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www.SoundFoundationsNW.org soundfoundationsnw@gmail.com
Lights! Camera! ACTION!!
WELL, LIGHTS AT LEAST
Good news: Our friends next door with the blessing of the Port of Seattle have agreed to install all new LED lights in The Hope Factory! They will be doing this in phases. This will affect our production throughout the month of January. We will be moving things around to accommodate what is happening above our head. It’s sort of like when you paint your living room with the furniture still in the room. We will be moving and changing things around to accommodate what they do.
Some days we may be only in The Hope Factory a half day. Some days we may even shut down for a day or so. All we are asking is to “go with the flow” with us this month. The end result will be great!
IMPORTANT UPDATE: We learned this morning that the lights and electricity will be shut down in the main part of The Hope Factory next week. Therefore, we will not be building Monday, January 15th through Thursday, January 18th. We WILL be building on the weekends before and after these dates. Sorry about the late notice. We just found out ourselves.
ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 18TH STARTING AT 1 PM, we will need 6-8 able bodied volunteers to help us move the jigs to a different part of The Hope Factory. Fortunately, everything is on wheels. It will just take some of us to do the moving. Please sign up on the SignUpGenius link below.
Some days we may be only in The Hope Factory a half day. Some days we may even shut down for a day or so. All we are asking is to “go with the flow” with us this month. The end result will be great!
WHAT ELSE IS NEW IN 2024?
The Tower
Or what everyone else call it – the “Time out Room”.
Seriously, Mark Warden, one of our founders, has donated a dust collection system to us. It is big and loud, so we had to create basically a sound proof room so that the noise did not dominate The Hope Factory. Soon, we will be less noisy and less dusty, thanks to Tom, David and Bruce.
(Hint: if you see Barb go in The Time Out Room, don’t follow her!)
Wedgies
We have replaced the wedgies on the right (above) with new and improved wedgies on the left. Thanks, Bill, for making these for us.
New Tarps
Our old recycled billboards lasted nearly a year, but alas, they were ready to be replaced. Now we don’t have to look at Harrison Ford’s chin any more…
THE 10%
Nearly every week, we get one or two emails asking us if we can give their parent/brother/friend a tiny home. This week’s email from Rachel was especially poignant. We reproduced it exactly as it was written. It is raw and a warning on the language, but you will get the point.
The reason only 10% of the homeless population is housed during sweeps is because the rest of us are completely ignored. I don’t do opiate,, I have a14 year old cat who is on rx meds for life and I’ve been homeless nearly s year. 8 months of it I had a car to sleep in but I totaled that in September and am on the streets. Ive done the coordinated entry interview, I’ve called at least 10 different individuals. I get recommended shelters that really don’t work with having a cat I need to be able to leave somewhere so I can function or get anything done and no one actually gets me an in at the one shelter I asked for (Bridge) or for a tiny home id like. I’m told if I want a tiny home I have to get a rent. Wtf? Am I not homeless enough for you? I’m not gathering in that community. I had my wallet stolen from that community the first week after I wrecked my car. I am closer to society’s edge than a lifetime of poverty. I want to work. I want to be able to pay for shit again. But it’s like the city wants to drag you down to the lowest lows of depravity before they give you a boost. I’m already suicidal, sometimes. I can’t functuon or work or even shop or sleep because I have a cat with me all the time. Sorry I got detailed. Back to my original point: the city only gets 10% of the homeless population housed BECAUSE they are only willing to work with people in tent communities. And you know what? A lot of those people thrive out here and will return to street life. In the streets they’re king. The city does not offer any help to the people on the outskirts of this community, introverts, artists, people with unusual circumstances. And EVERYONE still treats us like dirty shit. I just got kicked out of a warm stairwell at PCC after buying food from there and wanting somewhere private to eat a meal. What the fuck where am I supposed to go? Where can I charge my phone? Where can I shit? Where can I exist? They’d rather we die than stay warm. These are minimum wage employees in referring to. But the city cares equally so.
Sobering, isn’t it?
AND FINALLY. . .
We try to end on a positive note. Here are two love notes that we found in Uplift, our 451st home😊.
Interesting what Publicola says about KCRHA:
Great article published by the New York Times on Community First! Tiny Home Village in Austin, TX:
- January 11th, 12:45-2:10 pm. Exhibits at Bellevue Big Picture School for our interns. The Hope Factory will close at noon so we all can go over to the school and enjoy their exhibits. The address is 14844 SE 22nd St, Bellevue, WA 98007. All are welcome to attend.
- January 12th: Barb speaks at Epiphany Church.
- January 15th: Barb speaks at Covenant Shores
- January 31st: Sixth graders from Open Window School will be touring The Hope Factory again. On the same day, the Women of Amazon/Queen Bees will be building with us. Expect a wild time!
THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED THIS WEEK
- Our “regulars “who are the heart and soul of our organization.
- “New Crew” members: Ian, Bill, Heidi, Couren, Alan, Mark, Brett, Larry, and Keyana.
- Our wonderful groups: Tzu Chi Seattle, Bonnie’s Bunch, Sound Transit, and Crowley Maritime.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
TO VOLUNTEER
Come build with us this week! Here’s the link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4EACAF2AA0F4C52-47154760-volunteers#/
Please remember to wear painting clothes even if you do not anticipate painting. Minimum age is 16 years. Please, no exceptions.
Clarification: If the SignUpGenius says (The name of a Group Build) AND Open Build, this means that you can volunteer even if you are not a part of the group.
TEAM LEADERS IN TRAINING: If you wish to become a Team Leader in Training, DO NOT SIGN UP for the day you wish to do this. Email SoundFoundationsNW@gmail.com and we will put you on the list.
We hope to be building with you soon!
Your Leadership Team: Beatrice, Tom, Bruce, David, Timothy and Barb
It Takes a Village to FUND a Village
YOU are a big part of why stacks and stacks of lumber fill The Hope Factory. There are several ways to give throughout the year. Questions? Please email devel.sfnw@gmail.com. All gifts qualify as tax deductible but please consult your tax professional for your own situation.
To give by check, credit/ debit card, a Donor Advised Fund, or a qualified charitable distribution from your IRA, start on our Donate page, or:
Remember, if you sponsor a home (currently $4500), you get to name the home! Tiny home sponsors have their names (or “anonymous”) and the name of their home added to our Tiny Home Sponsor wall and join our growing list of supporters who’ve reached a little deeper to become part of the solution to ending homelessness. Email devel.sfnw@gmail.com for details.
A Few Reminders
- We do tours every day but Friday. Come visit if you haven’t been yet.
- We have a “Welcome to Sound Foundations NW” PowerPoint presentation that is also in .pdf form. If people ask you what we are all about, these are a simple thing to attach to an email to explain who we are, what we do, and why we do it. Email SoundFoundationsNW@gmail.com for this .pdf or PowerPoint.
- We fund our homes through a combination of private and public donations. For more information, please go to our website – Helping Finance the Homes.
Protocols, Address, Directions
- Volunteer at your own risk for Covid or any other illness. If you are experiencing any symptoms, please stay home.
- Masks are optional when volunteering at The Hope Factory. There is no shame in wearing a mask.
- The minimum age is 16 years. Please, no exceptions.
- When you are at The Hope Factory, please social distance whenever possible.
- Covid booster shots are not required but highly encouraged.
- We are usually there by 9 am or 2 pm on most Sundays. Make sure you double check the times in the Sign Up Genius. You can come and go as your schedule permits. Just let us know so we can plan ahead.
- Please bring your own gloves.
- Please leave your own tools at home.
- Please bring your own lunch.
- No matter what you do, please come prepared to paint.
- Warehouses can be difficult to heat and cool. Please dress appropriately.
- We currently have no indoor restrooms, Honey Bucket only.
- We understand that sometimes life gets in the way of good intentions. If you must cancel at the last minute, please contact us as soon as you know. Others may want to volunteer in your place.
- No experience necessary. We train willing hearts.
OUR ADDRESS is 5 S. Nevada St., Seattle 98109 in SODO.
Visit our Website: