CONTENTS 2/12/2021
Happy Chinese New Year!!!
Donations & Sleeping Bags
Fruit Snacks
Hand Warmers
Warming Shelter
RV Family
Caution
We Shall Be Known
September Rental
Radio Free Fl!p: Lay Down Your Weary Tune
DONATIONS & SLEEPING BAGS
I’m not a non-profit. If you want a non-profit, I’d suggest HomesNOW.org. I’ve been sending them a little money every month for over a year now. But donations continue to roll in the door here. Thank you with all my heart! I spend it the best way I can figure, to help the current situation. Like tonight, when someone told me there were $14 sleeping bags at Big Five in the mall. Marked down from $40 each. I phoned and was told they couldn’t take a credit card over the phone. And this post wouldn’t get out before they closed. And I wanted to wrap people up warm tonight, not tomorrow! So I got on my facebook page.
Donations were what let me just holler at 7 PM to see if someone could go pick up nineteen sleeping bags before the store closed at 9:00, knowing I could afford to pay for them. And a wonderful man jumped in his car and headed out. He even paid for them, knowing I could pay him right back. This was all happening on my facebook page.
And while he was driving over, another person chipped in to help pay for them, and more donors piled on, and I said “Wait! the bags are covered!” But the donors said, “That’s OK, keep taking care of people.” So we’re actually ahead again. And the whole thing took not much more than an hour! My front hall was a mountain of sleeping bags for an hour till an outreach volunteer came to take the first batch down to the Warming Center.
So now I can buy more soup ingredients, containers, hand-warmers, etc. Whatever we get low on. And with luck there will be more sleeping bags in on Monday. Big 5 is going to try. But that’s the last day of the sale. I’m not sure the bags will get here in time. But maybe they’ll let us pre-pay so we get the sale price – $14 instead of $40 is a great deal! Almost half the bags are already at the warming center, which is nearly full tonight. But people there are sleeping covered up tonight, as well as out of the snow. And we can keep track of their bag needs and keep sending more as needed as long as our supply lasts. I’ll let you know tomorrow or Sunday if we managed to work something out with the store.
FRUIT SNACKS
They don’t turn rock hard in the cold weather. I think jerky and dry sausages may be good too. And string cheese.
HAND WARMERS
Lowes off Sunset, and Dicks Sporting Goods at Bellis Fair had them today. (Call first) Costco is out. I haven’t checked Hardware Sales lately, but Wes there has cut us deals on large orders of tarps.
$15 sleeping bags are supposed to come back in on Monday (with luck) to Big 5 at the mall. Call before you go: (360) 671-0568 All these can come here to the house. I’ll get them to outreach volunteers.
WARMING SHELTER
It’s quiet at the Depot Market. It’s full. The woman working there said what they really need are
Gloves
Gloves
Socks (Warm, thick, padded, with wool or poly content. No cotton for winter.)
Cocoa mix, tea, spiced cider – stuff to put in hot water.
Everything has to be brand new, in its original packaging, because of Covid.
SOUP BRIGADE
We’ll get the bumps out of this new airplane we’re inventing as we fly it. It got pretty exciting today! But we’re getting to do such cool things! Three different folks cooked. Others picked up the food to deliver far and wide to folks sleeping on the ground in the woods, fields, behind buildings… Such a kind thing to do, and so complex to pull off. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! And thank you for your patiences while we figure it out.
Several people asked how to join the Soup Brigade today, so I wrote this:
You sign up with me to bring dinner (usually dinner) to drop off at SwiftHaven tiny home village, 1555 Puget Street, 98229, in Civic Field. Usually at 5 PM -ish. A resident in a mask (usually Heather) will greet you at the front office and put your hot meals into an insulated box to hold for outreach.
From there, an outreach volunteer will pick it up and take it to distribute to neighbors sleeping scattered far and wide. Neighbors who are scared to be seen and perhaps chased off. So outreach volunteers are key to this effort. They are already known, have built individual relationships (isn’t that what we all need?), and have often set up drop boxes and set regular times for hot meals to arrive.
On my end, I keep a good stock of ingredients, individual meal packaging, and a big pot & pan lending library. I generally don’t provide every ingredient needed, but I’m able to provide most, in bulk quantities. If you are on a really fixed income, I will do my best to provide more. I’m happy to talk on the phone and think with you about what might be fun for you to cook. You cook up your meal, pack it into pints (I provide the dinner boxes) and drop it off, still hot, at SwiftHaven. If you can’t drive over, I may be able to find someone to come pick up your meals. But we have to schedule in advance for all meals.
Other generous neighbors make frequent store runs to make sure ingredients are always available. And everybody keeps donating money so we can keep on doing what we’re doing. It just amazes me!
My phone is 360-671-4511 and my address is 2518 Cherry Street.
Right now I’m booking from Tuesday on, and possibly Monday as well (gotta confirm that). When I have enough outreach volunteers we can distribute 50 or more meals a night. But we’ve got to have the outreach to make it work.
And right now I have a HAM!!! Who’s going to come cook it up?
RV FAMILY
They got a nice hot dinner tonight! S__ asked L__ if they could deliver together, and she said great. She told me where to find them and we did deliver the meat pies and some baked squash and some hot tea to the family trying to stay warm in an RV.
CAUTION
Quietly slipping supplies next to a sleeping person may be a hazardous challenge. Those impacted w PTSD and or psychotic conditions might have an adverse startle response. ~ Jim Hansen
Thanks Jim – You could leave them nearby, in easy sight. Love/Fl!p
LOST GLOVE
One glove lost when bicycling around the neighborhood Friday evening to deliver lunar new year good wishes. I can send you a pic of what the remaining one looks like. Grey and black Gortex maybe, with bright red writing. If you happen to find please call and/or text 3609295518 or 3602208676. Thank you very much!!!!!!!!! ~ Jana Williams
SEPTEMBER RENTAL?
I have a young man who is a very close family friend moving back to Bellingham to complete his studies at Wwu. He is looking for a September start date and would love to find a one bedroom garage apartment or something similar in our neighborhood. His name is Joe Davies from Clinton on Whidbey Island. He is a super responsible well traveled young man who is currently working in Walla Walla with the CCC, which I believe is working on trails and endangered creeks and such. Last summer he was the caretaker for Ebey’s Landing State Park (why would he leave there I love that place!). So he is a handy groundskeeper if needed and and a hard worker. Not a partier. He loves his musical instruments and his computer vises and is generally a quiet homebody. He would also make a great roommate for the right situation. Sorry to gush. I just love him and his family. ~ Randy Mullins, 1202 E Victor St, 360 739-2890
Whatcom Sings Virtual Choir Project #2 in support of the Interfaith Coalition
WE SHALL BE KNOWN
Submission deadline: Friday, March 5, 2021
Introduction and Invitation
You are invited to sing in a virtual choir to spread inspiration, hope and solidarity through music in these crazy times, and to support the Interfaith Coalition, which provides services for Whatcom County residents experiencing homelessness.
We are making this music at this time instead of meeting in person for the Interfaith Music Festival, an event which happens annually in February.
We’ll be performing “We Shall Be Known,” a singable, heart-felt and inspiring three-part song. Watch this YouTube version, showing MaMuse, the group who created the song, together with singers in the Bay area:
We Shall Be Known – three-part version
Here is a virtual choral version by a group called “How We Thrive Choir” (This is not the same as our 3-part score, but it’s a nice virtual choir to watch.)
“We Shall Be Known” calls us to reach across cultures, generations and circumstances to care for one another. Singing it builds faith and community, and sets the stage for action. We are accepting all-comers, and we want YOU! This is about doing something for Interfaith, and just singing! You don’t have to be an expert singer or technologically savvy.
In order to participate in “We Shall Be Known” though, you need to submit a video of yourself singing your part, by Friday, March 5, 2021. You can find the score, rehearsal and recording tracks, information and complete instructions here:
We Shall Be Known Folder on BUF choir blog
Whether you submit a video to participate or not, please make a donation to the Interfaith Coalition to acknowledge this year’s Interfaith VIRTUAL Music Festival ($20+ suggested). Learn about Interfaith and donate here:
https://www.interfaith-coalition.org/
Questions? Please contact director Kevin Allen-Schmid at kevin@buf.org
RADIO FREE FL!P: LAY DOWN YOUR WEARY TUNE
I went looking for this tune to share tonight. I was hearing The Byrds in my mind’s ear, but I found this transfixing version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU_V75GVfdA
Love/Fl!p 360-671-4511 2518 Cherry Street flip@columbianeighborhood.org
If you’re willing to share your phone and address with me, personally, I would love that, and would not share it further without your express permission.
If you want to ask me to post something, just email me. If it’s urgent, phone. If it’s a real emergency, call 911.