Month: January 2015

Attendance: Wayne, Alan, Vince, Patricia, Sheryl, Neal.
Coordinators: Facilitator: Vince, Note Taker: Alan

Reports: As there was a new person, we had brief introductions. Vince talked a bit about how TCT got started, the role of Occupy Tacoma activists, especially Neal. He handed out some material describing who we were and what we have been doing.

Wayne, the new person, is from Graham. He talked about his activities assisting homeless people in Graham and expressed interest in checking us out, possibly working with us.

For the benefit of the new person, Vince and others described our requirement to line up more than 1 possible host church site so when the tent city has to move, there will be a place to go. Vince mentioned that one church seems interested in possibly hosting a tent city. Two weeks ago, he had a meeting with the pastor. It was a productive meeting. Patricia says that if we get one site, other churches will be more likely to step up to the plate.

We discussed a bit about MDC (Metropolitan Development Council) project to renovate the BayWatch Apartment building. This building will be renamed for Randall Townsend, a homeless veteran who 4 skinheads attacked and murdered some years ago.

We also talked about the need to have some sort of fiscal arm. Neal brought up the 501(C)3 process. He would like to have us work with an established group. Vince said he will consult with some FUMC people. Associated Ministries might be able to serve as a financial agent, but they will not be willing to organize or manage us.

Neal reports we have an intern. This intern will be working under Neal through a program with TCC as part of an academic activity. Neal reports that he can act as a go-between for Prince of Peace Lutheran. Neal has had some contact with new pastor, who will be installed around March.

Vince wants to lay out the critical steps we must now take to make a tent city a reality. He wants to invite the Seattle folks back when we have more churches lined up here in Tacoma.

Next Meeting

Respectfully submitted: Alan OldStudent

Meeting Coordinators: Facilitator: Vince; Notes: Alan

Meeting Participants & Introductions: Vince H, Bill B (Greater Seattle Care), Patricia M, Gene (United Methodist, TC3 related), Sylvia Sass (Involved in Tacoma civic groups), Carol Maryano, Pastor; Chuck (Heller United, writer, Bethel United, has been homeless), Dennis Shaughnessy (The conversation). Neal Rogers, Peter Roderick (Catholic worker, Guadalupe House). Cody Sharlin, Dick Moran (FUMC Issaquah). Jan Bennet (involved in TC4), Leslie Ann Knight, (Pastor at Fircrest United Church, involved in TC4). Pastor John. (My apologies if I left out anyone. I did not have access to the entire signup sheet–AOS)

REPORTS: In addition to our regular 4 participants, many other people attended this meeting for the first time. They were visitors from institutions who had been involved in community affairs and various tent cities. The meeting was very informal, without a strict agenda.

Vince started the meeting by giving bit of a description of our history. This introduction covered the material in Patricia’s written history. Patricia discussed the long process we had gone through with the city authorities. She described our efforts to get the City Council to pass a code regulating tent cities.

We also talked about the necessity of securing funding once we set up. One church seems open to the idea of being a host, but they are hesitant to commit until we line up some other possible sites. Several attendees mentioned that some churches may not have space but can help with other resources. At the present time, high on our list of priorities is finding other potential sites.

Dick from FUMC said we have an advantage in that the city does not restrict how frequently we can set up a site within city limits.

We also discussed the very high fees the city charges for a permit. Several visitors from Seattle said that after a while, the city may lower the cost of obtaining a permit. Many churches lacking the facilities to provide a site may be able to help defray our costs and provide other resources. One Seattle pastor said he thought we didn’t really need to have 3 or4 sites lined up. If we have one or two successful tent cities, other churches may be more willing to provide a site. We will gain a bit of a reputation for stability and reliability. Bill talked about the advantage of having the kind of stability that SHARE/WHEEL has.

Respectfully submitted: Alan OldStudent

Attending: Vince, Alan, Neal

Agenda: The agenda was not formalized, as the meeting was short and there were only 3 in attendance.

Business: Neal announced that in addition to attending school, he now has a job in a small vape shop. His employer is an example of a small business that supports the idea of a tent city in Tacoma. All of the staff have had experience with homelessness at some point in their lives. We expect to see other businesses support the idea of a tent city as TCT becomes more of a reality.

Vince put out a followup letter to churches in the community. We are beginning to see some response. Vince has been able to encourage several principals from several churches to attend our Jan 5 meeting. We will have a presentation. We are encouraged that there seems to be some developing interest in this project.

Respectfully submitted: Alan OldStudent