Vehicles, Clean Blankets and Supplies Needed for Shelters
12/22/11
Here’s some good news/bad news: SHARE has a crisis (bad) which has nothing to do with government or politics (good). The SHARE used vehicular fleet is on its last leg, and that leg is broken. The engine in our Toyota Camry,the Apple, hasn’t been able to exceed 50 MPH for months. Now its alternator has given up the ghost. The Jasper, a Ford cargo van that is the principal means of moving supplies and blankets to the 15 indoor shelters and two tent cities, became unrepairable a month ago when radiator overheating lead to blown gaskets, etc. It and the Apple are in a race for the junkyard.
The Hattie Mae, a large GM passenger van, has been pressed into service as our cargo van. But electrical problems keep cropping up everywhere. One night it broke down on Aurora and we managed to get it towed. The next night it broke down on I-5 and got impounded before we could get it towed.
Rental Vans from Handy Andy ended up costing at least $50 a day. The only remaining vehicle, a Datsun hatchback called the Bloomer, can only move a small number of blankets at a time. And when it’s in use for small blanket runs, SHARE staff shifts to the bus; not a time-saving measure when locations are spread from Issaquah to Shoreline, Maple Leaf to Rainier Beach.
If you know someone who can loan a van for ONE DAY (Fridays and Mondays are both crucial), we can put it on our insurance policy for that day. We will wash it and clean it before returning it, and our drivers are insured too. If you know someone who has a vehicle they are a little shy about donating because it isn’t perfect, let them know that pretty much ANYTHING is better than what we have now. (All of this is tax deductible too.) If you know of someone who wants one or two thousand dollars for a rugged and in good shape van, send them our way! Mechanics and tools are always welcome too.
Just email us at tc4@sharewheel.com, c/o the Vehicle Maintenance Committee. Or ask for the Vehicle Maintenance Staff Liaison at (206) 448-7889.
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About Tent City 4
Tent City 4 is a homeless encampment of up to 100 people operated by the homeless residents and sponsored by 501(c)(3) organizations Seattle Housing and Resources Effort (SHARE) and Women’s Housing Equality and Enhancement League (WHEEL). The camp was created in May 2004 and limits itself to places of worship in eastern King County outside of Seattle. Minors are not allowed in Tent City 4, although there is a provision for emergency situations. Residents may use their own tents or community tents that are segregated by gender. Dumpsters, portable toilets, and a shower, paid for by SHARE, are provided to address sanitation concerns. In order to control access to the encampment, there is only one entry/exit to the camp that is guarded at all times.
About Tent City in King County
Tent City in King County is a temporary encampment of up to 100 homeless persons who live in a group of tents on the property of a host for approximately 90 days. The camps have managers and a code of conduct for residents.
The program in King County is sponsored and managed by SHARE/WHEEL (Seattle Housing and Resource Efforts (SHARE) and Women’s Housing, Equality, and Enhancement League (WHEEL)). The first community, called Tent City 3, was located in Seattle. The program was allowed to continue in Seattle under a 2002 consent decree. SHARE/WHEEL Tent City 3 has had camp sites in the communities on the West side of Lake Washington. Share/Wheel established Tent City 4 in the spring of 2004 on the Eastside after working out an agreement with King County. Local governments in King County issue conditional use permits for the temporary camps Seattle-King County Public Health provides support services to camp managers.
General Information
FAQs on the Tent City 4 website
FAQs from the City of Redmond web site
King County Permit Requirements
Donations
It is estimated that various costs related to hosting Tent City 4 will be approximately $8500. This includes set-up and take-down costs, electricity, etc. If you would like to help support this effort, donations can be made to BCUMC and marked as “Tent City 4″. To donate electronically, click the button below and designate the donation as TC4. Thank you.
Volunteering
We are currently seeking volunteers for the following activities:
Volunteer to Participate in Meal for TC4 (Selected Dates)
