Project Connect

January 1, 2011
through
February 28, 2011

Homeless In Kitsap

The voice of and for
the homeless in Kitsap County
Project Connect is
January 26th

This yearís Project Connect, ìHelping Individuals and
Families in Crisisî, will be held at Sheridan Park
Community Center, 680 Lebo Blvd. in East Bremerton
from 10 am to 3 pm on 1/26/í11.
So many things you can use to make your life a little better,
information you need to make
good decisions, help for your kids
and pets will be available.
For example, there will be:
* Bus Tokens * Outdoor Gear
* Hygiene Kits * Vision Screening
and Eyeglasses * Senior Infor-
mation & Assistance
* Dental Hygiene Services * Diapers/Baby Supplies
* WIC Services * Basic Veterinary Care/Pet Food
* Immigration Information & Assistance * Free Hot Lunch
* DSHS Mobile Office * Haircuts * Medical Care
* Immunizations * Prescription Assistance
* Mental Health Services * Therapeutic Foot Care and more!
This year, a shuttle service will be available from
The Salvation Army as well as South, Central and North Kitsap
that will pick folks up and take them back to their pick-up spot.
Details and the schedule of rides will be out in a special insert
on Project Connect and homelessness that comes out in mid-
January from the Kitsap Sun.
The insert will also give info on what booths will be there,
the floor layout, and the Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center
will be available to do Spanish-speaking intakes.
Stories of hope will be featured as well as insights and info
on Kitsap County homelessness.
Besides coming out in the paper, the insert will be available
at The Salvation Army, Kitsap Community Resources, Kitsap
Mental Health Services, and many meal sites.
Many thanks to all those who have worked hard to make
this event a reality, especially chairperson Bev Kincaid of
the Kitsap Continuum of Care Coalitionís Project Connect
committee who has literally worked for months - days, nights
and weekends - to organize all aspects of this event. We all
owe her a huge debt of gratitude. Thank you, Bev.
Photo by Larry Steagall / Kitsap Sun

Homeless Personís
Memorial Service

On Tuesday, December 21, the longest night
of the year, around 40 people gathered at
First Christian Church in downtown Bremer-
ton to pray for the homeless that passed over
in 2010. Most often (last year we had four
that we knew of; this year one) they
died outside, alone. It matters not whether
they had addiction or mental health issues,
or lost their jobs and homes and had no
where to go. Homeless people are just people
without a home.
Itís Tax Time!
~ Free tax preparation ~
~ Help with the Earned Income
Tax Credit ~ Free credit reports
available ~ Free food and door prizes at
Kitsap Community Resourcesí
SUPER SATURDAY EVENT!
Bring 1) Social Security Card for
each person on your return, 2)
photo ID, 3) all 2010 documents, 4)
copy of last yearís tax return
DATE: SATURDAY, FEB. 12
TIME: 10 am to 2 pm
WHERE: KCR, 1201 Park
Bremerton
Call 360-458-2301 for details
Page 2
HOMELESS

Your children CANNOT
be taken away from you
just because
youíre homeless
per
WAC 388-15-009
(5)(a)
The ìHomeless In Kitsapî newsletter is
written and edited by Sally Santana
(sally.santana @wavecable.com)
bi-monthly and is reviewed,
produced and distributed by The
Salvation Army and The Salvation Army
Homeless Advisory Board. Send info
and updates to Sally.

There are several open spaces for
families at Kitsap Community
Resources Safe Car Park. It gets
you off the street and gives you
access to a bathroom.
DO IT FOR THE KIDS
Go to KCR, 1201 Park Ave. in
Bremerton and ask for a Family
Development Specialist.
What do you think?
We're starting a new
feature for the news-
letter, titled "What do
you think.....?" We'll
be asking the home-
less and those that
work with them a
question, to give you
some insight as
to how life works for
them. This edition
we're asking Val M.,
who has worked for years with the
outside homeless in Kitsap.
ìWhat do you think those
that are without a home
need most, other than
their own place?î
Val replied:

ìBeside shelter, the homeless
population need a means of
transportation in order to get to
much needed resources/services/
school /meal sites. Most do not go
to meal sites because of the dis-
tance to walk during poor weather
conditions. If there were tokens /
Orca cards made available they
would be able to make appoint-
ments instead of missing them
knowing they cannot get there.
The savings in funds of missed
appointments would far
surpass the cost of the tokens/
cards. Same for homeless
students. They would be able to
stay after school, do homework/
projects / sports then take a bus
back to where they are
staying.î
ìSALLYíS CAMPî
The Salvation Armyís
temporary tent camp for
homeless
families is
scheduled
to open
mid-
January in
a building
in down-
town Bremerton. It will have
10 family size tents (up to 40
people total) inside to provide
privacy, and has a kitchen
that will hold microwaves and
refrigerators for food and
medicine. Case management
(to help them get into their
own residences) and 24/7
security are also provided.

To apply for the camp
contact:

Jim Stowers at
Kitsap Community
Resources
(360) 473-2047


HOMELESS KITSAP
VETERANS!
Contact Transitional Housing
for Homeless Vets and Service
Center, 1141 Beach Dr., Bldg. 9
at Retsil in Port Orchard.
call (360) 895-4394
for details on housing and
other benefits.

Q FAST FACT Q
Most folks donít know that they are
considered homeless if they are couch surf-
ing. You are eligible to receive help! See
Greg at The Salvation Army for details.
Why January 10th is
Important to You

Thatís the day the 2011 Regular Ses-
sion of the Washington State Legislature
begins; itís scheduled to run to April 24.
As you may know, our state budget is
in deep trouble. Many have already re-
ceived letters informing them that their
benefits (check, food stamp and/or medi-
cal) were reduced or eliminated as of
January 1, 2011.
Also on 1-1-2011, the state stopped
funding the following Medicaid programs:
Adult Dental / Hearing / Podiatry / and
Vision; school based medical services;
and Medicare Part D co-pays.
But that is not the end of it. This ses-
sion, in order to balance the rest of this
fiscal yearís budget, anticipates eliminat-
ing the Basic Health program, as well as
the Disability Lifeline (GA-U; helps adults
who canít work). These programs affect
hundreds of Kitsap County citizens. When
enacted, these cuts would most likely be
effective March 1, 2011.
And that takes us to the next budget
period, set during this session, July 2011
through June 2013. More cuts will come.
Most often mentioned is the elimination of
adult pharmacy coverage and ADATSA
(Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment
and Support Act).
Page 3
HOMELESS
CALL
2-1-1
Or toll free
1-877-
211-9274
if you need
help finding
services like
medical, legal,
housing and
financial.
~
Call
Crisis Clinic
of the
Peninsulas
at (360)
479-3033
if you need
emotional
support.

Necesita ayuda
con el Ingles?
Llame al Centro
de Asistencia
para
inmigrantes al
(360) 440-2376













If you are a homeless
SINGLE WOMAN
without children, needing a safe
car park there is one in Poulsbo.
Call Rae Rodriguez at
(360) 779-5190 or stop by North
Kitsap Fishline, 18916 Third Ave.
NE in Poulsbo.
Kitsap Countyís
Point In Time Count
will occur all over Kitsap
County on THURSDAY,
JANUARY 27, 2011.
See the Project Connect
insert in the Kitsap Sun
for details.
The Lordís
Neighborhood Diner
is back in business!
Every Saturday from
3 to 5 pm
in the basement of
St. Paulís Episcopal
Church, 700 Callahan Dr.
in east Bremerton. A hot
meal is served, along with
compassion and
fellowship.
The January 2011 ìKitsap Community Guide for the Homeless and
Low-Incomeî is now available. Pick one up at DSHS, The Salvation
Army, Kitsap Community Resources, Kitsap Mental Health Services,
Kitsap Transit, Kitsap Regional Library branches, and many churches
and meal sites. Also online at The Kitsap Sunís ìSide Street Newsî
blog and City of Bremerton websites (and others). They will also be
available at the Project Connect (see front page).
Kitsap Legal Services
serves the low income
residents of Kitsap County
who are in need of legal
assistance in civil and
family law matters such as
support modifications,
bankruptcy, employment
law, landlord-tenant
issues and more.
To determine if you qualify,
contact the CLEAR Line
toll free at 1-888-201-1014,
Monday through Friday,
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
ARE YOU AN
ADULT IN NEED
OF EMERGENCY
SHELTER?
Call (360) 337-4625.
Kitsap Recovery
Center has 6 beds
available and you
donít have to be in
recovery to get one.
SEVERE WEATHER SHELTERS

If itís due to be 32 degrees or below, call 2-1-1, toll free
1-877-211-9274, or The Salvation Army at (360) 373-5550
to see if any of the shelters are open. The weather may
allow for them to, but if we donít have the volunteers to staff
them, they canít. When activated, they are open from 6 pm
to 7 am the following day. The shelters are located at:

CAMPING
GEAR
such as sleeping bags,
for those living outside,
deteriorates quicker in
the winter months than
in the summer because
of the increased rain
and humidity (canít dry
out and fibers break
down) and constant
use. And the tent
zippers werenít made
to be used every day,
many times a day,
months on end, so
these items need
replacing periodically.
Please donate sleeping
bags, tents & tarps to
Taking It To The
Streets Ministries.
Call Gary at (360)
620-6212.
For adults
and families

St. Paulís
Episcopal
Church
~
700 Callahan Dr.
in East
Bremerton
For
teens only

Coffee
Oasis
~
822 Burwell St.
in downtown
Bremerton
All

First
Lutheran
Church
18920
Fourth Ave. NE
in
Poulsbo
Q FAST FACT Q

Comments are often made that the
homeless canít be in that much
trouble if they have a cell phone.
But consider - how are they to
make appointments for job inter-
views, doctor visits,
arrange child care, etc. without
one? You can donate minute cards
to The Salvation Army.
***** The author of this article wishes to remain anonymous.
My husband and I were homeless for seven months; it was an experience I don't like to think about. We were fortunate to have a
van to sleep in.. We didn't have "an address" so it was difficult to get food stamps. We were in Pierce County and they have a few
programs for homeless including a message phone number, PO Box to get mail, a place to sign up to do laundry, Tacoma Rescue
Mission medical clinic. I can't remember now the name of the place we worked with, but they were very helpful and non-
judgemental. Salvation Army there has family shelters but only for 30 days with a 15 day extension for urgent. But the shelters get so
full, we slept in our van parking on the streets one or two nights, then moving to another spot. The police would ask us to move
sometimes, neighbors would. In one neighborhood, we were shot at. We called the police, to no avail, they asked us to move on.
Nothing was done about the resident shooting a gun.
We panhandled for enough to eat. We "stole" cigarette butts. The security and police didn't like it when we did that. Very un-
healthy way to live. There was a place to shower if we came at certain times. Oh those were the
sweetest showers. We would have dirt on dirt in our hair and our skin. Some night shift gas sta-
tions were generous and let us take bird baths in the restrooms. And there were even restaurants
that let us have leftover fries or bread at the end of the night. One teriyaki place in Tacoma actu-
ally invited us in, gave us a real meal at no charge and showed us neighborly love more than
some churches.
The hardest thing is dealing with red tape. We didn't have legal papers, looking for work
was frustrating, and who honestly wants to hire someone with old clothes and bad teeth. I had
two infected teeth pulled because, even medical thru the state won't pay for restoring teeth. If I
wanted them all pulled and got dentures medi- caid would pay, but I wasnít old enough , not all
my teeth were bad. Of course, in our case, drugs and mental illness was the culprit. Detox is hard
to get into and depending on the length of use and type of drug, spin dry detox doesn't work.
Our thinking was already polluted , add to that, no sleep, no warmth, no stable base, no food and
no faith or hope of getting out of the situation made the transition so difficult because we were sick and stayed with what was com-
fortable or familiar even though it was killing us. We knew we needed help but we didn't know how to take the first step. There is
more to the story but I need to write a book about that.
There were many people we met though, who didn't want to change. They had their routine, knew all the food kitchens and cloth-
ing spots and they live within the system of homelessness and actually prefer it because they suspect everyone, government makes
them paranoid. They want to live "off the grid" .
We will always have homeless. Sad but true. Another hindrance is the attitude of society at large that still believe all of the home-
less want to be that way, all have drug or mental problems and all are sub humankind. Paying $500-600 per month for rent may seem
easy to the majority, but not to people starting over. The courts still want their money. Child support still wants their money. And I
must add that the Transit system in Pierce and King is much easier to use than Kitsap. I know geographically, Kitsap has to cover so
much area, it is a big challenge.
I have a lot of thoughts and even after being homeless I don't have answers. I know that individuals care, but people as a whole
don't and many of those with the means have thrown money at programs that didn't work.
Then there are those who exploit the homeless. At Christmas time, donations of money and gifts meant for children of homeless
or families ended up being filtered through by some staff to sort out the "good stuff" before giving it to to homeless clients. One of
the "perks" of low-paying jobs or volunteers. There are also the homeless who exploit the tender hearted. And the "scammers" who
are not homeless and have a network of family, friends, associates who know how to work the system and take what is meant for the
destitute. We knew a drug dealer, making thousands of dollars who had section 8 and was buying the house he lived in from his par-
ents who purchased it on the guise of a rental investment. They owned a business. He was caught and arrested for drug dealing but
had a private attorney, has yet to go to jail or prison.
***We need medical, dental, food, hygiene, shelter, drug/alcohol/mental health counseling and job counseling with the cooperation
of the community within a structured but individually focused plan that has trackable, documentable accountability by those who
administer help and those who receive it.***
I was delivered out of our situation thru negative circumstances. I was exhausted and developed pneumonia. My husband took me
to emergency, but, the police had a warrant for my husband, our car had no tags, hospital security called Police. They took husband
into custody and even tho he told them I was sick in the car, the police didn't believe it, they rousted me from the vehicle, I had no
warrants, I've never been arrested, no criminal history, but they "assumed" I did. I couldn't stand up, I collapsed in the parking lot,
split open my head, was unconscious and was rushed into emergency for a head injury. After two days I was released. Our car was
towed away, so I had no "home". I didn't even know what happened or how I ended up in the hospital. A nurse was kind enough to
fill me in and tell me that my husband was in jail. So the hospital sent me in a taxi to the Tacoma Rescue Mission where I completely
brokedown with psychotic episodes and the psychological physician at the Mission determined I was mentally impaired, put me on
meds and since Tacoma shelters were full, I ended up at the YWCA Alive Shelter here in Bremerton. My life was saved. Literally.
I am a completely different person now, in counseling. Husband is clean and our marriage was restored, 28 years. Of course I credit
God for everything. But God used willing, sincere people to orchestrate my rescue. I had to be willing to receive the help and they
had to recognize the kind of help I needed.
My
Voice
A column from
our homeless people