REST IN PEACE, JAMES:
James lived homeless for over 40 years. The last twenty of those he was full-time at the 520 off-ramp in the Montlake neighborhood. He slept under the concrete ramp at night and begged at the stop-light during the day for his only income. He was hated and loved.
James died July 15, 2021 from complications following a major stroke suffered in November. He was 55 years old.
He was hated for all the reasons people can hate the homeless. He was always dirty with tattered clothes. He smelled. His language was often difficult to understand. At times he was angry and frustrated. His behavior when begging moved from being motionless with his hands cupped out in front of him to other times his arms flailing and head shaking. Some people were afraid of him. All of it fitting neatly the negative stereotype of homelessness.
If that is the James you saw, you missed seeing what a beautiful beautiful man he was.
James was gentle and kind. He laughed easily. He loved people and honored friendships. It’s hard to know how many people lowered their car window to offer something kind to him, and how many of those then turned into friendships. I do know this - if you were able to push through the negative stereotype to see him, you found a man profoundly worth knowing. Despite all his suffering, he stayed positive. He smiled with his whole face and laughed with his whole body. There was a charm to him that left you feeling good and glad you spent time sharing the moment.
James never flew-a-sign when begging. He didn’t because he was illiterate. He dropped out of school around the age of twelve and became homeless at 15. He lived a very different and difficult life with a great deal of suffering. There were times when he was so sick I didn’t think he would recover or winters I didn’t think he would make through. He was a true survivor.
James was helped greatly by the Facing Homelessness community. A wide range of items were donated and brought to him over the years. This included pants, shirts, shoes, coats, hats, sleeping bags, tarps, tents and food gift cards. Lots of food gift cards!
For each of the last six years we would post on the Facing Homelessness FB page when James had a birthday coming up on January 7th. People were asked to send birthday cards, telling him how much he’s loved. It still makes me smile bigBIG for how important this was for him. Cakes were baked and cards poured in from all over the country and around the world. On one of his birthdays James received more than a hundred cards! We would sit with him and read every single one out loud. The words were always beautiful. Sometimes we had to read them again because he was so busy checking to see if any money had been included. When he would find a $5 or $10 he would put it on his forehead, yell out loud, “THANK YOU THANK YOU!!” and then kiss it! For weeks and weeks, sometimes months, after his birthday he would ask, “Did any more cards come in for me?”
Over the years people tried to help James. There were those that wanted to teach him to read, or help find him work. Others waded into the complexity of looking for housing. Kind beautiful people made a big difference for him. In the end though everyone found the barriers he was experiencing to be too overwhelming.
That is until James met Blair Jordan. Blair was a student at the University of Washington in the business school when she lowered her car window and said hello to James. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. She would end up making it her personal mission to get him inside. And she did!
In April of 2020 James moved into the Kerner-Scott House run by DESC. There are no words to describe how beautiful that moment was. James was now sleeping in a bed. James was cooking his own food in his own kitchen. James was showering, shaving, and wearing clean clothes.
When Blair first said hello to James she could not have known she would be changing his life. She also could not have known she would be changing her own life. Blair’s career veered away from business into social work. She got a job doing outreach at DESC and currently works at REACH as a Screening & Outreach Coordinator. She will tell you, “Every day I am motivated to do this work because of James, he changed my life.”
James is survived by his two sisters Becky and Thurnice who live in Texas and a large chosen family of friends here in Seattle. He will be dearly missed by all those that knew him, loved him, and were changed by him. Love you James.
PLEASE JOIN US for a Community Celebration for James on August 17th 6:00 PM at East Montlake Park. Everyone is welcome!!!
This gathering will be held at the last place James lived outside, where he was told he would be moving inside. We are inviting everyone to come and take part in honoring James’ life. Parking will be tight. If you can bus, bike, or walk, please do. Even though it is outside, we are asking everyone to wear a mask. If you can make it, please let us know in the comments of this post. If you would like to share a story or feelings about James at the celebration, or have any questions whatsoever, please email me at rex@block-architects.com.
Montlake 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 gift that is meaningful to you--even a “monthly recurring” donation of just $5 in support of the work. THANK YOU!
#facinghomelessness #justsayhello #windowofkindness #kindness #TheBLOCKProject
findingHOME
PLEASE MEET JAMES:
Many of you who follow this page have known and walked with us alongside James over the past nine years. He is an important and beloved member of this community.
Many of you know James was homeless for over 40 years, that he lived in the Montlake neighborhood under the overpass and was a part of that neighborhood and community. Many of you met him during the years he flew a cardboard sign at the 520 off-ramp. There, he met people in their cars, and so many from this community connected with him through a simple smile and through other support.
Many of you have participated in sending James birthday cards over the years to remind him that no distance or separation will stand between our love for him, and his deep belonging to this community.
2020 was a hard year for so many of us. This has been especially true for James.
In February 2020, James was admitted to the hospital and at the time was still living outside. You may remember this post in which Rex acknowledged the grief and the praise surrounding James’ life living homeless in Seattle. https://www.facebook.com/HomelessInSeattle/posts/2992756594102897. At the time of the post, YOU raised emergency funds to help James when he exited the hospital so he could purchase essential items. THANK YOU! Through it all, James remains resilient, kind, and hopeful, modeling an unparalleled bravery in his character.
In May 2020, James received housing with support from a network of caring individuals, most importantly his friend and advocate Blair Jordan!
https://www.facebook.com/HomelessInSeattle/posts/3223229951055559.
You were there when we CELEBRATED with James and supported this major transition by sending him cards, items for his new home, and expressing your love for him (He never stops talking about the cards). Moving is a huge deal, even more so if you have been living outside in survival mode for 40 years. For everything YOU did to welcome James home, THANK YOU!
In December 2020, James was urgently admitted to the hospital again after suffering a stroke. During his time in the hospital, he contracted COVID-19, and James SURVIVED, again, unwilling to bow to the misfortunate life throws at him.
Day by day, James perseveres in a struggle for life, for housing, and for love. You are part of that wrestling, and as a community we have James’ back. It is time once again to show up for James in all of the beautiful ways this community has over the years. If you don’t know James, we hope you will take a minute to see him and recognize his profound resilience. He has weathered odds that would have brought many to their knees.
James’ birthday was January 7th, just last week, and we once again ask you to celebrate James and remind him of our care by sending him a birthday card. Cards can be sent to Facing Homelessness | 4001 9th Ave NE | Seattle 98105. We will make sure the cards are received by James’ friend Blair who will help him read your beautiful messages. As always, if you want to include $5 or a gift card, please do!
James wants to return to his permanent housing, the home he has created, and not to return to the streets of Seattle. Given the situation with his health, he needs extra support for this to be possible. His case management team and friend Blair are working on connecting James to various resources to support him longer term. In the meantime, we would like to raise $1,000 to help modify his apartment to accommodate a wheelchair, and to provide him with clothing and food.
Funds are used by Facing Homelessness to procure this ask. No funds will go directly to James and no funds go to Facing Homelessness. If there are funds remaining, they will go to another person who is in need.
THANK YOU! With love and deep appreciation,
South Seattle | Barron and Jennifer
UPDATE! Donation link has been taken down because YOU have raised just over $1,050 for James, in such a small time, WOW! This will be a HUGE help and support to James in helping him get the necessities he needs. THANK YOU for all of your generosity and your beautiful comments of love, support, and connection. This is a great example of how big of an impact communities can make when we work together, alongside our unhoused neighbors. SO much love to all of 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!
#facinghomelessness #justsayhello #kindness #yesinmybackyard #theblockproject
