heavyHEARTS

Our hearts are heavy.

While we are witnessing the beginning of a war that will likely kill, displace and make so many Ukrainian citizens homeless, we also woke up to new devastating news for some of our most vulnerable youth and Americans this week.

Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas issued a directive that criminalized gender-affirming medicine and support for trans and nonbinary youth. Health care workers, teachers, social workers and other Texans have been tasked with the cruel job of reporting trans and non binary youth to Child Protective Services so that their parents can be investigated for child abuse.

When we talk about systemic causes of homelessness, this is what we mean. Laws that make people unsafe in their homes and communities, and that will require loving parents to deny their children the opportunity to become their full selves and access their full potential, are not laws that protect people. They will undoubtedly lead to more trans and nonbinary youth, already disproportionately impacted by homelessness and violence, fleeing home and likely ending up with reduced support networks and resources.

As an organization that aims to end homelessness and celebrates the beauty of each individual no matter their gender, race, sexuality, country of origin, or housing status, we cannot stand silently by when we witness state level actions that will cause more people to deteriorate in their mental health, their family and community ties and ultimately in their housing stability.

If you are outraged as well or want to learn more, please consider looking into and making donations to the following causes:

https://txtranshealth.org/

https://www.transtexas.org/

https://allgo.org/

https://thriveyouthcenter.org/

University District Neighborhood| Phoebe

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 #windowofkindness #TheBLOCKProject #kindness

communityIMPACT

THANK YOU!

In March we shared with this community that one of the ways we welcome Residents to their new BLOCK Homes is with Welcome Home Kits, and asked you to take part in helping us fund this endeavor. And youDID!

Thanks to your generosity, we have been able to provide each new BLOCK Resident with many basic necessities that are usually hidden costs of settling into a new home. With these funds the items that come in each kit are customized to the needs of each Resident who moves in, so no unnecessary items are ordered or go unused. The kits contain a full set of curtains, bathroom and cleaning supplies, pots and pans for cooking, a full cutlery and plate set for dinners at home, and a mattress and sheet set for sound nights of sleep and sponges, laundry hampers, and shampoo.

We have all experienced how daunting a big move can be and how important it is to have the support of our community. Welcome Home Kits help ease the transition of those first few weeks settling into a new home, so that when a BLOCK Resident steps inside after a long day, they feel the gentle squeeze of love from this community, welcoming them back to their home again and again and again.

With gratitude,

Liana, Angie, Phoebe (BLOCK Project Wellness Team)

P.S. If you'd like to get involved with the creation of future Welcome Home Kits, please reach out to Phoebe (phoebe@facinghomelessness.org) and/or you can keep up to date with our Volunteer Hub page where opportunities to volunteer at a WHK set up event are offered as new Homes are completed!

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!
#justsayhello #facinghomelessness #TheBLOCKProject #kindness #windowofkindness

createCONNECTION

createCONNECTION:

“In a world where we’re increasingly polarized, reactive, and can feel unsafe, the BLOCK Project provides physical, mental, and emotional space and support to nurture and navigate relationships and build community.” Roselle, BLOCK Project Companion

As participants of the Companionship program for over a year, Roselle and Peter (a BLOCK resident) have worked closely with Facing Homelessness’ staff and, most importantly, have built a strong companion relationship with each other.

“From the beginning, I’ve felt that my companionship with Peter was part of and supported by a larger community. Getting to know Peter and other members of the BLOCK Project community helps me remember how complicated, vulnerable, valuable, and important each of us are,” says Roselle.

In Peter’s own words, “Through my conversations with Roselle, I’ve come to learn and appreciate different aspects of another generation, how their experiences and unique challenges helped shape them, and found that any perceived gaps between us are much smaller than they appear.”

A companion relationship can look like many things. Grounded in mutuality and founded in the belief that companions walk alongside one another, meeting each other where each is at in their own journey, Companionship is a way for people to connect without judgement or agenda. For some, it is a weekly brunch outing, or a walk near Greenlake, friendly and light, fun. For others, especially during the time of COVID, it has been consistent and lively Zoom calls, spiced up by deep conversations and a willingness to learn.

Roselle shares that “Each Zoom call is an adventure with Peter—his enthusiasm and curiosity are infectious. In our weekly conversations, I’m regularly fascinated by how deeply he dives into topics ranging from his stint working for an air taxi company in Alaska to explaining the implications of the “right to repair” to me.”

Companion relationships, though initially fostered by Facing Homelessness through the connection of two individuals, are free to blossom naturally as the companion pair form their own organic and authentic connection. According to Peter, the Companionship Program “seeks to restore balance and build trust” and has even “helped facilitate one of my most rewarding friendships.”

Facing Homelessness recognizes that all relationships work differently, that all develop at their own pace, and that each is a worthy endeavor to explore further. If you are interested in becoming a companion with a BLOCK Resident and joining us in our goal to createCONNECTION, we welcome you with open arms and an untapped relationship waiting to become what you make it. And a huge thank you to everyone participating in the Companionship program for leaning in and honoring each other’s journeys.

Liana, Angie, and Phoebe

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!
#justsayhello #facinghomelessness #TheBLOCKProject #kindness #windowofkindness

thankYOU

THANK YOU!
Just over a week ago we wrapped up GiveBIG 2021 and with BIG BIG BIG thanks to 112 extremely generous Facing Homelessness donors we raised over $13,589!

We've said it before and we'll say it again, this community makes all we do at Facing Homelessness possible. When we set a goal, you say YES and push us over the finish line and beyond. Together we are building the world we want to live in. One BLOCK Home, one Window of Kindness shift, one conversation or smile at a time. Thank you.

The Facing Homelessness team| University District Neighborhood
Jennifer, Berns, Phoebe, Karina, Tomasz, Lisa, Ariel and Caroline

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!
#justsayhello #facinghomelessness #kindness #TheBLOCKProject

makingHOMES

makingHOMES:

“We did it!” It’s easy to look around after completing a new BLOCK Home and take pride in our accomplishment, particularly now that BLOCK Homes are built entirely by community volunteers. Smiles are exchanged, tools are stowed away, and there is an awareness that, soon, one more person will no longer live unsheltered in Seattle. We feel JOY in having built this home with little more than the simple decision made by regular people to do so.

After construction, the next crucial step is required, and that step is taken collectively through the Facing Homelessness network of love. That’s where we invite you in.

Care is shown in the little things--hand towels, a natural soap, privacy curtains, a mug to drink something warm from. These details and provisions, and the care behind them, demonstrate our love for new friends moving into BLOCK Homes. Throughout the trials of COVID-19, and all that life has brought this last year, hosts are still saying “Yes, in my backyard.” We are on track to build at least five new homes in backyards across Seattle--from West Seattle, to Ballard, to Mount Baker. Within these five homes are countless connections, opportunities to care, to come closer, and to be part of the solution.

In order to prepare a BLOCK Home for a new resident, or possibly a mother and infant, we provide “Welcome Home Kits” upon move in. Guided by our resident’s needs, these kits include custom made curtains, sheets, towels, and privacy dividers. We make sure our residents have the pots, pans, and utensils they need to cook a hot meal, and the plates and bowls to eat it with. Through the provisions of Welcome Home Kits, new residents can focus on settling in, enjoying privacy, and continuing their work of healing from the traumas of homelessness.

Each full Welcome Home Kit costs $1,000. Due to the very specific sizing and needs of the BLOCK homes, we cannot accept in kind donations at this time, so please donate through the Paypal link, or send a check with “Welcome Home Kit” in the memo line, and we’ll take it from there. Every gift helps transform houses into HOMES. Our goal is to raise $5,000 for 5 BLOCK Homes. As always, together we are Facing Homelessness.

Welcome Home Kit: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=K928P352YVBF6

No funds will go to Facing Homelessness. Any funds in excess of $5,000 will remain in the Welcome Home Kit fund for future Welcome Home Kits.

Crown Hill Neighborhood | Phoebe, Barron, and Sue

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 #kindness #yesinmybackyard #theblockproject