newNORMAL

PLEASE MEET OUR COMMUNITY: 

In these times of social-distancing the needs of those experiencing homelessness do not simply go away. In fact, quite the opposite, the needs increase.

Many of the thin bridges that provide essential services have vanished over night. This is were each of us come in with our creative compassionate solutions to help build new bridges.

Take a moment to brainstorm on how you, with your talents and resources, can get involved to make a difference. That is what Egan Orion has done with his 'Food Is Love Project!'

https://www.finding-common-ground.org/foodislove

Egan and friends are feeding people MWF. This last Monday they arranged for Terra Plata to donate (15) cups of soup and Dick's to donate (24) cheeseburgers and chips. Damian and I were asked to pick them up and deliver to those outside, which was easyPEAZY!!

All the food was handed out, keeping 6'-0" away, to an incredibly grateful group of people living in tents under Interstate-5 in the SODO neighborhood, wowWOW!!

A very special THANKS to Terra Planta for the donated soup and to Dick's, whose cheeseburgers I've been eating since I was a little boy, for the burgers and chips!

LOVE to everyone for finding their own creative compassion!

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 KING 5 Dick's Drive In Restaurant Terra Plata Damian Monda Egan Orion

aleutianLIGHT

PLEASE MEET SHERYL:

Exploring homelessness inevitably leads to pondering solutions. In conversations and thought processes. It’s the normal progression. But constraints and ideas get quickly tangled in tedious frustration.

Kind of like social long division. Answers are elusive as a seemingly infinite solution domain abuts the empty set.

Tired common denominators stagnate beneath an endless sequence of irrational numerators. Each quotient being as unique as a human soul. But only by engaging the souls do we begin to abate the confusion and complexity. And learn reasons, if not solutions.

Sheryl lives in a small tent in the woods with her dog Two Paws. I didn’t know her. “I’m an open book,” She said. “I have no secrets.” Her stories are choreographed with structure and sequence, peppered with humor and blunt honesty. Echoing ancient influences. This woman has soul.

Sheryl is a descendant of the Northern Aleut tribe. Her people inhabited the Aleutian Islands in the Bering Sea for thousands of years. She speaks of traditions from her native heritage and Russian Orthodox upbringing. “In the ocean we fished and hunted seals, ducks, sea lion, and octopus. From the cliffs we gathered sea gull eggs. In the mountains we hunted Ptarmigan. We ate salmon eggs, sea urchins and fermented seal flippers.” Her favorite food? Her eyes widened, “Octopus with seal oil and salt!”

In sixth grade Sheryl helped organize the Native Olympics in her small town. She participated, excelling at events like the Seal Hop, Kneel Jump, One Armed Reach and others. “I almost won the women’s One Foot High Kick.” This entailed kicking a 92 inch high suspended seal fur ball and landing on her feet. In the winter Sheryl enjoyed church traditions including “Staring” where the community walked from house to house carrying a large star, bringing food to needy neighbors and singing traditional songs.

Sheryl is 51 now. She was married for 34 years and worked front desk jobs. She loves people and animals. She has struggled with drugs and alcohol since childhood. She was clean and sober for 5 years, but the death of a close friend and subsequent divorce left her challenged, homeless, and back to alcohol and substance abuse. She makes no excuses. She clearly states her personal solution in simple terms, free of complexities or confusion, “I need to pull my head out of my ass and get on with my life.”

Getting to know Sheryl, you see though the eyes of an old soul. Stitching yesterday to today. Her dark eyes offer light, and speak to insights engrained from ancestors and experience. Ushering an honest and direct path into a beautiful soul.

SODO Neighborhood | Damian

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