 On
Sunday, June 8th, five people from St. James joined with
people from around the community to campout overnight in City Hall
plaza. This was the third campout since November and was organized
by the Real Change Organizing Project. The campouts are organized to
protest the sweeping of homeless encampments in the city and are
scheduled to happen every three months until everyone has a safe
place to sleep. In the morning, many clergy from the area, including
our own Father Ryan, gathered with the campers and allies to hold a
memorial for those who have died while trying to survive on the
streets.
What does our faith have to say about this issue? Catholic Social Teaching instructs that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person. How we organize our society directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency. Among other things, Pope John Paul II listed ‘the right to food, clothing, housing, sufficient health care, rest, and leisure” as human rights when he spoke at the Untied Nations in 1979. Below are some reflections from those who participated in the campout. “When I first walked into the City Hall plaza and looked around at the people gathered there, I was pretty sure I was going to have a difficult night. I did not have any sense of belonging to either the obviously homeless people or the advocates gathered there. As I began to circulate a bit and talk to the people gathered there I became aware of an emerging sense that I wanted to belong, wanted to be like the people gathered there. Passionate, compassionate, intelligent, articulate, humble. Everyone I came in contact with exhibited some or all of these attributes. Let’s not let imagined or real differences stop us from working together to end injustice. By coming together we become together.” – Karen Herndon “In reflecting about my experience in participating at the Camp 4Unity at City Hall, I wanted to say that this is another lesson to learn about loving our brothers and sisters, especially reaching out to those who are most in need...... In fellowship with the people who participated at the camp out, in hearing their unique stories and personal experiences as well as in listening to what drove them to become activists in this area of social justice, I felt my personal stereotypes about them dissolve and that left me to develop friendship with them. I found myself sharing, having conversations with them as if I had known them for years. Most importantly, sleeping outside, though it was fun and even nice at first, when I woke up, I just realized wow even sleeping outside that night I felt lucky because that night was a nice night, not raining and my sleeping bag was nice. I point this out because then what about the other nights in Seattle, when it will not only be rainy but cold and icy? And in addition to that, my sleeping bag is thicker & nicer compared to what many homeless people have. I am not sure where this experience will take me in the future but I know that for me this experience is unforgettable.” - Vanessa Diego
Click here to link to KIRO-TV coverage of this event Interested in getting involved? Contact
Jennifer Ibach at (206) 654-4640 to find out more
|
“For
me, this was a very humbling experience. I have volunteered
in shelters and shantytowns and worked as a Housing Case Manager but
this was the first time that I’ve been out sleeping on the streets.
The whole process was a learning experience from deciding what
essentials to pack in the bag I could carry on my back to picking
where I’d set up my tent to dealing with the elements throughout the
night. I was struck by how cold it was, how hard the ground was, how
bright the lights were, and how noisy the streets were. I could hear
buses passing, ambulance sirens going by, the coughing of those
sleeping nearby, distant conversations, and the sound of a radio
playing throughout the night. Needless to say, I got very little
sleep and I even had a tent, sleeping bag, and pad! In the morning,
I found it hard to get out of the tent to face people without
changing my clothes, washing my face, brushing my teeth, or even so
much as a glance in a mirror. I felt so tired as I lugged my things
back up the hill to St. James and was so grateful for a warm cup of
coffee, a little breakfast snack, and, eventually, a safe and
comfortable bed to sleep in. But I couldn’t help but wonder about
all those who must face life on the streets day after day with
little to none of the comforts to which I had returned. I can only
imagine what it would be like to wander all day looking for a place
to rest, a place to eat, a place to freshen up, a place to feel safe
and at home. I am grateful for this experience and for the insights
that it provided me. It has filled me with greater compassion for
those who are suffering among us and has given me greater resolve to
work for a better solution in our community. “ – Jennifer Ibach
