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

taggingTOMORROW

PLEASE MEET ROBYN :

Robyn’s tent sat high on a concrete shelf under a bridge. Near a bulkhead adorned with lichen and green slime. And graffiti tags. It’s a dank place with wide views of Seattle. Expanding across your vision, the city hums. There’s energy, effervescence and affluence. But here the steel beams rumble overhead, dripping dirty water. Streaming off the tents into the mud. It’s a lonely place with strangers and shadows. Darkness’ territory. Robyn never got over being scared out here at night.

Robyn asked with weak anticipation “Any good news?” As I answered, her big eyes lit up. A bed and shelter waited a few blocks away. She clinched her fists and jumped like a school girl. “YES! When can we leave? ” “Right now” I said. “Did you bring my guitar?” she asked. We had been storing it for her. She was packed in 5 minutes. Robyn hates being homeless.

I met Robyn in the Jungle during the summer of 2018. Fast forward a year when Rex profiled her here. She had no plan. No vision for tomorrow. She spoke of her dearly deceased grandmother, and her love for playing guitar. She wanted to get off the streets. But that was last summer. What took so long?

Robyn came to Seattle in 2011. Her grandma’s passing devastated her. She sought a new start after difficult circumstances. The subsequent death of her boyfriend in 2013 hit her hard, unraveling her life incrementally, eventually leading to homelessness. “I lived in the Jungle because I was alone and scared. People looked after me there. My family doesn’t know I’m out here. My grandma would roll over in her grave. Now I’ve seen things I wish I hadn’t seen. I know things I wish I didn’t.”

Robyn’s eyes speak volumes. Sometimes pools of sadness. Sometimes the sun peeks through the clouds. When she’s happy they shine like a National guitar. But they mist up when she speaks of her grandma.

Many roads lead to homelessness. Few lead outbound. And to understand homelessness one must experience it, which I have not. But with homelessness, tomorrow can be a long time. Robyn’s journey has been fraught with failures and false starts. But today there is cause for celebration. “My grandma sends good people my way to help me.” Her vision now includes an apartment, a job, and a dog. Today it’s Robyn’s day. Because tomorrow is her territory. We love you Robyn.

South Seattle 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!
#Kindness #JustSayHellloi #FacingHomelessness