Minutes - Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness Provider Meeting – August 2nd, 2019

 

Welcome

·         James Pogue, Comprehensive Life Resource

·         City of Destiny Award – take it to your office and snap some photos – it’s been to a few agencies

·         https://www.pchomeless.org/ - info on the groups that attend – agendas, see who has come, past presentation, access to our listserv.  Make sure to sign up for our listserv.  If a client has a job but not the boots they need, the listserv is a great resource.  

·         https://www.piercecountyresources.com/ - resource database – please share that and use it.  The goal is to make it as big of a network as possible. 

·         We need a group of folks to manage the resource database – we created it but it has been quiet since

 

 

Racial Equity Committee

·         Larry Seaquist – larryseaquist@gmail.com

·         While I am part of the League of Women Voters, I am doing this equity work in my capacity as me (we’ll get you some hats you can swap on and off so we know when you’re a League member and when you’re just you. –ed)

·         I was bothered that racial equity committee leadership was blank. (I was bothered too, but I didn’t do anything about it – Yay Larry. –ed)  Then I’d go listen to the racial insanity on the TV from our political leaders – I couldn’t just sit there. (I occasionally listen in to a bit of CNN or Fox News – I can’t take it too much, but they impact the world around us, so I try.  A few weeks ago, I stumbled onto my absolute favorite moment of Fox News ever – a Tucker Carlson rant against the metric system. Instead of a typical rail against Congresswoman Omar for not being a grateful enough immigrant – or whatever the racist talking point du jour happens to be - he lit into the liter and the kilometer, apparently a festering pet peeve of his.  His vitriolic style is just what you’d expect, but how nice for it to be directed at something fairly benign that has pretty much already been settled – mostly in favor of the metric system, of course.  Anyway, if you’re looking for a laugh, take a gander at the video - https://www.mediamatters.org/embed/223874  I kept waiting for them to say “April Fools” at the end, but they didn’t. I’m not sure why, but I could watch this all day. It is like the writer put it out as a bit of satire, and the producers at fox didn’t realize it and just ran with it. -ed)  

·         We have an enormous racial inequity in homelessness – with African American and Latinx and Native Americans.

·         How can we attack this - what would be our practical goals. 

·         I’d suggest we take a lesson from the eviction committee – who went after the laws and rule that enabled evictions.  Try to think through the bureaucratically about things in our society that impact homelessness. Come up with practical things, and

·         We’ll meet a few minute before or after the meetings to meet. 

 

The Peace Bus - https://www.thepeacebus.org/ (I accidently called this the Peace Van – totally not a peace van. –ed).

·         Kwabi Amoah-Forson, Comprehensive Life Resources and the Peace Bus - kaforson@cmhshare.org

·         This was a tough morning, as I’m not used to getting up so early.

·         The Genesis – in 2017, I was in grad school for business and working at Comprehensive Life Resources.  I felt I needed to serve my community.  I felt empty – I wasn’t doing anything tangible to help my community.  What can I do?  I love the peace movement – Martin Luther King Jr – that is my guy.  Gandhi – that is my guy.  They did great work – but currently, who is working in the peace movement?  Brian Haw is my current model (read about them at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Haw -ed).  He camped outside Parliament Square in London for 11 years to promote peace and draw attention to activities.  He died in his peace Camp in 2011.  I thought, the least I can do is go to Wright Park once a week.  I bought a table and a little tent – started in February of 2017.  I had a megaphone and did speeches from Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi – and met people and talked.  At one point, I got attached by a random person – he kicked my table over, although he didn’t strike me.  A woman living in the park came by and put themselves in the middle.  I was calm, and he calmed down, and ran off into the night – except it was during the day..

·         Then, I came back, but was a bit paranoid – so I went to other parks.  I had some posters and walked the streets of San Francisco and had conversations about peace. I came back to Washington.  A friend in Europe said I should come and do the same thing there.  So I did.  When I got back to Washington, a producer friend suggested a film – but I said no.  He said you’re entertaining enough and he talked me into it, and we made some interviews.  We did that for a while.  I’m always researching – about things that are positive in the world.  The media gives us negativity – but there are good things.  Peace Now Plane – flew from Tel  Aviv to Egypt for goodwill between Arabs and Jews.  I was inspired by that and took some flight lessons.  I thought I’d be the first person to fly around the world to promote peace.  Turns out flight lessons are very expensive.  So I stared with a Bus idea – but VW buses are a – settled for the Mitsubishi .  I bought it as a symbol of peace – had the Peace Bus painted on the side and painted blue, and started with the idea of “Local Humanitarian Aid”. I wanted to put supplies that people on the streets or who are destitute need.  The plan is that it will be like Uber for people on the streets.  We did a sock drive – bought like 500 from Costco – good socks – we wanted to give the best.  We never film the giving – we don’t film us giving – that is messed up, to say the least.  It took about a month – went to various areas of Tacoma giving socks.  That was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in my life – but that was pretty small.  I thought to myself, we have the peace bus, but we all can be a peace bus.  I don’t know how to implement this – but what if we created a culture of peace that involves giving?  What if every family in Tacoma budgeted for homeless care packages – so they would have a few socks, a lunchable or two, something to help folks out.  I see people and am reminded to go donate at the food bank – but would like something right there to give them in the moment. 

·         We are taking the peace bus from Tacoma to border of Mexico.  We’ll stop in major cities and interview people on what peace is, and give out socks and blankets on the way. 

·         We are leaving in a couple days. (that was a month ago at this writing, they’ve gone and come back since.  Their website - https://www.thepeacebus.org/  - has lots of info on the trip, including an actual photo with the entire Golden Gate Bridge.  I think the last time it wasn’t cloaked in fog for the entirety of my visit was back in 1998. Lucky guy. –ed) 

·         At the border, we’ll try to get the folks who work at the border and those more directly affected by border policy to have conversations about our commonalities and understand to reach other holistically.  The bus is a symbolic gesture of humanity.

·         Will produce the podcast on the bus. 

·         Showed a video on Oreo eating.  Introducing kids to peace and sharing.  Having conversations with these kids about having a more peaceful life.  I asked the youth Elijah what you can do to be more united – he said give what you have to others in need.  Our goal is to show the message in an entertaining fashion.

·         We will go from Petaluma to meet Michael Nagler – non-violence faculty at Berkeley. 

·         Then to San Diego to visit the  SOLACE – interfaith detention center visitation project (http://www.firstuusandiego.org/solace )– recently kicked out by ICE (kicking you out is sort of ICE’s thing, so no surprise here –ed.)

·         Then to the Sand Diego border Patrol sector Headquarters (https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/along-us-borders/border-patrol-sectors/san-diego-sector-california )

·         Then to Peach Springs Arizona

·         I’m travelling with Kevin Wolford , John Mathews, Daniel Choi all going

·         Will come back and tell the story of what we’ve done (I should probably get that invitation sent out –ed)

·         Creating a culture of Peace in Tacoma

·         That’s it!

·         http://www.thepeacebus.org/

·         Question – message might be good in elementary schools and high schools – people are sometime afraid to give because they might get attacked – your story is good.  Kwabi – message couched as a Mister Rogers model – he tried to have his programming for adults, but failed (have you seen an episode of “Old Friends..New Friends”?  Me either. But I can imagine the desire to stop doing the Daniel the Tiger puppet – man that puppet stressed me out. –ed) .  I want to educate adults, but am willing to do it for youth.

·         Question – do you have a gofundme account? –Kwabi- go to the website and find the gofundme link (https://www.gofundme.com/f/Peace-Bus-Journey-to-the-Mexican-US-Border )

·         Question – Reverend William Barber – poor people’s campaign - heard of it (the original one was organized by Martin Luther King Jr, but William Barber was but a 5 year old then, so I’m guessing we’re talking about the 2018 reboot effort - https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/ -ed)?   Addressing militarism, racism and poverty – he’s at the border.

·         Jeremy – had an awesome conversation with Roxanne (are there any other kinds of conversations to have with Roxanne? –ed) – this group is very empathetic and understanding – we were talking with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance – what are barriers to a more equitable system and peace at the end of our day?  Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) issues kept coming up – I’m fascinated by the work you’re doing with adults – any thoughts on getting with neighborhood groups?  Kwabi – it is easy for it to be us and them – we want enough empathy to reach outside your own comfort zone – when we know them we feel responsible for them.  Right now we are focused on getting the word out right now.  After this, I’d like to connect and see how we can do that.

·         Theresa – do you know about mamba socks (why would snakes need socks. –ed)?  Kwabi – I got a box from them.  Theresa - wonderful you are doing this – maybe a Tacoma peace prize. Kwabi – we haven’t done enough with that. (but Willie Stewart has – hit the recognition banquet on September 20th to sing his praises - https://tacomapeaceprize.org/2019/07/09/save-the-date-2019-gtpp-banquet-2/ -ed) Theresa - Catholic project at the border – might want to connect. Kwabi – I’d like to meet with them. 

·         That’s a wrap (interesting phrase – “it’s a wrap”.  The cause of the expansion of the word wrap from just a verb to also a noun is not clear.  One school says it is a natural progression from wrapping, the last stage in preparing something, like wrapping a gift, to calling the state of having done the wrapping as a “wrap”.  First usages are found in the film industry.  My favorite explanation is that it is an acronym of “Wind, Reel and Print”, activities you do when filming is complete.  Many dispute this possibility, claiming WRAP is just a backronym – an acronym probably created to explain a word that didn’t start out as an acronym – false etymology, so to speak.  Famous examples of backronyms are yahoo and wiki .  –ed)

·         James – I’ve known Kwabi for a while.  One day, his facebook profile changed a from gym pictures to peace posters – I wondered what happened.

 

The American Red Cross - https://www.redcross.org/local/washington/about-us/locations/south-puget-sound.html

·         Evan Brazitis, Disaster Preparedness Specialist - evan.brazitis@redcross.org  

·         Conny Garcia – Disaster Program Manager - conny.garciagaitan@redcross.org

·         Martha Read – Senior Disaster Program Manager - Martha.read@redcross.org

·         Based in Tacoma office of the Red Cross. 

·         Cover Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Grays harbor Counties

·         Have a wildfire in Mason county – Connie may dart in and out. 

·         Part of the National Red Cross movement

·         Video – “we are the red cross” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvbvuJmXZc8

o   Respond to 64,000 events per year

o   391,000 services each year to military service members and their families

o   Provide blood for patients – 2.8 million volunteer blood donors

o   5.9 million CPR classes

o   176 million vaccines

o   Reconnecting 6,400 separated families

o   Work with Red Cross and Red Crescent

o   “we are humanitarieans”  - Join us

o   (ever wonder where the Red Cross came from – thank the Swiss.  Jean-Henry Dunant founded it as a way to care for those wounded in war.  His humanitarian work - including the international adoptions of the Geneva Convention - earned him the first ever Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. The Red Cross has received the prize in 1917 for work during the Great War, in 1944 for more work during an even bloodier war, and most recently in 1963 – the Red Cross’ 100 year anniversary. The Red Cross flag is just an inversion of the colors on the Swiss flag – not too original, but one that has lasted the test of time. –ed). 

·         The Red Cross is organized in Local -> Chapter -> Region ->  National -> International

·         Mission – “The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.​”.

·         Get resources into major disasters.

·         We provide services to meet immediate needs – trying to do it in the most humane way possible – we try to turn no one away.

·         Example of what we help out with

o   Flooding

o   Earthquakes

o   Multiday power outages

o   House fires or multifamily house fires

·         Volunteers do 90% of work of the red cross.

·         Handle 64,000 cases per year –

·         go to fires and give out quilts, blankets, comfort items for kids, information packet – recovery information.  How to salvage clothing, work with homeowners insurance.  Help them develop plan to navigate crisis.  Have local motel and hotel location information.

·         Mass care teams are there for massive displacements – scaling up from an apartment fire to a hurricane level event.  Help manage the time people are donating.

·         Have partnerships with local government and community organizations

·         Want to have future conversations and follow ons.

·         Logistic teams provide assistance in mass care and smaller disasters. 

·         Have teams that help with mental health, health services, and to replace destroyed medical equipment or prescriptions

·         Warming and cooling shelters

o   This is something we don’t usually do, but can help out in some cases if you are up against a wall, and we can help you if you need equipment.  It is a case by case basis if we can help.  We’ll have to chat about who manages it .

o   Can provide technical support and training on how we do shelters – although we have some different population we are serving.

·         Theresa – responding to individual fires – how do you get called in? Evan – at the scene of the fire, the Fire Department asks people if they have a place to go, if they say no, Red cross get called by the Fire Department.  We get them assistance.  A couple days later they may not have a place to go, people displaced will call the red cross directly. 

·         Theresa – is there an on-line version of this resource packet – this might be useful to everyone, even when they have a place to go.

·         Carolyn – what can the red cross do – can you provide extra blankets or surplus equipment for shelters if we have another significant snow event.  Martha –

o   Regional person – manage across counties

o   With snow, there were a lot more extra shelters opened at that time.  We don’t ordinarily operate those shelters – that is not our space.  It is outside the scope of our mission. We want to partner, so we need to figure it out.  We want to figure out how you plan for what to do if there are needs.  Last year, we did provide some cots – we lend and take back.  blankets are typically given.  This is a whole state issue for us. Yes, but let’s talk about it. 

·         Carolyn – so our shelters should connect with who?  Evan – with your fire departments or County Emergency management or public health – it would be better if it wasn’t through each individual organization – we’d like to plan with a coalition and serve better in that way.  We are 90% volunteers – so we don’t run  people around in the snow. 

·         Roxanne – we don’t have shelters on the Key – we were hit harder by the snow.  We have a civic center that we would have gotten to. Martha – for the homeless population.  For a large scale power outage – we’ll open shelters.  Often we ask Emergency Management to make sure it is on a plowed road.  We opened Thurston county shelters and ran the plow to the clear the road and parking lot and on a bus line.  We use whatever community building we have an agreement with.  Those are emergency management problems.  We count on the government to make the shelters successful.  Roxanne – we relied on each other.  We still didn’t have the resources to take to them.  That is an emergency management issue.

·         (I missed some stuff here – such a small bladder I have… -ed)

·         Joy – had a phone call from someone looking for housing that had a house fire – she should call you back?  when she called us, she had no housing yet.  Evan – that is an interesting.  We provide immediate temporary assistance to get them back in housing.  Martha – what we want to do is prevent homelessness.  if a fire sends someone over the edge.  We don’t have housing stock.  We give them some slight emergency aid that won’t cut it if they are close to “the edge”.  We refer them to housing agencies where they might be able to recover, and get precariously housed again.  Our goal is to try and get them to you.  If have received red cross, we don’t have deep resources.  Joy – tough to find assistance.  Martha – we use 211.  Martha - we don’t have much we can do.  We don’t have any more housing than you can do.

·         Larry – can you talk about the service you provide to service members?  Evan – if someone is in the service and have a family member stateside and need to get in touch – they call 1-800-272-7337 – a Red Cross number.  By calling the red cross – they can contact the unit and a commanding officer to get information to the service member within 24hours, anywhere in the world they are deployed.  It is then up to the unit if they can be released or allowed to call.  We do some 391,000 of these calls per year. 

·         Carolyn – if you have surplus equipment that shelters could benefit from, can you use this group as a place to say we are trying to unload old cots or blankets?  Evan – if we find some, that is an on-going interesting question.  If the Coalition is looking for stuff, we could let you know we found some.  That would be a conversation between the coalition and the red cross.  It would depend on the condition. I was just looking at some shelter equipment hit by rats – looking at what can be salvaged and what needs to be disposed of. (I’m thinking we don’t want the stuff eaten by rats. –ed)

·         Marybeth – does the Red Cross have an opinion on the border situation.  Martha – the red cross has no opinion, we are neutral internationally regarding policy.  We are not running shelters because the US government is running shelters.  We are providing supplies to the border shelters.  We are proving cots to organization providing services to migrants.  This is not a space we can move in .  We support organizations in that area.

·         Jeremy – what interlinks are there with Sphere – that red cross uses to coordinate care in a disaster.  The emergency support functions are more Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) driven – transportation, mass care, feeding, law enforcement, all these things need to go on in a natural disaster.  Need a general plan in place to respond to a natural disaster.  The international red cross is a little different.  On Key Peninsula, even though we are under a governing body, don’t have good emergency response plans. 

·         James – what can we do to help you?  Evan – in the event of a disasters – we want shelter location – facility spaces – we can work with you on that.  I invite you to engage with Conny.  if you want to take a look at a shelter space.  if we have something that happens, lots of people show up to help out.  Our partners can tap into our training, as an organization, you can better help with some training.  In a natural disaster.  Disasters disproportionality affect homeless.  Our shelters fill up with folks precariously housed or homeless.  Everyone comes in the door.  When folks can muster the resources, or have insurance, or qualify for FEMA, they leave a red cross shelter – we are a temporary shelters – we often have a shelter full of folks who were probably homeless before.  We reach out to try and find solutions for folks.  Our 24x7 shelters – we try to get people back to where they were when we started.  We often have a whole set of folks in our shelter and we ask for help from you on how to get them where they belong.

·         Kelly – in your packets – the resource document – if the information needs to be updated, who do we contact.  Evan – that is our off-line packet, we have 211 as our better resources.  James – our coalition has resources.  Evan – we are working on updating it- this is from 2017. 

·         Lauren – would it be beneficial to have an emergency management committee? 

·         Carolyn – I also volunteer with the Red Cross

 

Good of the Order

·         James - Tuesday, September 6th – Human Services Commission of County Council – Comprehensive Life Resources will present on homeless outreach in east Pierce County.  We have some pretty cool data to present. 9:30am – County City building – 10th floor.

·         James - Contacted 300 unique people  in east pierce – 1 visit – 10% of time connect with resources.  2+ visits – 50% engage.  Gerrit – what kinds of services to you offer? (this is just me heckling James – pay no attention –ed.) 

·         Kelly - Hire253- I need help this time – I want 50% of the people to leave the building employed.  We have 140 employers that want to be at the event – we’ll do strict vetting.  Want to prep folks to go to hire 253.  Get them interview attire – want the mobile DSHS van outside – want Eloise cooking pot doing a foodbank – Boeing is donating 100 men’s suits.  Need ideas soon.  If you’ve e-mailed me you want to be on the committee – let’s start meeting.  James – we did commitment statement a few weeks ago- I know we can provide help

·         Theresa – I will meet with City Council Member Keith Blocker and the City Manager about homelessness

·         Marybeth - Taking calls for SPRUCE (TCC program for unemployed to attend college on a space available basis - https://www.tacomacc.edu/costs-admission/financial-aid/spruce  -ed) for fall – student food stamp eligible and not in school last 6 motnhs –call 1-253-566-5201.

 

Coming Attractions

·         September 20th – Washington Trafficking Prevention discuss how to respond to the sexual exploitation and trafficking of youth. We’ll also have a listening session with Tacoma City Councilmember Chris Beale

·         September 24th – Hire253 – you need to wear your t-shirts.  Hosting at Goodwill again.  Want 50% employment.  Let’s put our energy into this

·         September 27th – Overview of the candidate forums.  It is also Permanent Supportive Housing Provider Panel day – come learn about this powerful intervention from the people making it happen. 

·         October 4th – Candidate forums

·         October 11th – Candidate forums

·         October 18th – We Care Daily Clinics and some youth focused presentations

·         October 25th – Could the City of Tacoma be held liable for the disappointments visitors feel when realizing the “Bridge of Glass” is actually just a concrete bridge.  Join or panel of experts, including Dale Chihuly, Barbara Madsen, and a really disappointed 9 year old, and they discuss the difference between glass and concrete, expectation and reality, and that 1997 Popular Mechanics article that gave you false hope for really cool, translucent bridges of the future.

 

Restaurant Review

Well, it is that time of year again – Puyallup Fair time.  While I enjoy the freaky collections in the hobby hall, looking at adorable baby pigs, and the beauty of canned goods competitions, the real draw for me is fair food.  Yes, it will end up killing me, but many of the best parts of life have a cruel undercurrent dragging you towards an early exit from the realm of the living.  For me, step one at the fair is an elephant ear.  On a sunny day, it can be a challenge finding a stand with a short line – but if the only this I do at the fair is stand in line waiting for an elephant ear while people watching, it is still a day well spent.  I don’t know where the people who attend the fair are hiding the rest of the year, but I love taking in the Nature of Normal Human Variety, as they say.  I also love that elephant ears are made with whole wheat flour.  Yes, they are deep fried.  Yes, they are slathered in butter.  Yes, they are then covered in refined white sugar.  But, and a big but here, they are made with whole wheat flour – almost a health food, when you think of it. A second stop of importance and value is the fair scone. I love seeing the scone assembly line in the scone shop under the grandstand – they make the dough, bake it, open the hot scone, push in some butter, then some jam, then put it in the little paper wrapper, and finally the warm goodness arrives in your hand and then your mouth.  Good living.  For me, no fair trip is complete without a good fair burger.  I don’t need a monster burger or anything, just a goopy mess of sauce and grilled onions.  Lastly, a freshly squeezed lemonade helps wash everything down.  Oh, I know there are other delicacies available at the fair – corn dogs, funnel cakes, deep-fried butter, corn on the cob, BBQ – but you have to prioritize things – you really can’t eat it all. I often pine for fair food mid-winter, and make some at home.  But it always lacks something –maybe the elephant ear needs the noise of the midway for the flavor to really hit home. So, this weekend, I’ll be doing the Puyallup.  Oh, I’ll regret all that eating the moment I exit the fairgrounds, but I’m still all in.

 

Attendees

·         James Pogue, Comprehensive Life Resource

·         Katie Butler, Coffee Oasis

·         Julie Eastly, The Coffee Oasis

·         Mark Mueller, The Coffee Oasis

·         Keri Hoplight, Registered Nurse

·         Bryan Green, Olive Crest

·         Carolyn Weisz, University of Puget Sound

·         Matthew Jorgensen, City of Tacoma

·         William Stinson, Catholic Community Services

·         Carolyn Read, St. Leo’s Volunteer

·         Cheryl Hill, Citizen

·         CC Mendoza, Metropolitan Development Council

·         Lauren Angelo, Metropolitan Development Council

·         Kelly Blucher, Goodwill

·         Marybeth McCarthy, Tacoma Community College

·         Shannon Ice, Tacoma Community College

·         Theresa Power-Drutis, New Connections

·         Alexis Eykel, Landlord Liaison Project

·         Savannah Eykel, Landlord Liaison Project

·         Pamm Silver, Molina Healthcare

·         Peach McDouall, Clubhouse model psychiatric services

·         Emily Ness, Tacoma Pierce County Health Department

·         Sarah Wolfer, Comprehensive Life Resources

·         Larry Seaquist, League of Women Voters

·         Kwabi Amoah-Forson, The Peace Bus and Comprehensive Life Resources

·         Joy Stanford, Shared Housing Services

·         Jeremy Walker, Housing Advocate and Birthday Boy and newly employed – financial analyst in Snohomish County

·         Roxanne Simon, Safe Streets

·         Trisha Munson,  Greater Lakes Mental Health

·         Jessica Hall, Greater Lakes Mental Health

·         Gail Misner, Molina Healthcare

·         Daryl Jones, West Coast Recovery Housing

·         Melissa Moss, Catholic Community Services

·         Eric Hasstedt, Safe Streets

·         Larry Parson, Helping Hand House for Veterans

·         Don Sheppard, Tacoma Salvation Army

·         Heidi Nagel, Comprehensive Life Resources

·         Conny Garcia, American Red Cross

·         Evan Brazitis, American Red Cross

·         Martha Read, American Red Cross

 

 

 

Gerrit F. Nyland

Director of Client Information Systems, SW

Catholic Community Services of Western Washington

gerritn@ccsww.org

Mobile: 253-304-5105