TOUR #1
Poverty, Race, Disability, Youth, Elder Scholarship/ Empathy Exercise
By Matsu Momii
Person #1: My name is Lee Black. I began using 3 years ago after the death of my father, my rock, the glue that held every facet of my world together, held me together. He was the one person I could count on, the person who taught me unconditional love, and taught me how to see the good in others. When he suddenly left this life, I was so lost. With drugs clouding my ability to process losing him, time has passed, and I became lost. Now here I am, in Olympia at a homeless camp, in awe at what my life has become. Although my situation is seemingly bad to someone viewing from the outside, I recently decided to give life another chance. I mourn what once was, and always will, but some little voice inside me is telling me to “hang on, things will get better.” I truly believe, thanks to my father’s teachings, that we are all where we are supposed to be right now, to do what we came here to do. So that’s what I tell myself when I doubt. I’m right where I’m supposed to be. My life is different than it used to be, and soon, with positive thinking and trust in a greater good, my life will be different than this. Hang in there everyone. Love to all! -Lee Black, Olympia, WA
Person #2: I thought it was all bad, but 5 years later it's some of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I’ve been homeless now for ½ a decade, wasn’t sure what to expect, and as my hope for a normal life began to fade, a new family emerged who didn’t reject me. Although I’d still like to get off the street, if I have to sell my soul I’d rather beat feet. My family out here are realer than those behind four walls who fear -Chase Arevalo 360 763 3564, chasearevalo14@gmail.com
Person #3: It was in the fall of 2014 my life changed forever. Up til then I had a 5 acre ranch. I was a caseworker for WA State. With a $2000/month mortgage and struggling to keep 6 children… while paying. I have a settlement coming, will donate off a $30,000 student loan… With a marriage on the rocks already all it took to finalize the separation (?) was an assault from a client. I continued to work… due to my financial responsibilities and the need that my 32 clients needed when I was on a 16 client... due to the State… my pay stopped due to my injury and they denied my claim. In a matter of weeks, I went to living homeless from owning a ranch from having a family to living alone. People yell things at me, regardless of the fact I’m 60 years old. Regardless of 4 college degrees and 2 young (?(…. SAD. -Jesse Durazo
Person #4: Death of family, loss of direction, lack of capacity, gaining experience, losing my bank card. I have an addiction to help others succeed. Contact me as a solution or become a stock option. -Life Shamarah Marie Warlucci, Save a Love Help a Life, 360 413 0577
Person #5: Lack of self care is why I'm houselessness. I dream to build a house.
Person #6: I had to be in the hospital for an abscess for 2 ½ weeks. I was healing on heroin and had the worst come down of my life.
Maybe take all the unoccupied homes and give them to homeless people-catywolfe@gmail.com
Person #7: Family, ex-girlfriend & baby Devon Jr. I was out here selling crack cocaine and was making very good money too. Hailey was one of my workers and a very hard worker at that too. I never once looked at her as an attractive girl or anything like that because business is business. But one day we smoked too much crack together and one thing led to another and we slept together and 9 months later we had Devon Jr. Then soon after Devon was born she took all my drugs and left me for a midget named Tommy and left Devon Jr. with me and now here we are.
I am trying to survive and keep my son safe and alive but the legal way. I’m looking for jobs everyday and hopefully I will get a job soon. -Devon
Person #8: Getting out of prison after doing 8 years having nothing to come to. No home, no nothing, only the clothes on my back. You have to do anything to stay alive, I (?) had to go back to doing things that got me back to prison. I had to sell drugs, etc. It's hard out here but we all for the most part are survivors. We will survive. -Pauley
Person #9: I was watching my post… (?) a person came over from another camp to start strife. I ran them off with a sword pointed down. 15 minutes later I had a 36 pointed at me. I turned ran and tripped as I was getting up. I was knocked in the face with steel toed boots. -David N Johns
Person #10: Stress, triple whammy… mother had triple bypass, lost my job and a 5 year relationship ended.
Creating a community to help felons.
Person #11: 4 years in prison in Texas. My father was in prison for 12 years. My father got released from prison, and then the cartel killed him. My father died on Christmas day. Then I got hooked on heroin at the age of 22. I lost my son at the age of 22. Then I ended up homeless for the next 4 years. -Nicholas Lindo
Person #12: I was wrongfully accused of domestic violence where I was stripped of my rights and my children and wife. I lost everything and never could get a job with a felony on my record. After my prison sentence I came home to an empty place and it's been that way since.
Everyone having equal housing. -Elijah Yelden