for me to say yes. He talks between puffs, which makes me smile.
Someone knocks at the door, comes in, says hello to me, and then asks Gizmo if he needs some food. I'm touched by the kindness of the moment. I instantly want everyone in Seattle to be inside this RV, to hear the genuine care shared amidst the obvious struggle of homelessness.
Gizmo is 57 yrs old and chronically homeless. He has real character to him, you can see it in his kind eyes and hear it in his stories. He loves people, which includes his dog. Those that know Gizmo love him too.
Despite all these good feelings, Gizmo's life has been difficult. He battles depression, gets overwhelmed easy, which makes the day to day task of homelessness a full time job. Then there are the sweeps. Beyond all the personal processions lost, including his solar panels this last time, it is his piece of mind and hope that gets taken with each round of sweeps.
The only way sweeps work is if we refuse to see the person as a real person. Someone with worth, feelings, and beauty. Sweeps are a process of dehumanization and then looking the other way. Yes it is complicated, but sweeps represent a primal response, devoid of creativity and compassion. We as community can do better than sweeps.
Gizmo has immediate RV needs. Most pressing is that the vehicle-tabs are about to expire. The heater is also broken among other electrical issues. We are hoping to raise $500.00 for tabs and auto-parts.
UPDATE: The Paypal link has been pulled in that the goal of raising $500 has been reached with $698.38 donated, wowWOW!! I know this will mean a great deal to Gizmo, giving some needed peace of mind. All funds will be used to help purchase tabs and auto-parts. No funds go directly to Gizmo and as is always the case, no funds go to Facing Homelessness. If there are remaining funds not used by Gizmo, they will go to someone else with a like need. A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone that reached out to make this happen!!!
If you have mechanic's knowledge, Gizmo would love to get your advice on his RV, a 1988 Chevy Travel Master Class A.
Thank you Gizmo for so very beautifully being you.
Harbor Island 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 #FacingHomelessness #JustSayHello
warmthSAFETY
PLEASE MEET DZY:
I've seen what it looks like for Dzy to live through numerous winters in a tent, makes my heart hurt for him, the hurt getting worse over the years, as our friendship got closer and his beauty of person clearer.
Three days ago Dzy went from living in a tent to living in a van. A world of difference just in warmth and safety. A big beautiful heartfelt THANK YOU Lydia, Kristen and Landon for your kindness!
To hear about their genuine KINDNESS, please read the post before this one, it will make your heart sing!
New tabs and change of ownership cost $233.50. Hoping this community can help cover the cost. Thank you so much.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ZWCCLH9QCDJ3A&source=url
There are over 12,000 people experiencing homelessness in King County. That should make all of us stop in our tracks and ask, what are we making more important than each other.
Here is part of what Lydia said in the previous post, it is worth taking to heart. "We come from the Suquamish tribal community and an important part of our culture is the potlatch. Potlatch is a ceremony where we share our abundance with our community, our neighbors, our family and friends. In our Coast Salish tribal way, wealth is shown by what you give, not by what your keep for yourself. Being good hosts in our traditional lands is one of our cultural values and that's why it's important for my community to give back to those experiencing homelessness. Our tribal communities know what it is like to live in poverty and we want to lift up our most vulnerable neighbors and show them that they're loved."
I want to live in a world where we make people more important than things. We can do this. We can just begin with the person next to us, and then, the next person, and the next.
Wallingford 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 #ChiefSeattleClub Chief Seattle Club
culturalVALUES
PLEASE MEET LYDIA:
Two weeks ago we made the long-shot ASK for a used van for our friend Dzy who experiences chronic homelessness. He's worried about the approaching nasty winter weather.
Almost immediately Lydia Sigo let us know her sister Kristen and her brother-in-law Landon had decided they wanted to give Dzy their van, just like that, wowWOW!!
Lydia drove the van from Bainbridge Island to meet us early Saturday morning at the University License Agency. When Dzy saw the van he smiled soBIG! Lydia had sewn curtains for the windows, put a mattress and blankets inside and included a little buddy heater with about (6) propane bottles and a carbon monoxide sensor. Oh yeah, they also installed a new car battery, just cuz!
You know when you meet those people in your life that you can tell instantly they are pureKINDNESS, even before they lift one little finger, that is Lydia! She's honestly totally WONDERFULLY KIND!
Lydia and her friend Bryna also come to Seattle regularly to do outreach, handing out clothing and food collected from their community to give to those struggling on our streets.
I asked her how it is that she has so much compassion for those in need? Lydia replied, "We come from the Suquamish tribal community and an important part of our culture is the potlatch. Potlatch is a ceremony where we share our abundance with our community, our neighbors, our family and friends. In our Coast Salish tribal way, wealth is shown by what you give, not by what your keep for yourself. Being good hosts in our traditional lands is one of our cultural values and that's why it's important for my community to give back to those experiencing homelessness. Our tribal communities know what it is like to live in poverty and we want to lift up our most vulnerable neighbors and show them that they're loved."
A heartfelt THANK YOU Lydia, Kristen and Landon for your beautiful act of kindness towards Dzy and your beautiful loving message of lifting up our most vulnerable neighbors.
University District 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 #FacingHomelessness #JustSayHello Chief Seattle Club
heartBROKE
PLEASE MEET JEANIE:
While visiting Dee, who lives in an RV with Devin in the SODO neighborhood, I learned their friend Jeanie was having a really difficult time. We walked two blocks to the U-Haul she was living in, she was sitting in the front seat staring ahead.
When I came up to her my first thought was how kind her face was. I asked, "How are you doing?" She looked at me and started to cry, she said, "Not very good."
For an hour she cried, telling about the mess she's in. For 12 years she took care of her mother, then 10 months ago her mom died and everything went downhill. She rented a car to get a job with Lyft to pay for a room in a house and also pay off her mom's burial expenses. All was going well until a car crashed into her, wrecking the rental. At first the guy was nice, apologizing, next minute he took off, before Jeanie could get information. She lost her job, then her room, that was in June.
Up until two weeks ago she was sharing space in an RV, learning to live homeless. She was a wreck, missing her mom, trying to adapt, when the guy kicked her out. She rented a U-Haul on September 15th to move her stuff into storage, planning on returning the vehicle the next day.
Jeanie is disabled, has had 25 knee operations, she moves slow with a cane. While unloading the truck two men came up from behind and knocked her down, hit her again and then stole her purse and money. At first they tried to drag her into the bushes but she screamed and fought back, eventually getting into the back of the U-Haul, where she stayed for two days, fearful of coming out.
Every day that passed Jeanie became more stressed, freaked out that she could not pay U-Haul the rental fee. She wrote a four page letter to them, explaining what happened, hoping it would make a difference. I read it and was overwhelmed.
I told her this community would try to raise the funds to pay the nearly $1,000 owed. I was going to make that post asking all of you to help. But between meeting Jeanie yesterday and now, the police and U-Haul showed up, put everything of hers on the street and took off. I asked the U-Haul person if they could wait one more day, that we would raise the funds owed. He said no chance of that happening.
Tonight Jeanie and all of her belongings are outside. I want to scream. Not at U-Haul. Not at the police. But at who?
Let's raise $750 for a week of hotel stay for Jeanie, giving her some peace of mind just for a bit to help figure things out.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr…
LOVE to you Jeanie, you are a beautiful strong woman!
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!
#JustSayHello #FacingHomelessness #Kindness
gentleSOUL
PLEASE MEET JOHN
John's way is a quiet one. You feel it immediately, slipping into his calmer space. You'll also feel a gentle smile of gratitude for his respectful view of life. He's a really good man.
John grew up in New York, came to Seattle in 1983, worked on oceangoing freighters and tugs for years, has been through the inside passage to Alaska more than 140 times.
Western Pioneer, which has closed down, was his favorite company to work for, was there for about 15 years. Just talking about the memories brought a beautiful smile to his face. Long trips taking cargo north and bringing frozen fish back to Seattle, including spending many Winter Solstices on the polar icecap. You could instantly see a change come over John when sharing about those moments, he said, "You can't believe how beautiful it is up there, the light, the scenery, the wildlife, everything really!"
After years of work, John's ankles gave out, couldn't hold up to the demands. That was 14 years ago, he's been homeless since, living all of that time in his van.
During fruit picking season he heads to Eastern Washington, works as much as he can, saves every penny to make it through the off-season. By living with nothing he's able to stretch the dollars through the year.
One hardship he has is having to move his van every 72 hours to avoid impound. When in Seattle it's the only time he drives, it's the only reason he needs to purchase gas. For everything else, he walks.
John is hoping to head back to Easter Washington for a last pick of the year, he could use gas-money for the trip. We are hoping to raise $200 for him to purchase gas-cards. Please help if you can.
UPDATE: The Paypal link has been pulled in that our goal of raising $200 has been reached with $595.23 donated, wowWOW!! John will be blown away and ever so grateful. THANK YOU to everyone that has reached out with this love and support! No funds go directly to John in the form of cash, all funds will be used for gas-cards for John. As is always the case, no funds go to Facing Homelessness. So much LOVE to you John!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you John for your friendship and your beautiful way in the world, sending a community size LOVE to you.
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
beautifulPERSON
PLEASE MEET DZY
Over the last week I must have heard ten times something about summer being over, comments like, "You can feel the season changing, it's in the air, summer is gone, winter will be here soon." Or simply, "How was your summer?"
For the homeless this is no small thing. It adds a serious layer of complexity to surviving. In the chronically homeless you can feel it, they begin to hunker down, they know what's coming. Wind and rain. Storms that soak everything through and through, including the cold ground. Wet socks are worn for days. Then there is the darkness. People that shared a smile on warmer days, now rush past without saying hello, without looking up. The cold is everywhere.
Dzy is chronically homeless, he lives in a tent but is having a tough time imagining another winter. For the first time I can see he's worried.
I love Dzy, for lots of reasons. He has a warmth in his voice and also in his views of the world around him. He's always kind, even in the middle of his suffering. There are times when I ask him difficult questions and I'll say, "I hope you don't mind me asking?" He'll reply with something like, "No, not at all, I know you love me."
I am making an ask of our community for a beat-up broken down van, one that Dzy can live in through the winter. It just has to be able to move a block or two every 72 hours to avoid impound. I know this would mean the world to him, to have some shelter going into the approaching winter.
A big community size LOVE to you Dzy, you are a beautiful person through and through.
Fremont 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