The hidden homeless of Kitsap County from Rich Dawson on Vimeo.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Neighborhood in shock over planned homeless camp
BREMERTON, Wash. - A residential Bremerton neighborhood is in turmoil after learning that a developer wants to put nearly three dozen plywood cabins on his land for a homeless camp.
The developer and a few supporters says the camp is sorely needed. But neighbors call it an unsightly nuisance that endangers their kids and way of life.
And on Saturday night, the two sides faced off in a packed neighborhood meeting that quickly became heated - and ended with some residents storming out of the church hall where it was held.
Residents say they didn't even know of the plan, until they got flyers on their doors last week.
That's when they first learned that their quiet neighborhood - where kids play in the front yards and there is no traffic - was to become a haven for the homeless.
A bulldozer came in, and the red flags went up.
Now, irate residents say they're not only concerned about their quality of life and safety - but also about the environment.
"It is so steep and marshy and rain forest, something's going to happen," says Cherri Powell, who lives one street over from the planned encampment.
But the developer, Joel Adamson, says residents there have nothing to worry about.
"The security will be tightly controlled for the security of the children," he says.
The developer wants to put as many as 70 children and 45 adults in a series of plywood cabins. He says it is a way to address what county leaders say is a growing homeless population in Kitsap County.
"They're sleeping in their cars. They're sleeping outside. They're sleeping wherever they can. Their children are musk and dirty and cold at night," said one supporter of the plan.
But neighbors said the Bowen Street neighborhood is the wrong place to solve the problem of homelessness.
"I would not want a bunch of cabins in the back of my yard," said one woman, who didn't want her name used. "People walking back and forth on my street, driving vehicles that I do not know."
The site on Bowen Street doesn't look like much yet, but proponents argue there will be safety measures, including background checks, a fence, no drugs or alcohol allowed.
"I know people have homes, and they're worried about that, and that's all fine and dandy, but if they were in the need of the people they wouldn't care about those things," said Ernest Pounds, a former homeless man who supports the camp.
Amy O'Shaughnessy of the Bremerton Rescue Mission agrees that the planned site for the homeless camp is not ideal, but there aren't any other choices.
"I don't think it may be the best solution. It's the only solution at this point," she says.
The county has requested that work on the camp be stopped until leaders complete a review of the project. The developer has complied - for now.
The developer and a few supporters says the camp is sorely needed. But neighbors call it an unsightly nuisance that endangers their kids and way of life.
And on Saturday night, the two sides faced off in a packed neighborhood meeting that quickly became heated - and ended with some residents storming out of the church hall where it was held.
Residents say they didn't even know of the plan, until they got flyers on their doors last week.
That's when they first learned that their quiet neighborhood - where kids play in the front yards and there is no traffic - was to become a haven for the homeless.
A bulldozer came in, and the red flags went up.
Now, irate residents say they're not only concerned about their quality of life and safety - but also about the environment.
"It is so steep and marshy and rain forest, something's going to happen," says Cherri Powell, who lives one street over from the planned encampment.
But the developer, Joel Adamson, says residents there have nothing to worry about.
"The security will be tightly controlled for the security of the children," he says.
The developer wants to put as many as 70 children and 45 adults in a series of plywood cabins. He says it is a way to address what county leaders say is a growing homeless population in Kitsap County.
"They're sleeping in their cars. They're sleeping outside. They're sleeping wherever they can. Their children are musk and dirty and cold at night," said one supporter of the plan.
But neighbors said the Bowen Street neighborhood is the wrong place to solve the problem of homelessness.
"I would not want a bunch of cabins in the back of my yard," said one woman, who didn't want her name used. "People walking back and forth on my street, driving vehicles that I do not know."
The site on Bowen Street doesn't look like much yet, but proponents argue there will be safety measures, including background checks, a fence, no drugs or alcohol allowed.
"I know people have homes, and they're worried about that, and that's all fine and dandy, but if they were in the need of the people they wouldn't care about those things," said Ernest Pounds, a former homeless man who supports the camp.
Amy O'Shaughnessy of the Bremerton Rescue Mission agrees that the planned site for the homeless camp is not ideal, but there aren't any other choices.
"I don't think it may be the best solution. It's the only solution at this point," she says.
The county has requested that work on the camp be stopped until leaders complete a review of the project. The developer has complied - for now.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
A Plywood Cabin Is Not a Home, But It's a Start
A Plywood Cabin Is Not a Home, But It's a Start
by Jennifer Cooper · November 01, 2010
Topics: Housing · Homelessness
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Rather than do nothing about the rising homeless population in Kitsap County, Washington, Bremerton Rescue Mission is moving ahead with plans to construct a series of temporary heated plywood cabins on 2.5 acres of land in the city of Bremerton.
Initially the group intends to construct six 12' x 12' cabins. Eventually there could be as many as 35 cabins housing 45 adults and 70 children.
Though the cabins are far from ideal housing, they offer more safety and protection from the elements than sleeping in a tent, on the street or in a car. They will also provide families with an address and a stable home from which to get back on their feet and into permanent housing. And it certainly assures them a better fate than many other homeless left to fend for themselves in insufficient shelter. A homeless man in Allentown, Pennsylvania was recently crushed to death after crawling into a recycling container for warmth.
In a letter (pdf) to the community, Joel Adamson, the owner of the land, said he got involved after learning that all 14 of Kitsap County's emergency shelters for families are full and that between 100 and 200 children are sleeping in the family car with their parents. "As we approach winter, there is the very real possibility a child may freeze to death in their car," he wrote.
The site has already been approved for development of 11 homes but Adamson agreed to lease the land for the homeless camp for $1 a year while he waits for the housing market to improve.
Of course the project is not without controversy. Several residents have complained that the site is not suitable for the cabins and that the homeless camp will bring crime and declining home values. Fortunately under recently passed state legislation, local governments in Washington cannot block tent cities and homeless camps sanctioned by churches. But that hasn’t stopped neighbors from crying NIMBY.
According to the Kitsap Sun, an alternative plan has been proposed, offering the homeless motel vouchers. While it would solve the immediate problem of providing shelter, it offers none of the security proposed by the cabins.
However, just because these cabins are designed to be temporary does not mean they should not meet safety standards. Those living nearby have a right to insist that the cabins be safe, and that there is a plan to ensure proper sanitation. But attempts to squash the development seem to have little to do with public safety and instead smack of prejudice against the homeless and misinformation. And complaints ignores the fact that some 2,000 homeless people, 500 of them children, already call Kitsap County home.
Bremerton Rescue Mission is doing the best it can to rapidly and safely house the area's homeless families. Urge Kitsap County Commissioners to support construction of the cabins as quickly and safely as possible so that no families are left out in the cold.
by Jennifer Cooper · November 01, 2010
Topics: Housing · Homelessness
Share
retweet
7,653 views
Rather than do nothing about the rising homeless population in Kitsap County, Washington, Bremerton Rescue Mission is moving ahead with plans to construct a series of temporary heated plywood cabins on 2.5 acres of land in the city of Bremerton.
Initially the group intends to construct six 12' x 12' cabins. Eventually there could be as many as 35 cabins housing 45 adults and 70 children.
Though the cabins are far from ideal housing, they offer more safety and protection from the elements than sleeping in a tent, on the street or in a car. They will also provide families with an address and a stable home from which to get back on their feet and into permanent housing. And it certainly assures them a better fate than many other homeless left to fend for themselves in insufficient shelter. A homeless man in Allentown, Pennsylvania was recently crushed to death after crawling into a recycling container for warmth.
In a letter (pdf) to the community, Joel Adamson, the owner of the land, said he got involved after learning that all 14 of Kitsap County's emergency shelters for families are full and that between 100 and 200 children are sleeping in the family car with their parents. "As we approach winter, there is the very real possibility a child may freeze to death in their car," he wrote.
The site has already been approved for development of 11 homes but Adamson agreed to lease the land for the homeless camp for $1 a year while he waits for the housing market to improve.
Of course the project is not without controversy. Several residents have complained that the site is not suitable for the cabins and that the homeless camp will bring crime and declining home values. Fortunately under recently passed state legislation, local governments in Washington cannot block tent cities and homeless camps sanctioned by churches. But that hasn’t stopped neighbors from crying NIMBY.
According to the Kitsap Sun, an alternative plan has been proposed, offering the homeless motel vouchers. While it would solve the immediate problem of providing shelter, it offers none of the security proposed by the cabins.
However, just because these cabins are designed to be temporary does not mean they should not meet safety standards. Those living nearby have a right to insist that the cabins be safe, and that there is a plan to ensure proper sanitation. But attempts to squash the development seem to have little to do with public safety and instead smack of prejudice against the homeless and misinformation. And complaints ignores the fact that some 2,000 homeless people, 500 of them children, already call Kitsap County home.
Bremerton Rescue Mission is doing the best it can to rapidly and safely house the area's homeless families. Urge Kitsap County Commissioners to support construction of the cabins as quickly and safely as possible so that no families are left out in the cold.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Tell Kitsap County Commissioners to Support Construction of Cabins for Homeless Families
OverviewLetter
Targeting: Steve Bauer (Kitsap County Commissioner), Charlotte Garrido (Kitsap County Commissioner), and Josh Brown (Kitsap County Commissioner)
Started by: Jennifer Cooper
Rather than do nothing about the rising homeless population in Kitsap County, Bremerton Rescue Mission is moving ahead with plans to construct a series of temporary heated plywood cabins on 2.5 acres of land in Bremerton, Wash.
Initially the group intends to construct six 12-foot by 12-foot cabins. Eventually there could be as many as 35 cabins that would house 45 adults and 70 children. The cabins would house the growing population of homeless families in Kitsap County.
Though the cabins are far from ideal, they offer more safety and protection from the elements than sleeping in a tent, on the street or in a car. They will also provide families with an address and a stable home from which to get back on their feet and into permanent housing. Some 2,000 homeless people call Kitsap County home, 500 of whom are children.
Several residents have complained that the site is not suitable for the cabins and that the homeless camp will bring crime and declining home values. Fortunately under recently passed state legislation, local governments in Washington cannot block tent cities and homeless camps sanctioned by churches. But that hasn’t stopped neighbors from crying NIMBY.
Bremerton Rescue Mission is doing the best it can to rapidly and safely house the area’s homeless families. Urge Kitsap County Commissioners to support construction of the cabins as quickly and safely as possible so that no families are left out in the cold.
OverviewLetter
Targeting: Steve Bauer (Kitsap County Commissioner), Charlotte Garrido (Kitsap County Commissioner), and Josh Brown (Kitsap County Commissioner)
Started by: Jennifer Cooper
Rather than do nothing about the rising homeless population in Kitsap County, Bremerton Rescue Mission is moving ahead with plans to construct a series of temporary heated plywood cabins on 2.5 acres of land in Bremerton, Wash.
Initially the group intends to construct six 12-foot by 12-foot cabins. Eventually there could be as many as 35 cabins that would house 45 adults and 70 children. The cabins would house the growing population of homeless families in Kitsap County.
Though the cabins are far from ideal, they offer more safety and protection from the elements than sleeping in a tent, on the street or in a car. They will also provide families with an address and a stable home from which to get back on their feet and into permanent housing. Some 2,000 homeless people call Kitsap County home, 500 of whom are children.
Several residents have complained that the site is not suitable for the cabins and that the homeless camp will bring crime and declining home values. Fortunately under recently passed state legislation, local governments in Washington cannot block tent cities and homeless camps sanctioned by churches. But that hasn’t stopped neighbors from crying NIMBY.
Bremerton Rescue Mission is doing the best it can to rapidly and safely house the area’s homeless families. Urge Kitsap County Commissioners to support construction of the cabins as quickly and safely as possible so that no families are left out in the cold.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Vigil: Homelessness ‘not OK’
Rachel Pritchett (Bremerton) Kitsap Sun
Associated Press photo
Michele Babbs, of Bremerton, took part in “The Longest Night,” a memorial vigil for the homeless Tuesday evening.
Advertise Here
BREMERTON – They formed a circle of solidarity outside First Christian Church, each of 40 people clutching a shining white candle.
Their breath came out as steam as a drizzly, 43-degree Tuesday afternoon slowly relinquished itself to the longest night of the year.
The service was to bear public witness for the homeless shivering, tucked here and there in the woods throughout Kitsap, and to pray for the souls of the homeless who have died here this year.
“We are here to say that’s not OK,” the Rev. Debbie Little of First Christian announced simply as those who had gathered – churchgoers, elected leaders and young people – individually uttered their quiet support.
She invited prayer:
“The Lord is my shepherd,
“I shall not want.”
The pastor prayed for Adam Scott Smordin, found face-down and dead in his tent June 23 in woods in East Bremerton. He’d laid fine wood floors in his life, and taught karate to kids.
She prayed for the unknowns like Smordin whose lives ended this year in the deep valley of homelessness.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
“I fear no evil for You are with me.”
Bishop Larry Robertson, of Emmanuel Apostolic Church, said earlier this year he stopped at a store in Chico to get gas for his car. He spotted a man sitting by the pumps. He learned later that the man was homeless and died just a few hours later.
Robertson said he wondered what might have happened had he spent a few moments in conversation.
“Could his night have been different? It will always stay with me,” he said.
Tina Marie Roberts sang, her voice offering reconciliation to these worshippers in a county with so little available housing for the homeless. The Washington Department of Social and Health Services and the Kitsap County Health District estimated that last January, 1,854 people in Kitsap had no roofs over their head.
“My cup overflows.”
Mayor Patty Lent said the city is proceeding with plans to possibly turn the former CenCom building on Wheaton Way into a facility for the homeless. She said two other entities have offered to help. One is Paratransit Services on Auto Center Way. She declined to name the other.
“We’re going to make this happen,” Lent said.
Meanwhile, the Salvation Army has received all its permits and in coming days plans to open a temporary tent city behind its Sixth Street facility.
Transit buses and the shipyard crowd roared home along the streets nearby in the now ink-black night.
Bishop Robertson said of Smordin, “We trust that he has a home now.”
“Your goodness and grace will follow me all the days of my life.
“And I will live with You forever.”
Rachel Pritchett (Bremerton) Kitsap Sun
Associated Press photo
Michele Babbs, of Bremerton, took part in “The Longest Night,” a memorial vigil for the homeless Tuesday evening.
Advertise Here
BREMERTON – They formed a circle of solidarity outside First Christian Church, each of 40 people clutching a shining white candle.
Their breath came out as steam as a drizzly, 43-degree Tuesday afternoon slowly relinquished itself to the longest night of the year.
The service was to bear public witness for the homeless shivering, tucked here and there in the woods throughout Kitsap, and to pray for the souls of the homeless who have died here this year.
“We are here to say that’s not OK,” the Rev. Debbie Little of First Christian announced simply as those who had gathered – churchgoers, elected leaders and young people – individually uttered their quiet support.
She invited prayer:
“The Lord is my shepherd,
“I shall not want.”
The pastor prayed for Adam Scott Smordin, found face-down and dead in his tent June 23 in woods in East Bremerton. He’d laid fine wood floors in his life, and taught karate to kids.
She prayed for the unknowns like Smordin whose lives ended this year in the deep valley of homelessness.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
“I fear no evil for You are with me.”
Bishop Larry Robertson, of Emmanuel Apostolic Church, said earlier this year he stopped at a store in Chico to get gas for his car. He spotted a man sitting by the pumps. He learned later that the man was homeless and died just a few hours later.
Robertson said he wondered what might have happened had he spent a few moments in conversation.
“Could his night have been different? It will always stay with me,” he said.
Tina Marie Roberts sang, her voice offering reconciliation to these worshippers in a county with so little available housing for the homeless. The Washington Department of Social and Health Services and the Kitsap County Health District estimated that last January, 1,854 people in Kitsap had no roofs over their head.
“My cup overflows.”
Mayor Patty Lent said the city is proceeding with plans to possibly turn the former CenCom building on Wheaton Way into a facility for the homeless. She said two other entities have offered to help. One is Paratransit Services on Auto Center Way. She declined to name the other.
“We’re going to make this happen,” Lent said.
Meanwhile, the Salvation Army has received all its permits and in coming days plans to open a temporary tent city behind its Sixth Street facility.
Transit buses and the shipyard crowd roared home along the streets nearby in the now ink-black night.
Bishop Robertson said of Smordin, “We trust that he has a home now.”
“Your goodness and grace will follow me all the days of my life.
“And I will live with You forever.”
Thursday, March 10, 2011
City doesn’t need to be a magnet for the region’s homeless
City doesn’t need to be a magnet for the region’s homeless
by jeffrhodes
The Port Orchard City Council heard what, to my ears, was a chilling presentation on Tuesday night from a group calling itself the Kitsap Continuum of Care Coalition.
Although its true agenda is curiously mentioned nowhere in her agency’s title, KCCC coordinator Terry Schroeder was anything but mysterious about her goals.
“We want to establish at least two tent cities for the homeless in Kitsap County by the winter of 2010,” she said. “We’re asking city governments to evaluate their city ordinances and determine the permitting process for these tent cities by the end of August.”
To be clear, Schroeder and her group aren’t asking for city facilities. Rather, they envision churches and nonprofit agencies donating space and resources.
The city would merely sanction the program.
According to the Coalition, Kitsap County currently has a homeless population of around 3,000, less than 400 of whom are located in South Kitsap — although that number would presumably grow should ours be the community that rolls out the welcome mat.
Personally, I have a hard time seeing how a Port Orchard City Council that just a few weeks ago passed an ordinance banning billboard advertising on the basis of aesthetic and safety concerns could suddenly decide it has a duty to attract more transients.
On a human level, there are undoubtedly some heartbreaking stories among the county’s homeless. But by definition the city council is responsible for promoting the welfare of its residents, not those who would become residents — in tents and temporary encampments — if only Port Orchard made it hospitable to do so.
Quite simply, the city has enough problems of its own without inviting someone else’s to move here — along with the crime and drain on public resources that would surely follow.
As cold as it sounds, the first priority of the city council is to make Port Orchard a better place for those who live here, not for those who don’t live anywhere.
by jeffrhodes
The Port Orchard City Council heard what, to my ears, was a chilling presentation on Tuesday night from a group calling itself the Kitsap Continuum of Care Coalition.
Although its true agenda is curiously mentioned nowhere in her agency’s title, KCCC coordinator Terry Schroeder was anything but mysterious about her goals.
“We want to establish at least two tent cities for the homeless in Kitsap County by the winter of 2010,” she said. “We’re asking city governments to evaluate their city ordinances and determine the permitting process for these tent cities by the end of August.”
To be clear, Schroeder and her group aren’t asking for city facilities. Rather, they envision churches and nonprofit agencies donating space and resources.
The city would merely sanction the program.
According to the Coalition, Kitsap County currently has a homeless population of around 3,000, less than 400 of whom are located in South Kitsap — although that number would presumably grow should ours be the community that rolls out the welcome mat.
Personally, I have a hard time seeing how a Port Orchard City Council that just a few weeks ago passed an ordinance banning billboard advertising on the basis of aesthetic and safety concerns could suddenly decide it has a duty to attract more transients.
On a human level, there are undoubtedly some heartbreaking stories among the county’s homeless. But by definition the city council is responsible for promoting the welfare of its residents, not those who would become residents — in tents and temporary encampments — if only Port Orchard made it hospitable to do so.
Quite simply, the city has enough problems of its own without inviting someone else’s to move here — along with the crime and drain on public resources that would surely follow.
As cold as it sounds, the first priority of the city council is to make Port Orchard a better place for those who live here, not for those who don’t live anywhere.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
The Kitsap Young and the Homeless
The Kitsap Young and the Homeless
By Chris Henry
Kris Templeton talks about what it is like to be homeless during Saturday’s StandUp For Kids “48 Kitsap Youth Street Connect” event at Silverdale Waterfront Park. (MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN)
Kris Templeton talks about what it is like to be homeless during Saturday’s StandUp For Kids “48 Kitsap Youth Street Connect” event at Silverdale Waterfront Park. (MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN)
Michael Parker talks about his life during Saturday’s StandUp For Kids “48 Kitsap Youth Street Connect” event at Silverdale Waterfront Park. (MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN)
The band Snakebite performs during Saturday’s StandUp For Kids “48 Kitsap Youth Street Connect” event at Silverdale Waterfront Park. (MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN)
Brothers Brent Carslin, 12, left, and Trevor Deardorff, 8, listen to the band Snakebite during Saturday’s StandUp For Kids “48 Kitsap Youth Street Connect” event at Silverdale Waterfront Park. (MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN)
SILVERDALE —
Loud music, tricked-out motorcycles and the promise of free stuff was enough to draw many of Kitsap’s homeless and at-risk children Saturday night to Silverdale Waterfront Park.
The event, sponsored by the Kitsap Chapter of StandUp for Kids, was held as part of the national organization’s annual 48 Hours on the Streets campaign to raise awareness and reach out to homeless teens and young adults.
Kris Templeton of Silverdale knows what it’s like to leave home with nothing but the clothes on her back. When she was 15 and living in Texas, her mother found out that she was bisexual and kicked her out of the house.
That’s a common reason that kids become homeless, according to Jo Clark, StandUp for Kids’ executive director. According to the national organization, 40 percent of homeless teens are gay or lesbian.
Templeton, now 17, spent three weeks couch-surfing and on the streets.
“Couch-surfing wasn’t that bad. It’s when you have to sleep in a park in the middle of winter, that’s bad,” she said. “I wasn’t homeless for too long, but to me it seemed like forever.”
Templeton, now estranged from her mother, is living with her sister and getting ready to graduate from Central Kitsap High School. She plans to attend community college, majoring in psychology and fine art.
Templeton, who now tries to help other homeless teens, is one of the lucky ones, said Clark.
There are many more teens and twentysomethings in Kitsap without a place to call home, and though data from a recent U.S. Census count is not yet available, those who work on behalf of this population say their numbers are growing.
The Kitsap Continuum of Care Coalition, in its annual homeless count Jan. 28, found that 27 percent of Kitsap’s homeless included in the survey were school-age children. That’s one fuzzy snapshot of a mostly hidden population, many of whose members are leery of being identified, said Brian Maule of the U.S. Census’ Silverdale office.
In other snapshots, 25 percent of students at Bremerton’s Rennaissance alternative school define themselves as homeless. Forty-nine percent of students at South Kitsap’s Discovery alternative school qualify for free lunches. A number of them are homeless, highlighting one effect of the economy and poverty that tears at the fabric of family life.
Census workers found a “higher than expected” number of people, including teens, to be living in cars. Some continue to attend high school or community college despite their substandard living arrangements.
One of several organizations helping the homeless throughout Kitsap County, StandUp for Kids provides weekly donations of food, clothing, hygiene items and other basic necessities to more than 25 youth at local alternative schools.
To reach other homeless teens, volunteer Valerie Martin and others deliver food to encampments in the woods.
“Kids can only couch-surf so long before they wear out their welcome,” said Martin. “We’ve got kids living in tents in the woods. ... they’re just everywhere.”
While the public perception is that they’re defiant, troublesome kids, 80 percent of homeless teens have good reasons for not wanting to live at home, according to national statistics.
Rejection over sexual orientation, drug or alcohol abuse on the part of parents, and parental abuse of teens top the list of triggers leading to a life on the streets, Clark said. Kids who age out of the foster care system also are part of the homeless-child equation.
Michael Parker's father beat him, first for wetting the bed and then as he grew, for other reasons. Parker abused drugs. His mother periodically kicked him out between the time he was 13 and 17.
“It wasn’t for a long period of time, but it happened multiple times,” Parker said. “I had to sleep in a school playground, in the woods. ... I had to wash myself in a bathroom to make sure I didn’t reek of body odor.”
Parker, now 26 with a home in Bremerton, a fiance and two children, wants people to know that the homeless, especially homeless teens, need and deserve respect and support.
“I know what it’s like to be in their shoes,” he said. “I know what it’s like for people to walk by you. It sucks.”
Efforts to help homeless teens are growing in response to the need. Coffee Oasis, for example, recently purchased the Solid Rock Cafe in Port Orchard, bringing to four the number of outlets that the nonprofit operates on behalf of homeless kids.
Success stories like Templeton’s and Parker’s do happen, said Daniel Frederick, who heads up street outreach for the faith-based organization. But breaking the often multi-generational cycles that put teens at risk remains an uphill battle.
Frederick likens it to a kettle of boiling lobsters.
“If one tries climbing out, the others will pull it back down,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot of kids do well for a while and fall back in.
“What are we going to do but embrace them again?”
This story has been changed. Kris Templeton is not an official volunteer with StandUP for Kids, and Michael Parker did not leave home because his father abused him, as the story originally read.
By Chris Henry
Kris Templeton talks about what it is like to be homeless during Saturday’s StandUp For Kids “48 Kitsap Youth Street Connect” event at Silverdale Waterfront Park. (MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN)
Kris Templeton talks about what it is like to be homeless during Saturday’s StandUp For Kids “48 Kitsap Youth Street Connect” event at Silverdale Waterfront Park. (MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN)
Michael Parker talks about his life during Saturday’s StandUp For Kids “48 Kitsap Youth Street Connect” event at Silverdale Waterfront Park. (MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN)
The band Snakebite performs during Saturday’s StandUp For Kids “48 Kitsap Youth Street Connect” event at Silverdale Waterfront Park. (MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN)
Brothers Brent Carslin, 12, left, and Trevor Deardorff, 8, listen to the band Snakebite during Saturday’s StandUp For Kids “48 Kitsap Youth Street Connect” event at Silverdale Waterfront Park. (MEEGAN M. REID | KITSAP SUN)
SILVERDALE —
Loud music, tricked-out motorcycles and the promise of free stuff was enough to draw many of Kitsap’s homeless and at-risk children Saturday night to Silverdale Waterfront Park.
The event, sponsored by the Kitsap Chapter of StandUp for Kids, was held as part of the national organization’s annual 48 Hours on the Streets campaign to raise awareness and reach out to homeless teens and young adults.
Kris Templeton of Silverdale knows what it’s like to leave home with nothing but the clothes on her back. When she was 15 and living in Texas, her mother found out that she was bisexual and kicked her out of the house.
That’s a common reason that kids become homeless, according to Jo Clark, StandUp for Kids’ executive director. According to the national organization, 40 percent of homeless teens are gay or lesbian.
Templeton, now 17, spent three weeks couch-surfing and on the streets.
“Couch-surfing wasn’t that bad. It’s when you have to sleep in a park in the middle of winter, that’s bad,” she said. “I wasn’t homeless for too long, but to me it seemed like forever.”
Templeton, now estranged from her mother, is living with her sister and getting ready to graduate from Central Kitsap High School. She plans to attend community college, majoring in psychology and fine art.
Templeton, who now tries to help other homeless teens, is one of the lucky ones, said Clark.
There are many more teens and twentysomethings in Kitsap without a place to call home, and though data from a recent U.S. Census count is not yet available, those who work on behalf of this population say their numbers are growing.
The Kitsap Continuum of Care Coalition, in its annual homeless count Jan. 28, found that 27 percent of Kitsap’s homeless included in the survey were school-age children. That’s one fuzzy snapshot of a mostly hidden population, many of whose members are leery of being identified, said Brian Maule of the U.S. Census’ Silverdale office.
In other snapshots, 25 percent of students at Bremerton’s Rennaissance alternative school define themselves as homeless. Forty-nine percent of students at South Kitsap’s Discovery alternative school qualify for free lunches. A number of them are homeless, highlighting one effect of the economy and poverty that tears at the fabric of family life.
Census workers found a “higher than expected” number of people, including teens, to be living in cars. Some continue to attend high school or community college despite their substandard living arrangements.
One of several organizations helping the homeless throughout Kitsap County, StandUp for Kids provides weekly donations of food, clothing, hygiene items and other basic necessities to more than 25 youth at local alternative schools.
To reach other homeless teens, volunteer Valerie Martin and others deliver food to encampments in the woods.
“Kids can only couch-surf so long before they wear out their welcome,” said Martin. “We’ve got kids living in tents in the woods. ... they’re just everywhere.”
While the public perception is that they’re defiant, troublesome kids, 80 percent of homeless teens have good reasons for not wanting to live at home, according to national statistics.
Rejection over sexual orientation, drug or alcohol abuse on the part of parents, and parental abuse of teens top the list of triggers leading to a life on the streets, Clark said. Kids who age out of the foster care system also are part of the homeless-child equation.
Michael Parker's father beat him, first for wetting the bed and then as he grew, for other reasons. Parker abused drugs. His mother periodically kicked him out between the time he was 13 and 17.
“It wasn’t for a long period of time, but it happened multiple times,” Parker said. “I had to sleep in a school playground, in the woods. ... I had to wash myself in a bathroom to make sure I didn’t reek of body odor.”
Parker, now 26 with a home in Bremerton, a fiance and two children, wants people to know that the homeless, especially homeless teens, need and deserve respect and support.
“I know what it’s like to be in their shoes,” he said. “I know what it’s like for people to walk by you. It sucks.”
Efforts to help homeless teens are growing in response to the need. Coffee Oasis, for example, recently purchased the Solid Rock Cafe in Port Orchard, bringing to four the number of outlets that the nonprofit operates on behalf of homeless kids.
Success stories like Templeton’s and Parker’s do happen, said Daniel Frederick, who heads up street outreach for the faith-based organization. But breaking the often multi-generational cycles that put teens at risk remains an uphill battle.
Frederick likens it to a kettle of boiling lobsters.
“If one tries climbing out, the others will pull it back down,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot of kids do well for a while and fall back in.
“What are we going to do but embrace them again?”
This story has been changed. Kris Templeton is not an official volunteer with StandUP for Kids, and Michael Parker did not leave home because his father abused him, as the story originally read.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
It's time to reevaluate, coordinate homeless facilities
It's not overstating to say that in years past, the need for women's and children's emergency shelters has been desperate.
Now, things are changing rapidly — too rapidly, in fact, for social service providers to keep up.
Previously, St. Vincent de Paul and the YWCA's ALIVE facility provided shelter for women and children. In December 2009, they were joined by Kitsap Community Resources, which opened The Family Place for women and children near Silverdale. Early last month, Sally's Camp, an "indoor tent city" opened in Bremerton for homeless families. And within a few weeks, a new facility for women and children, Georgia's Place, will be opened in the Auto Center area by the locally based Weaver Foundation.
At last report, only two families were staying in Sally's Camp, which has a capacity of 17 families. At St. Vincent's shelter, four of 17 beds were vacant. When it opens, Georgia's Place will provide shelter for up to 18 women and children.
But for homeless men, the only shelter in Kitsap County is Benedict House, operated by Catholic Community Services, which opened in 2006. The 14-bed facility, which provides 90-day emergency housing, is currently full and has a waiting list of 20.
The math on all this doesn't add up very well: 20 homeless men waiting, and at least 40 vacancies in homeless shelters, plus the soon-to-be-opened Georgia's Place.
"This is kind of an anomaly," said Larry Eyer, executive director of Kitsap Community Resources. "It's a fairly new phenomenon. There is quite a bit of need for single men right now, and it's hard to tell whether it'll be a long-term trend or a blip for a couple of weeks."
He said that for a variety of reasons, many homeless families either choose not to move into Sally's Camp or are unable to do so. In some cases, it may be that they want a living space that's more their own, with their own beds. Or some may have a family or lifestyle situation that isn't a good fit in terms of requirements for living at Sally's Camp.
Some families, and homeless single men, live a vagabond existence in their cars, alternately sleeping in their vehicles, or in garages or homes belonging to friends and family.
But for now, the bottom line is the same. An overabundance of homeless shelter space for women, children and families. And homeless single men who can't make use of it.
It's been said that with this imbalance, Kitsap doesn't need yet another shelter for women and children, such as Georgia's Place will provide. But in fairness, Georgia's Place is only one element in the overall mix of resources. A lot of giving — and a lot of heart — has gone into providing all these shelters, and all who've had a hand in it are to be commended.
St. Vincent de Paul, the Salvation Army, Kitsap Community Resources and Catholic Community Services all have spent years providing homeless shelter, working together through the Kitsap Continuum of Care Coalition. But within a few weeks of each other, two additional shelters will have opened in Kitsap County, the need appears to be changing and there's a new member at the table, the Weaver Foundation.
It's time for all providers to once again come together, evaluate resources and needs, and put together a cooperative plan. Enormous amounts of effort have gone into providing these physical facilities. Now, additional efforts — of a different kind — are needed so they can best meet the needs for which they were created.
© 2011 Kitsap Sun. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Now, things are changing rapidly — too rapidly, in fact, for social service providers to keep up.
Previously, St. Vincent de Paul and the YWCA's ALIVE facility provided shelter for women and children. In December 2009, they were joined by Kitsap Community Resources, which opened The Family Place for women and children near Silverdale. Early last month, Sally's Camp, an "indoor tent city" opened in Bremerton for homeless families. And within a few weeks, a new facility for women and children, Georgia's Place, will be opened in the Auto Center area by the locally based Weaver Foundation.
At last report, only two families were staying in Sally's Camp, which has a capacity of 17 families. At St. Vincent's shelter, four of 17 beds were vacant. When it opens, Georgia's Place will provide shelter for up to 18 women and children.
But for homeless men, the only shelter in Kitsap County is Benedict House, operated by Catholic Community Services, which opened in 2006. The 14-bed facility, which provides 90-day emergency housing, is currently full and has a waiting list of 20.
The math on all this doesn't add up very well: 20 homeless men waiting, and at least 40 vacancies in homeless shelters, plus the soon-to-be-opened Georgia's Place.
"This is kind of an anomaly," said Larry Eyer, executive director of Kitsap Community Resources. "It's a fairly new phenomenon. There is quite a bit of need for single men right now, and it's hard to tell whether it'll be a long-term trend or a blip for a couple of weeks."
He said that for a variety of reasons, many homeless families either choose not to move into Sally's Camp or are unable to do so. In some cases, it may be that they want a living space that's more their own, with their own beds. Or some may have a family or lifestyle situation that isn't a good fit in terms of requirements for living at Sally's Camp.
Some families, and homeless single men, live a vagabond existence in their cars, alternately sleeping in their vehicles, or in garages or homes belonging to friends and family.
But for now, the bottom line is the same. An overabundance of homeless shelter space for women, children and families. And homeless single men who can't make use of it.
It's been said that with this imbalance, Kitsap doesn't need yet another shelter for women and children, such as Georgia's Place will provide. But in fairness, Georgia's Place is only one element in the overall mix of resources. A lot of giving — and a lot of heart — has gone into providing all these shelters, and all who've had a hand in it are to be commended.
St. Vincent de Paul, the Salvation Army, Kitsap Community Resources and Catholic Community Services all have spent years providing homeless shelter, working together through the Kitsap Continuum of Care Coalition. But within a few weeks of each other, two additional shelters will have opened in Kitsap County, the need appears to be changing and there's a new member at the table, the Weaver Foundation.
It's time for all providers to once again come together, evaluate resources and needs, and put together a cooperative plan. Enormous amounts of effort have gone into providing these physical facilities. Now, additional efforts — of a different kind — are needed so they can best meet the needs for which they were created.
© 2011 Kitsap Sun. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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