On Wednesday, June 29, more than a dozen Seattle media outlets, including the region’s largest newspaper and television news outlets, will come together to initiate discussions about homelessness. The goal is to look at the possible causes of and solutions to homelessness. Inspired by a similar event in San Francisco, the event entitled “Homeless in Seattle” will be an entire day when more than 70 news outlets will shine the spotlight on homelessness. The day of events is sponsored by Real Change, Operation Jungle Defense, Love Wins Love and Call of Compassion NW.
Anyone can contribute to the discussion using the hashtag #SeaHomeless.
June 29, 2016 1-8 p.m.
1-5:30 p.m., Seattle City Hall Plaza, 600 4th Avenue Real Change and Operation Jungle Defense are offering the megaphone to people who are most impacted by lack of affordable housing – people who are currently or formerly homeless, living in the Jungle, under bridges, in shelters, vehicles, abandoned buildings, or tent cities.
5:30 p.m., Processional from City Hall to Occidental Park, the historic heart of Skid Road, the district where people without shelter lived before the word homelessness existed. Participants will bring hundreds of colorful, community-made prayer flags. Recently this park has been “activated” by the city with foosball, ping-pong, a children’s play area, public art, and an outdoor library, making it a model of cross-class shared space.
6-8 p.m., Occidental Park,117 S Washington Street Everyone is invited to join in painting prayer flags and be part of the conversation. 4,505 total flags are being created to honor the 4,505 people found outside in King County during the One-Night Count on January 29, 2016. Strings of flags have already been placed at shelters and tent encampments around the city. The co-founder of Conversation Cafe will be hosting conversations.
EVENTS SCHEDULE: Wednesday, June 29, 2016
1-5:30 Rally: City Hall Plaza (4th Avenue). Advocates and people currently and formerly experiencing homelessness speak out!
2pm Council Chambers: Advocates testify at Seattle and King County Council joint meeting on human services
5:30 Procession: From City Hall Plaza to Occidental Park, carrying hundreds of colorful prayer flags.
6-8pm Public art + Conversations: Occidental Park — Making prayer flags to honor the people in our community who are unsheltered while discussing real solutions.
Real Change
Real Change Newspaper and Homeless Empowerment Project was founded in 1994. A professional news staff prepares a weekly 12-page paper focusing on economic, social & racial justice, through the lens of the homeless person. Vendors purchase the paper for $.60 an issue and sell it for $2.00, keeping the profit. Approximately 300 active vendors purchase 20 or more papers in a month. Real Change’s first issue in 1994 covered “sweeps” of the Jungle, and has been active in opposition to the forced relocation of Seattle tent dwellers for decades. main.realchangenews.org, Facebook Real Change Homeless Empowerment Project, @RealChangeNews
Operation Jungle Defense
Operation Jungle Defense is a coalition of activists, largely unhoused and living in the greenbelt areas along I-5 known as the Jungle. Started in 2012 to defend a homeless veteran from a city sweep. The purpose of the group is to educate the general public and influence public policy to stop harassment and mischaracterization of the Jungle, while working together to help members exit to housing. They meet Mondays at 10am at Peter’s Place. operationjungledefense.webs.com, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FIGHTINGFORTHEHOMELESSINTHEJUNGLE/#
Love Wins Love
Love Wins Love is an art collective that believes that housing is a human right. We host art-making events to build community and tap into the creativity and wisdom of people who are unhoused and housed. The purpose of these gatherings is to generate ideas for creating low-cost housing options while making prayer flags to beautify existing tent encampments and shelters. Our intention is to hone community-sourced ideas into a blueprint for generating housing solutions for real people that emphasize community and sustainability. Visit us on Facebook at Love Wins Love.
Call of Compassion NW
Call of Compassion NW is a resource for compassionate action at the grassroots in our region. When we engage the underserved in our neighborhoods and communities, the Call of Compassion NW Network will be there to help by:
- Bringing people together for conversation and to get to know one another.
- Facilitating dialogue and developing relationships of trust.
- Shaping goals that address the issues and incorporate community assets in the solutions.
- Managing project teams that are accountable to achieve sustainable outcomes.
Together we collaborate to build Beloved Communities! www.callofcompassion.org
