rentTRAP

PLEASE MEET TERRY:

How do we define homelessness?

Is it the tents you see in the in-between spaces? The man with a beard at the freeway off-ramp flying a sign, or the woman sitting in an alley with a blanket wrapped around her?

Yes. And more. LOTS MORE. Homelessness includes the 'un-sheltered" and "sheltered", the 'seen' and 'un-seen'.

Un-sheltered: An individual or family whose primary residence is a public/private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.

Sheltered: An individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangement.

But there is more. LOTS MORE. There's a frightening number of people struggling with rent, an increasing population in a vulnerable process of negotiating how not to be evicted. The stress of living day to day with this is also homelessness.

Terry is 43 yrs old, graduated from Garfield High School. He loves everybody, smiles easily. He loves bowling too! Basically Terry is as nice as the day is long!

He currently works at the Dollar Store, makes up to $1,300 a month when healthy. That's the problem. He has a host of health issues, right now it is his kidneys. He just had a biopsy done, awaiting the results.

Terry rents a 10x12 room, pays $650 a month. Months back he was in a room with no window but the doctor wrote a note, saying he needed one due to his asthma. The landlord moved him to a room with a window.

Terry is behind in his rent, several months. He is stressed out to the maximum. Hoping we can help him cover one month.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4H6D4BYWCQ9QU&source=url

TRUTH: It's not right that so many among us are spending their life energy just trying to find stable housing.

White Center 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

thankYOU

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU to the 386 people that donated a total of $175,501.00, making our 2020 work possible, wowWOW!!
THANK YOU for supporting and seeing the beauty of person in the over 12K homeless in King County, over 8K in Seattle!
THANK YOU to every person that is outside struggling for the courage and kindness you show us daily!
THANK YOU for believing in Facing Homelessness and the core-beliefs we hold essential to our mission!
THANK YOU for all the very kind comments during this fundraiser! I hope you know how important they are to us.
THANK YOU for believing in Seattle even when other voices cry out that Seattle is Dying!
THANK YOU to the Facing Homelessness staff and board who believe in ending homelessness with their whole hearts!
THANK YOU to everyone that steps out of their comfort zone to 'Just Say Hello' to those struggling!
THANK YOU to the endless stream of people that go about their day sharing kindness, acts that often go unseen!
THANK YOU to all the volunteers that breathe beautiful life into our programs and make possible our successes!
THANK YOU to all those that provide care to those suffering from mental health issues, your work is beyond beautiful!
THANK YOU to all those that have met asks for those in need over the years on this page, answering with $300K donated.
THANK YOU to the Host Families of the BLOCK Project, you all are showing us the true meaning of putting others first!

The list of reasons to say THANK YOU is long and our feelings of GRATITUDE so very deep. Maybe most important to us, on a daily basis, is your believing in the work we do.

Your believing sends a message of LOVE and HOPE to all those suffering, there is nothing more important.

THANK YOU from the Facing Homelessness staff & board!!!

somethingBEAUTIFUL

DO YOU WANT TO HEAR SOMETHING VERY BEAUTIFUL?:

ONE LAST PUSH to reach our FUNDRAISING GOAL of $175,000.00 for our 2020 Budget!

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

The painted sign behind the Facing Homelessness staff reads, "Do you want to hear something very beautiful?"

Every single day in the Facing Homelessness office this question has us smiling. It is a smile of deep gratitude for all the beauty we get to experience in each person that we are coming into relationship with.

A beauty that comes from genuine kindness offered freely by those struggling outside and those comfortable inside wanting to connect and make a difference.

Today we answer the question, "Do you want to hear something very beautiful?", by letting you know that it is YOU. You are what is so beautiful! You have made this journey possible with the support and love you give. You are creating the change we all want to see!

THANK YOU so veryVERY MUCH!!

Our last ask for this END OF YEAR FUNDRAISER is to raise the final $25K. If we do this, we reach our goal and are ready for another year of creating profound positive change in our community for everyone, wowWOW!!!

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

A heartfelt community size THANK YOU from all of us at the Facing Homelessness staff and board!!!

endHOMELESSNESS

TOGETHER WE CAN AND MUST END HOMELESSNESS:

On day 7 of our week long fundraiser we share a coreBELIEF that makes this all possible.

"TOGETHER we can and must end homelessness."

We begin by seeing that this is not just a homelessness crisis but also a community crisis. When we say homelessness crisis we talk about those people over there, but when we talk about a community crisis, we must include ourselves.

"TOGETHER we can and must end homelessness."

This Facebook page has been sharing the beauty of our neighbors on the streets for over 9 years now. With sensitivity, trust, and love there have been countless exchanges of empathy, tears, laughter, growth and friendship.

With all of you we are building the foundation for ending homelessness, one relationship at a time.

During that time every single ASK made for those in need has been met by YOU. Take a moment to realize how beautiful that is. Each time a person in crisis has reached out you have been there with nearly $300K donated in funds to meet specific needs. Also, countless items that include tents, tarps, clothing, musical instruments and more have been donated and delivered to our office and then given lovingly to the person that asked for it.

The tears of joy and hope created within those you have helped is beyond measure. It is a big deal what all you have done to help the most vulnerable in our community.

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

If you are reading this please donate. It is that simple. We need you now to help us continue the work of this page, of our 'Just Say Hello' campaign, the 'Window of Kindness', the 'Community CleanUPs', and the 'BLOCK Project!'

Take a moment if you will to read back through the posts of the previous six days and ask if this is something you want more of in your community.

PEACE and THANK YOU from the Facing Homelessness staff and board.

comeCLOSER

THE CLOSER YOU COME THE MORE YOU FEEL, AND THE MORE YOU FEEL, THE MORE YOU ACT:

Today we share a sixth coreBELIEF. One that is a call to our higher and better self in the face of suffering.

"The closer you come to those in need the more you FEEL, and the more you feel, the more you ACT."

When we view homelessness from across the street our questions are from the head. We look for understanding and meaning through information. "Why does he have all that garbage?" or,"Does he use drugs?" Maybe the most important, "Am I safe."

But when we cross the street to come closer our questions evolve. They begin to include the heart. "Are you okay?", "Can I ask what your name is?" Maybe the most important, "Can I be of some service to you?"

In these moments, of coming closer to each other, we find meaning in the human connection. We learn to believe that the closer we come, the more we feel, and the more we feel, the more we act on our higher and better self.

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

This is Ronnie, he's lived homelessness in Ballard nearly his entire life. I can not even begin to list the amount of pain he has endured, a list that includes his 20 year daughter being killed in a head-on-collision on I-5 by a drunk driver. It took Ronnie two years before he could say her name.

Every person experiencing homelessness is suffering. We won't know that until we come closer to feel it. This is what we humans are meant to do for each other.

THANK YOU from the Facing Homelessness staff and board.

*Right now we have a $75K matching donation, please donate now and double your dollars!!!

allBEAUTIFUL

WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL:

Today we share a fifth coreBELIEF. One that reminds us in the face of homelessness to always see the person.

"We are all BEAUTIFUL"

Every single human being is born beautiful and remains so their entire life. But stuff happens to each of us. Often early on. Layers of this stuff build up. Layers of joy, love, fulfillment, purpose but also hurt, anxiety, fear, separation and more. We become complex quickly with all our layers.

And then we are asked to live together.

Let's be honest. With our differing layers, it is not easy. And maybe it's not supposed to be easy. Maybe that is what makes it so worthwhile, so important. This meaningful journey of coming together begins by believing we all are BEAUTIFUL.

This is Randy Woman Dress Bill, of the Lakota Sioux Nation. He was born beautiful and remains beautiful to this very day. Like all of us, Randy has many layers, one of which includes homelessness. But if that is the only layer you see, you will have missed how incredible this man is.

"We are all BEAUTIFUL."

If you believe in the beauty of our multi-layered complexities and differences, and that these layers are what make us a vibrant community, then please support the work of Facing Homelessness. Because we believe this!!

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

THANK YOU from the Facing Homelessness staff and board!

*Right now we have a $75K matching donation, please donate now and double your dollars!!!

toSUFFER

NOBODY CHOOSES TO SUFFER:

Today we share a fourth coreBELIEF. One that challenges the negative stereotype that people choose to be homeless.

"Nobody chooses to suffer."

Nobody chooses to suffer, nobody chooses to be cold, alone, sick, hungry or invisible. This is what homelessness is and clearly nobody chooses that.

In every nano-second of every day we humans make choices one after the other. All of them are what we believe to be the best for us in that moment. Every single person does this, homed or homeless. Blue shirt or red shirt today, coffee or juice, workout or relax, it is non-stop.

When life is good, the options are endless. For those struggling the options simply don't exist. A 16 yr old being sexually abused at home. Homelessness is not a choice, it is survival.

When a friend is struggling we ask, "What's wrong, are you okay, can I do something to help?" Why is it so difficult to extend this same compassion to the homeless? Do we think they don't hurt, or they deserve this suffering?

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

James has been homeless since he was 15, he's now 54 years old trying to survive. Living illiterate and begging on the streets is all he knows.

ASK Blair Jordan, a young woman that befriended James, what she knows. She knows James is kind and funny. She knows too that he is struggling horribly. Blair knows these things because she has become his friend.

This is the work of Facing Homelessness. To bring everyone into friendship with each other so that we can be there for one another, whether laughing or crying. We need each other.

THANK YOU from the Facing Homelessness staff and board!

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387
*Right now we have a $75K matching donation, please donate now and double your dollars!!!

bigNEWS

UPDATE:

We have some serious bigBIG NEWS!

An anonymous donor generously offered to MATCH the next $75,000 donated during this campaign! wowWOW!!

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

We've already raised $25,000, and WE NEED YOU to help us raise the next $75K to unlock this matching gift. If you have already contributed, THANK YOU! If you're still waiting to give, please make it happen today!

What this all comes down to is asking YOU to get involved.

Yes we need your funds to help us continue this work, but we need more, we need YOU. We need you to pledge that today is the day you are going to join the effort to end the suffering in our city. Today is the day that you begin to use your voice to speak up for those in need and less privileged.

Please share our ASK and your PLEDGE of speaking up for those in need. Share this with your circle of friends and family on Facebook, at the coffee shop and yes, even in the elevator! We can do this, but only together!

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

Wondering how a matching gift works? Our matching donor believes in Facing Homelessness, and wants to support the work we do while also encouraging others to give. They've made a very generous commitment to give, if you do too.

Let's create the needed HOPE, right here, right now for those suffering through homelessness and for those that are held captive watching it unfold.

THANK YOU from the Facing Homelessness staff and board!

allNEIGHBORS

WE ARE ALL NEIGHBORS:

Today we share a third coreBELIEF that informs our work and inspires the culture of KINDNESS and JOY that is the Facing Homelessness community.

"We are all neighbors."

If we are to end homelessness we must bring those in need closer to us rather than push them away. We must see the person rather than be overwhelmed by the issue.

When we build relationships the barriers of fear come down, trust is built, and hope found. And hope is everything for those that have nothing.

This is what we can do for each other.

We know this because this is what our BLOCK Project is doing for neighborhoods across our city. This sustainable solution is bringing people closer and providing opportunities for everyone to be a good neighbor!

Bobby is 76 years old, First Nation Cree. He lived for ten years on the streets of Seattle but now lives in his own BLOCK Home with a kitchen, bath, bed, covered porch and a garden, all in Kim & Dan's backyard on Beacon Hill. He's lived there for over two years now. Their lives and so many others involved in the BLOCK Project have profoundly changed because of these new beautiful friendships!

We now have (9) BLOCK Homes built and placed in Seattle backyards and we are just getting started! By taking part in this fundraiser you are confirming our coreBELIEF that we are all neighbors and that together we can do anything!

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

Kim shared, "We gave up a little piece of our backyard and received a whole new world in return." Not a bad trade!

If you believe in the work Facing Homelessness is doing with the 'BLOCK Project', our 'Window of Kindness', the 'Just Say Hello' campaign, and the 'Community CleanUPs', then please support us in this daily journey of KINDNESS and JOY!

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

THANK YOU from the Facing Homelessness staff and board!

whereyouLIVE

WHERE YOU LIVE DOES NOT DEFINE WHO YOU ARE:

Our goal for the first day of our fuundraiser was to raise $20K and WE DID IT with $23,211.00 donated, wowWOW!! A heartfelt thank you to everyone that reached out in support. WE LOVE YOU!!!

We still have a long way to go.

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

To begin our second day of the fundraiser, we want to share another coreBELIEF we hold important to our work, one that reminds us daily to meet people where they are at, to come openly to each person without judgment.

"Where you live does not define who you are."

Our friend Dzy has lived in the Ballard, Fremont and Wallingford neighborhoods for years. Most of that time he's spent surviving nights in a tent and days playing guitar for folks on the sidewalk, busking for what little he lives on.

It would be easy to pass judgment on Dzy. To see him come out of a tent and say to yourself, or out loud, "Get a job."

But come closer. Spend time with Dzy. You'll learn he not only is a phenomenal musician, but that he is funny, and kind, and good, and someone you become grateful to know.

I am not pointing fingers, I would have to point them at myself first, but damn it, all the judging needs to stop. We must open ourselves to see the beauty that exists in everyone.

"Where you live does not define who you are."

By the end of the day today, to stay on track for reaching a goal of $175K donated in 7-days, we need to raise at least another $15,000.00. Please help us.

https://www.classy.org/campaign/2019-end-of-year-campaign-or-facing-homelessness/c256387

I know we can do it. For almost 10 years this community has met every single ASK on this page for those in need. YES, every single ASK! That is honestly unbelievable to me and gives me hope that this same community will reach out to help us continue this work.

THANK YOU from the Facing Homelessness staff and board!

www.facinghomelessness.org

whenLOVED

WE ALL LIVE BETTER WHEN WE FEEL LOVED:

IF over the last 9 1/2 years you've read a story on this page, one of over 2,500 shared, and it motivated you to come closer with understanding and compassion, then please take this moment to support our work. We need you now.

give.classy.org/fh2019

The truth is that ending homelessness needs everyone. And right now, during our one-time-annual-ASK, we need you to help us continue the work.

Our work is grounded in our coreBELIEFS, which we will be sharing with you over the next seven days. The first belief, the one that informs every story we share and every action we take is:

"We all live better when we feel LOVED."

It is the foundation of our 'Just Say Hello' campaign, our 'Window of Kindness', our Community CleanUPs, and our BLOCK Project!

David and Rondine are friends, they are both homeless. Rondine had just finished telling us that her life was falling apart, she was sobbing uncontrollably. Her usual strong confident self seemed shattered. David gently told her how amazing she is, how brave, how good of a person she is. His words calmed her, his hug reassured her. She felt loved.

"We all live better when we feel LOVED."

Facing Homelessness believes when we come close enough to listen to each other, we can better love each other, and in the process better understand how to be of service.

We are asking to raise $175,000.00 to continue making possible the impact we are bringing to our neighborhoods, for both the homeless and the homed!

give.classy.org/fh2019

We have a GOAL of raising $20,000 today, please help us get off to a bigBEAUTIFUL start on this GIVINGtuesday!!!

THANK YOU from the Facing Homelessness staff and board!

www.facinghomelessness.org

commonGROUND

MEET THE SWEEPS:

THANKSGIVING is a day dedicated to giving thanks. We spend time with family and friends, grateful to be among those we love and those that love us. Life is GOOD!

How about we follow with a day of REACHING-OUT. A day of calling that friend you had a falling out with or a family member you haven't talk to in two years. How about we all make the call that is most difficult for us, putting judgment and hurt aside and give openness and LOVE.

IMAGINE a community spending time listening, loving and ultimately healing. This begins with each of us reaching-out. Facing Homelessness believes we heal community and end homelessness one relationship at a time. We can do this!

So let's talk about City of Seattle SWEEPS.

Let's begin by reaching-out to find common ground. Let's hold these two thoughts: 1.) Sweeps are traumatic for those being swept, and, 2.) Homelessness is traumatic for those with a business or a residence when it comes to bear at their doorstep. These are both truths.

Even though we can agree with both individually we spend much of our time polarized into one of the two camps they represent. We have turned the sweep conversation into 'Should they stay or should they go?'

This means we have not evolved the conversation. The discussion has been reduced to one devoid of creativity and compassion for the homeless, producing cruel and wasteful solutions such as sweeps, fencing, hostile architecture, lack of garbage service, lack of bathroom facilities, and more.

We have also abandoned our business community and certain neighborhoods to take the brunt of a societal breakdown. This is simply not fair. Homelessness should be addressed by all of us, not just the few where it shows up. For those that have received this burden, solutions offered have also been devoid of creativity and compassion, producing hardships across the board for so many.

We must reach-out to each other. We must begin by having all voices at the table. Specifically the voices that have been and are being traumatized on both sides. All as equal voices. We lean into the harder work of an equitable solution by knowing we will need to give to get, finding deeper solutions that answer to both. Anything less just continues the trauma.

Our turn to be homeless could be around the corner, or someone homeless could come to our doorstep. The time to reach-out and have the difficult conversation is now. We must acknowledge that we are all connected, we are all one. Let's get busy finding our common ground.

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!
#Kindness #JustSayHello #FacingHomelessness Crosscut