Straw Bales; Lots More; Shopping Run? Song: Straw Against The Chill

CONTENTS 1/21/2021
C Against The Chill
Moral Injury
Eviction Notice? Don’t Panic
Shopping Run?
Soup Brigade: Today’s Ingredients
Batteries Needed
Underclothes Needed
Shopping Run?
Soup Brigade
Today’s Ingredients
Free Dishwasher
Stolen Bike
Radio Free Fl!p: Straw Against The Chill

STRAW AGAINST THE CHILL

Wow! Over 100 bales! I love you SO much!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart….

The whole day was so busy I never even finished making breakfast till almost dinnertime. Is it possible this was the busiest day of my life.? (Well no, the 38 hours of labor with my firstborn were certainly busier!) Of course, who knows what tomorrow may bring…

I woke up at 6:25 to take Zeke in for a medical procedure (which went fine). There were already messages about straw bales waiting on my phone when I woke up, which was pretty exciting. And then they just kept coming, all day long. Emails and texts and facebook messages and phone calls. Knocks on the door. Envelopes through the mail slot. Cash, checks, Venmo, PayPal, promises to mail. It was SO moving, talking with everyone, hearing their concern and witnessing their generosity.

Many people donated enough for one bale. Some folks bought 10 or 20, or everything in between. I tried to enter it all in a spreadsheet as I went along but I got mixed up a few times. Zeke is helping sort it out right now. A bit before noon, I ran a quick total and panicked. I called the Farmer’s Co-op to see how many bales they had! Over a hundred. Enough. Dayenu!

Then I checked in with my contacts among the outreach volunteers to see how many bales they could actually use. All of them!!! But they needed tarps too, to make dry, windproof shelters that won’t blow down. So I started searching online, making phone calls, inquiring about local inventory and possible discounts. Both Hardware Sales and Harbor Freight found me some great deals.

At one point I was on hold with a store, and also on the phone with a donor, and someone knocked on the door. And someone else was waiting outside the gate!!! And everybody was patient with me. But by the time I went to try to enter the money, I had forgotten the name of the first person, who handed me cash. But I did get the cash entered at least. It’s a learning curve…

Braided in to my day with the straw bales was the usual parade of cooks for soup ingredients, inquiries, and pots & pans flowing in and out. And today, folks brought still more supplies for the Mamas in the Motel, including three different women who brought cash for them. Specifically cash, not gift cards, so each of the women could begin again to make her own choices after having been trapped in domestic violence. I dug out some really fancy envelopes for the cash from my desk. Presentation makes a difference. I get to assist you all as you wrap the world in kindness, one heart at a time.

I feel a little like the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, trying to conduct a tidal wave… And it’s thrilling! My job is to make the best and most effective use of every penny each of you gave. And to connect with outreach volunteers who will treasure every hand-knitted, hand-sewn, and sometimes even hand-spun hat and scarf. Wonderful Outreach volunteers who encourage the folks they meet to choose for themselves which hat, which scarf, which sweater, which coat. Who offer respect and dignity even in these appalling circumstances.

Ahwren took a first load of a dozen bales at around 3:00 PM today. Tomorrow she will go back for more. And more. And more. Load after load. More than 100 bales! Brett will help in the afternoon with his trailer. I had hoped we might raise funds for 50 bales, maybe. We will actually make lives dryer, warmer, safer for a substantial number of our neighbors trapped camping in the cold. So many tents have blown down in the wind and rain all these months. Straw bales don’t blow down. It’s not good enough, but I believe it may save some lives and buy time while we create alternative systems and get them up and running, to replace the old ones which are so clearly not working.

Some checks are in the mail, and I’m going to go ahead and spend the promised money. The other thing still needed is hands on the ground who can help build with the bales. The weather forecast is not only for snow, it’s for temperatures in the low 30s with wind chill into the 20s. And many campers are not in shape to build their own shelters. Medical bills are a common reason for homelessness.

So I’ve had my dinner of good leftover chicken soup. I’ve handed off the day’s clothing donations, plus some batteries, hats, and scarves. I was able to send along a bunch of headlamps that use AA batteries. Campers go through a lot of batteries on these long winter nights, and there are always requests for headlamps. The clear blue plastic laundry bags for wet blankets arrived today as well. This brings us one step closer to a Blanket Brigade. AND a kind subscriber offered to help coordinate the effort! So if you’re interested in washing and drying blankets, hold your horses just a little longer, and I’ll be able to tell you how to sign up.

So Everybody – Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this amazing day happen. It was fun, exciting, overwhelming, and so very touching. THANK YOU!!!

I’m going to send out this update, go set up the morning eggs, feed the cat, and fall over! And sleep in till 8:30 tomorrow!
All my love/ Fl!p

MORAL INJURY

I would beg you all to write, or to write again, to our elected officials. I know they can’t spend money they don’t have, but it costs less in the long run to get people into simple housing than it does to pay for emergency room visits, motel rooms, and police response. And not caring for our most vulnerable citizens causes moral injury to our whole community. If we abandon others, each of us could be next to be abandoned, and we know that truth in our heart of hearts. It leaves us all more frightened and more isolated.

City Hall’s street address is 210 Lottie Street, 98225.
mayorsoffice@cob.org
ccmail@cob.org

The Whatcom County Courthouse address is 311 Grand Avenue, 98225
ssidhu@co.whatcom.wa.u
council@co.whatcom.wa.us

EVICTION NOTICE? DON’T PANIC

The City has posted an order to get the campers to respect a 25 foot buffer around City Hall to protect from fire hazards, and to get tents back off the pathways so workers can get in and out. It’s an adjustment, not an order to clear the whole encampment.

BATTERIES NEEDED:  D, AA, AAA

UNDERCLOTHES NEEDED:  Contact me for details.

SHOPPING RUN?

Is there someone who could do a morning shopping run for me to SmartFood (used to be Cash&Carry, on Ohio). I can pay for it all, and can send you a very detailed list including isle numbers. I had planned to arrange this for today, but today got away from me. I’m hoping to have supplies arrive here before 2 PM. 360-671-4511. Thank you!

SOUP BRIGADE

Meal Train is a little short on sign-ups. Can anyone fill in some missing meals? Grab a buddy and go for it!

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

TODAY’S INGREDIENTS

Once the shopping run gets back, I will have lots more! Right now I still have pasta, rice, chicken soup base, 30# onions, 20 dozen eggs, and about a pound of shredded cheddar. After shopping we’ll add a bunch more cheese, lentils or split peas, carrots and celery, and another case each of cups and lids.

FREE DISHWASHER

Kirkland whirlpool energy saver Model: SUD5100
Good working order. All parts, minus supply line included.
Out front of 2212 Victor St.
360-223-7287
Rob Holmgren, Victor St.

STOLEN BIKE

Our housemate’s bike was stolen from our garage at 2425 Kulshan Street, sometime during the first two weeks of January. It is a black commuter bike, with “one less car” and “phish” stickers on the frame. There is a rear storage rack with an attached u-lock. There is a front suspension shock. He believes there is an old identification sticker under the lower frame, perhaps with the name Eric Johnson. It was originally a Specialized mountain bike, but the brand labels no longer exist, and it has been modified into a commuter bike. If you see a bike matching this description, please call my housemate, Leif (Eric Johnson), at 360-506-4989.
Thank you,
Becky Curtis
Kulshan St.

RADIO FREE Fl!P: STRAW AGAINST THE CHILL

My friend Bob Franke wrote a lovely song. It’s not from my own faith tradition, but it’s been running through my head all day. Songs have a way of doing that. This version sung by Kathy Mattea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-VXxACc4U4

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.

Inauguration; Neighborhood Assn; Snow, Straw, Tarps, Tools, Hands; Soup; More; Families; Folk Fest; Song: Heart Like A Wheel

CONTENTS 1/19/2021
Happy Inauguration Day
Neighborhood Assn Membership
Snow Forecast
Straw Bales Drive
Tarps, Tools & Hands
Soup Brigade
   Room On The Mealtrain
   Today’s Ingredients
Donations To Families
Warm Wool Caps
From An Outreach Volunteer
Lost And Found Dog
Witch Hazel
Email Improving
Bellingham Folk Festival!
Radio Free Flip: Heart Like A Wheel

HAPPY INAUGURATION DAY

The USA has had an unbroken tradition of the peaceful transfer of power since the beginning. May it continue!

COLUMBIA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSN. CALL FOR 2021 MEMBERS AND BOARD POSITIONS

Due to my personal health issues and work challenges due to COVID, I will be resigning from the CNA Board, effective with the election at our first meeting on Feb. 23. It’s a new year and typically at our first meeting we have our membership drive. This year requires us to do things differently. We are going to have an in-person CNA Membership Drive on Saturday, Feb. 20th, 10am-2pm at the Columbia Share Shack. If you would like to become a member, there are other ways to join. If you would like to be a member, please fill out this form at: https://tinyurl.com/cnamembershipform, which provides a place to share your interests and a variety of payment options in case you can’t make the in-person Membership Drive. In this form, you will also be able to express interest in becoming a board member!!! We will be sure to invite you to our next board meeting later this month, provided you filled out the form in the next week. Thank you for your interest in making our neighborhood a great place to live.

Please email  columbianeighborhoodassociation@protonmail.com if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Jill MacIntyre Witt
CNA President
Walnut Street
[And thank you Jill for your many years of service to our neighborhood and community!]

SNOW FORECAST

Cold weather is coming this weekend or even before. Campers and volunteers on the lawn at City Hall are doing all they can to fortify themselves. They need lots more tarps, pallets and straw bales. As yet our local government has offered no alternatives to get people inside. I am hoping the new administration will make FEMA and other disaster assistance available. But for now, it looks like it’s us, their fellow citizens.

STRAW BALES DRIVE

Wednesday Jan 20th at 3PM

Ahwren has a pickup truck she is bringing into town at 3pm, to Bellingham Farmers Coop on Meridian. She will buy straw bales to improve shelter at the encampment before the snow. You can help! Bales cost $10.89 each, including tax. Ahwren will load up bales and drive them to the City Hall Encampment. Contact me, Fl!p, before 2 PM if you’d like to donate so we know how many bales we can buy. Please call 360-671-4511 to let me know money is coming. You can drop off cash or checks, or use PayPal or Venmo to contribute. Thank you! ~ Ahwren Ayers 360-312-1244  HealingTherapiesConnection@gmail.com

TARPS, TOOLS & HANDS

Sounds like 8×10 or larger tarps are most needed, besides straw bales & pallets. On the ground, community members and neighbors living outside are focused on sheltering in place, preparing for future storms. We need more helping hands that know how to work safe outside. Bring tarps and some tools.

SOUP BRIGADE

ROOM ON THE MEAL-TRAIN

There’s room on the MealTrain sign-ups starting Thursday. I’ve got containers and ingredients if you will prepare them. I’ll coach you. I have recipes and pots. If you share making a meal with a couple friends it’s a lot less work, and you can phone or zoom when you panic, or even just for fun. We can still cook together. And feed hungry hearts and bodies.

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

TODAY’S INGREDIENTS

4# carrots, (carrot cake anyone?),  2 heads of celery, 20# rice, 4# split peas, 8# lentils, three 4# bags of pasta (Ziti, penne), three 5# sacks and two 1# sacks of shredded cheddar. (Please come get the cheese!) Two loaves of bread – one is Texas toast. There’s a big tub of curry paste (wouldn’t that be great with lentils & onions?). About 60# of onions. 25 dozen eggs. Five jars of chicken soup base.

Sign up below to keep a steady flow of meals, and then come pick up soup pots,  restaurant pans, ingredients, bakery bags & individual containers from me. I’ll be glad to talk you through the process we’ve worked out.

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

DONATIONS TO FAMILIES

“Please let whoever donated to the families with small children in a motel know that what they are investing in is so much more than these items! It builds faith that there are people on their side, people that follow through for Moms with young kids. The Opportunity Council gave them motel vouchers because they left domestic violence situations.”

…And they arrived with nothing. Kindness poured in and out our front door throughout today. And respect. New clothing. Personal care items. Diapers & wipes. Many of the donors were moms themselves. One donor told me she hadn’t gotten to do Christmas gifts with her family this year, and decided this was what she wanted to do with the money she hadn’t spent. Beautiful gift bags with hearts printed all over, filled with personal care items! Someone else left cash to buy them stuff, and instead we gave it to them directly so they could start exercising a little bit of control over their lives. The motel mothers could use some canned foods. They have a crock pot, microwave and mini fridge to work with. We can take donations of canned foods at our house. I think we may have gotten everything on their list today, but I’m not sure. I got a little confused a couple times. But it’s all been picked up and delivered. Thank you one and all!!!

WARM WOOL CAPS

Women keep bringing the most beautiful hand knitted hats and scarves to my door. Some even have hand-spun yarn. Thank you! Please keep knitting…

FROM AN OUTREACH VOLUNTEER

A big relief to get each being off the ground. More complicated then you can imagine, but less complicated then trying to survive living under nylon plastic with minimal sense of safety. Outreach volunteers continue to talk to who we meet, to ask if they want to get on a future village list. We are expecting the city to ask HomeNOW.org to do another village, unless BMAC is ready to do a no barrier shelter.

LOST AND FOUND DOG

I had almost simultaneous emails today, one from someone who lost a dog, and the other from someone who found one. Matching descriptions. Both included phone numbers. Sometimes things are really easy!

WITCH HAZEL

I got to show off my garden a bunch of times today in the lovely sunshine. It made me SO happy!!! You can still ask for a tour. I may be busy but I’m not too busy for something that brings me so much pleasure to share. Give me a shout to set up a time. The witch hazel is still blooming for a few more days and the camellia is just opening its first few buds….

EMAIL IMPROVING

I got great personal assistance from PogoZone today. We may have found a way around what appears to be a bug in Apple Mail. Conrad was really patient with me. I can at least read and write email again. Whew! And I may be able to clean up filing problems over the next while.

BELLINGHAM FOLK FESTIVAL!

January 22nd, 23rd and 24th

Here it comes! The schedule is now up. And I myself am on it, with Songs Of Connection. This promises to be a rollicking good time! The e-festival offers three days of inspiring workshops, performances, and jams for all ages and abilities. It’s a celebration of homemade music happening online and in your very own home. Don’t live in Bellingham? No problem! For the first time ever, attendance isn’t really restricted by your physical location.

Other benefits include but are not limited to:

  • free parking!
  • no lines!
  • no uncomfortable chairs!
  • the freedom to noodle!
  • no audible coughing!
  • using the bathroom whenever you want!
  • your babies/cats/xylophones can come!
  • no nasty glares for coming in late!

http://www.thebellinghamfolkfestival.com/schedule

http://www.thebellinghamfolkfestival.com/

RADIO FREE FLIP: HEART LIKE A WHEEL

Write by Anna  and performed by Anna & Kate McGarrigle. Kate died a decade ago, but in these days of the year. She was 63. What an amazing song! I’ve heard that death comes in three phases. The first is when your breath stops. The second is when the last person who knew you, face to face, dies. The last is when your songs and stories are no longer shared. Kate has a long way to go yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Enc8KEzdYY

Email Is Iffy; Soup: Need Sign-ups; Crossroads; Ingredients; Families; Straw. C-19 Study; Mike Marker; Song: My Street

CONTENTS 1/19/2021
Email Still Unstable
Soup Brigade
   Need Mealtrain Sign-Ups
   Life At The Crossroads
   Today’s Ingredients
   Support For Families
   Straw Bales & Snow
C-19 Study
Comfort In, Dump Out
Mike Marker Obituary
Two Dads Story
Radio Free Fl!p: My Street

EMAIL UNSTABLE

Still struggling. Phone and text are best for now. Email is getting better but still unreliable. At this point the problem seems to be Apple Mail.

SOUP BRIGADE

NEED MEAL-TRAIN SIGN-UPS

Starting this Wednesday,MealTrain sign-ups are a little sparse. I’ve got containers and ingredients if you will prepare them. I’ll coach you. Grab some family members or buddies and let’s feed some cold, hungry neighbors!

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

LIFE AT THE CROSSROADS

I said the other day that I am getting to stand at the Crossroads of Kindness. I see many people each day (safely masked, from the foot of our porch stairs for the most part) dropping off or picking up ingredients, pots & pans & containers. Boots & blankets & headlamps & hand warmers. The last couple days have been hat & scarf days. Several different knitters brought gorgeous, warm, hand-knitted wool hats and scarves. Beautiful enough for tears. Gratitude fills my life. And I get three visits a week from on-the-ground volunteers who take it all and carry it with love and respect, hand-to-hand and face-to-face, to the individuals who need it most.

Someone teased that if my neighbors didn’t know me so well, they’d think this was a drug house because of all the cars pulling up for a few minutes and driving off again.

TODAY’S INGREDIENTS

6# carrots, (carrot cake anyone?), 6# potatoes, 4 heads of celery, 15# rice, 10# lentils, three 4# bags of pasta (Ziti, penne), two 5# sack and three 2# sacks of shredded cheddar. (Please come get the cheese!) Two loaves of bread – one is Texas toast. There’s a big tub of curry paste (wouldn’t that be great with lentils & onions?). A jar of chili powder. About 12# of onions. 20 dozen eggs. Two jars of chicken soup base. Six huge cans of Chili, and cheese & onions to go with them, for those who would rather heat food than make it from scratch.

Sign up below to keep a steady flow of meals, and then come pick up soup pots,  restaurant pans, ingredients, bakery bags & individual containers from me. I’ll be glad to talk you through the process we’ve worked out.

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES

On-the-ground volunteers have four families in a motel together, in urgent need of the following items. If you can help, please contact me BEFORE you bring things here, so they don’t drown in duplicates in their very limited space. Hand-me-down clothing is welcome. Self-care & bath items should be new. If you’re going shopping for them, call me first. My email is still unreliable. 360-671-4511. My address is 2518 Cherry Street. Thank you! Let’s see if we can get this done today.

I was horrified to discover that there do not appear to be any agencies that help provide supplies in situations like this. A long-time out-reach worker told me that the pandemic has changed everything. Thrift stores used to help, when they were open. And when people in urgent need could get there. If there are programs I can’t find, please let me know.

* 2 pkgs of size 4 diapers
* 4T/5T pull-ups
* several pkgs of baby wipes.
* 18 mo-2T clothes  clothes.
* 2 sets of 4T clothing and  size 7 shoe, and size 5 diapers
* 5 yr old girl who wears 5T clothing  ,panties.
* children’s socks
* 4 family units worth of Bath items
*  Shirts XL, some sweats/joggers same size.
* hair  brushes
* 4 family units worth of self care items

STRAW BALES & SNOW

And pallets and tarps. With no place to go, and snow forecast, neighbors who have lost their homes and are tenting on the lawn at City Hall are trying to build sturdier shelters before the weekend. Straw bales make important insulation and wind barriers. Can you help? Might your church, or club, or association, or buddies, pool your resources together to get a bunch of bales delivered? Bob Franke wrote a song: Straw Against The Chill. It’s where we are now.

C-19 STUDY

Zeke and I joined this international study many months ago. It take me less than one minute a day to report in for both of us. It has been helpful to researchers studying this disease, and therefore helpful to us all. As of this evening, they need only 42 more Whatcom County residents to join, and they will be able to provide accurate daily COVID estimates. Can you help?

https://covid.joinzoe.com/us-2

COMFORT IN, DUMP OUT

And take turns! Here’s a new version of the Ring Theory Of Support, modified for the pandemic. This is very useful!

https://medium.com/@GeralynBMurray/ring-theory-pandemic-edition-comfort-in-dump-out-switch-ef402d7c2e94

MIKE MARKER OBITUARY

Mike lived in the next neighborhood over, but was a huge part of the local music community since the 1970s. I believe musicians impact us all, and Mike’s skill and passion definitely shaped my life, and through me, you.

R. Michael Marker, known to his many friends as Mike, left this world on January 15, 2021. He was a force of nature, and will be dearly missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and musical co-conspirators.

Mike was born in San Diego to Bob and Jean Marker in 1951. The family relocated to Spokane shortly afterwards, where Mike spent his childhood and young adult life. He cherished time with his grandparents on their farm in the Spokane Valley, growing up with a love of the outdoors and a strong inherited work ethic. Both his mother and grandfather sang and played music. When he was in high school, he saved up his own money for a banjo, and his mother paid for five lessons. Soon he was playing his first gigs at Shakey’s Pizza.

When Expo 74’ came to Spokane, he met Utah Phillips and Larry Hanks. Both became lifelong friends. He was also strongly influenced by his many mentors, including Malvina Reynolds, Pete Seeger, and Michael Cooney. He dedicated the better part of his life to social justice, believing in the power of music as a political and social tool. He toured extensively, also writing and performing songs for countless local protests and community events. 

Mike was an incredible performer and storyteller. Throughout his life he continued to improve upon his already impressive musicianship. He was constantly writing new songs and arranging old ones. His gigs at Mama Sunday’s (now the Underground Coffeehouse at WWU) were legendary, and his pajama concerts for the Roeder Home and Bellingham Public Library were beloved across generations. 

Mike was an integral part of the Bellingham musical community. He could often be found playing an impromptu gig at one of many local brew pubs or sitting in on a music circle (invited or not). He was a wealth of old songs, and was happy to share the history of all of them. For many years he was music partners with Larry Hanks, and in 2009 they recorded their studio album, The Truth for Certain. Later, Mike performed with his son Nakos under the moniker “Doc and Nak.” Mike was immensely proud of his son’s talent and skill, and it brought him great joy for them to share a stage. Most recently, during the pandemic, he was performing in virtual festivals as far-reaching as Australia. 

He is survived by Ceci, his wife of 37 years; his three children, Yonina, Nakos, and Miska; and his brother, Terry. 

Nakos has organized a comprehensive archive of Mike’s recordings. They will be available for free, as Mike firmly believed art should be. Contact Nakos at namarker@gmail.com

Due to the pandemic, there are no current plans for a memorial. A public wake will hopefully be held over the summer, as Mike deserves a party as legendary as he was.

cecilia.morales.2@gmail.com

FATHER’S DAY STORY

Mike wrote this, and sent it to me recently. You might like it too.

 https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2020/06/19/Two-Dads-Fathers-Day-Story.

RADIO FREE FL!P: MY STREET

Malvina Reynolds was one of Mike’s mentors, and he used to sing this song of hers. He and I were talking about it just a couple weeks ago. Our two lives have intersected since about 1973.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl5A-QUcdAY

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.

No Email; Soup; Cold Weather Coming; Pallets; Lots More; Song: Mike Marker

CONTENTS 1/18/2021
Email Down
Soup Brigade
Cold Weather Camp Needs
Pallet Delivery?
Today’s Ingredients
Oven Baked Rice Recipe
SwiftHaven Requests
Waterproof Footwear
From An Outreach Volunteer
Hot Potato
Humane Society Event
Tutoring Available Via Zoom
Foster A Fish?
Radio Free Fl!p: Mike Marker

NO EMAIL

If I haven’t answered, that’s why. Email has been spotty or down for several days, and the website was down yesterday, so there was no Update. With luck I’ll manage to get this post out tonight. If you have something urgent, you might want to text or phone me: 360-671-4511. I’m dreaming of going to bed by midnight or so, though it’s usually more like 2 AM, and I try to sleep in till 8:15.

SOUP BRIGADE

Breakfast is needed for 30, early Tuesday morning. Can someone undertake this? I can hand you ingredients. For that matter, does anyone have time to make a run on SmartFood for me? A neighbor jumped in to make a missing breakfast for 50 on less than 24 hours notice yesterday. What a relief!

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

COLD WEATHER CAMP NEEDS

Straw bales
Firewood
Pallets
Emergency Blankets
Plywood
Phillips screwdrivers
Nails
2x4s
Tarps
Power Tools
Padlocks
Sandbags

Preparing for the weather at Lottie 210 Camp.  Bring supplies & work is continous. Reach out directly if you’d like to come down to camp and do some hands on help!

PALLET DELIVERY?

If someone is willing to deliver them, we have a stack of pallets by our back gate. There are also some neighbors who have cardboard to donate if someone is able to come pick it up.

TODAY’S INGREDIENTS

10# carrots, (carrot cake anyone?), 3# potatoes, 2 heads of celery, 15# rice, 4# lentils, four 4# bags of pasta (Ziti, penne), one 5# sack and three 2# sacks of shredded cheddar. (Please come get the cheese!) Two loaves of bread – one is Texas toast.  There’s a big tub of curry paste (wouldn’t that be great with lentils & onions?). About 12# of onions. 7 dozen eggs. Two jars of chicken soup base. Six huge cans of Chili, and cheese & onions to go with them, for those who would rather heat food that make it from scratch. (Someone may have reserved the chili, but I can’t get at my email. Maybe text me if that was you?).

Sign up below to keep a steady flow of meals, and then come pick up soup pots,  restaurant pans, ingredients, bakery bags & individual containers from me. I’ll be glad to talk you through the process we’ve worked out.

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

OVEN BAKED RICE RECIPE

I wrote my friend Chris, who is in charge of the kitchen at Guitar Camp, and asked for bulk recipes. He sent this, for a simple, quick way to make rice in the oven, baked in big restaurant steam table pans with lids. We have three of those pans and will get at least one more. The recipe has a place you can adjust numbers for how many you want to feed.

https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/cook-rice-crowd-easy-oven-method/

SWIFTHAVEN REQUESTS

*Small folding TV tray type tables that can be folded and set aside.
*Regular donation of detergent for their brand-new laundry tent. Might someone volunteer to keep detergent flowing?
*Big wok
*Full length mirror
*One of the residents has a dog that needs a special diet. Is there someone who would take on providing special food? Pets are really important emotional support for many people undergoing homelessness.

WATERPROOF FOOTWEAR

From a nurse who has been volunteering at the City Hall Encampment: We’ve been doing the foot clinic and are always in need of larger size shoes that are somewhat waterproof. You can bring such shoes here. And of course, always more really thick, wool camping and hiking socks.

FROM AN OUTREACH VOLUNTEER

May we continue to listen to the voice and needs of each individual camping neighbor who is surviving daily with minimal resources.

May we encourage our mayor , executive , councils, staff, & faith leaders to reach out in person face to face,  and meet & listen to our neighbors living outside, hear them share their perspective and their needs.

Outreach witness: Citizen basic shelter hand built that look like short huts made of wooden pallets covered in plastic have been built on the lawns and are providing safer shelter then their past collapsed tents or their collapsed bodies on the sidewalk. Day by day those that reside on our collective fields & lawns continue to work together with neighbors to build what meetings have not accomplished. Swift Haven village will be full soon.

Winter is here, bring shelter to your neighbors: plastic tarps, straw bales, firewood, food. Bring them the electronic resources to communicate both ways with our local council meeting. Bring us a way for a nurse to do direct outreach to those who need wound care and medication. Pause distractions from the physical work happening now outside during the calm before our next storm.

HOT POTATO

It seemed easy to just print this exchange.
To Fl!p: “My neighbor made a suggestion about our 2 households coordinating for something for the meal train.  She suggested baked potatoes wrapped in foil with cheese and onions I think.  I  am not sure how quickly things are eaten and a baked potato sitting around for an hour might not be very appetizing.  What do you think of this idea?”
Fl!p to Food Tent: I know another neighbor has done Twice Baked Potatoes, where they are baked whole, and then the insides are scraped out and mixed with cheese etc and put back in. Would that work better? Would 50 potatoes go out fast enough to still be warm?From Food Tent: I think twice baked would work better :). We have a cooler that we’re storing food in so as long as they are well wrapped I’d say they have a shelf life of 2 hours.

HUMANE SOCIETY EVENT

We are looking for artists and creative people to make and/or decorate birdhouses for our online auction.  These decorative birdhouses can be any size and the medium of your choice.  Donations will be accepted until March 10, 2021.

The virtual birdhouse auction will take place March 21-31, 2021.  All proceeds from this event will benefit our Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. There are several ways you can help with this fundraiser:

  1. Build and decorate a birdhouse to donate.
  2. Build a birdhouse for others to decorate.
  3. Volunteer to decorate donated birdhouses.
  4. Purchase a birdhouse to donate (plain or pre-decorated!)

To sign up to make, decorate, or donate a birdhouse please contact Dana at events@whatcomhumane.org or 360-733-2080 x3014.
WHS birdhouse fundraiser

TUTORING AVAILABLE VIA ZOOM

Math: basic math, algebra, geometry, precalculus
Science: biology, chemistry
English
Spanish
General studies, study habits, time management
$15.00/hour

Hello! I am a junior at Bellingham High School and a part-time Running Start student at Whatcom Community College. I live in the Columbia neighborhood. I have experience teaching kids through 4-H, and I am offering tutoring for school subjects via Zoom or FaceTime. If you know a student who could use some extra support, either briefly or ongoing, please feel free to contact me! References available. My email address is Louisa2527@gmail.com

FOSTER A FISH?

Does anyone have interest in hobby saltwater fish or aquariums? A friend is about to leave to work remotely for a couple months, and two captive-bred clownfish and a feather duster need a temporary home (or possibly permanent to a good home). They’re healthy/disease-free and can come with a 20 gal aquarium set-up.  It’s more upkeep than a goldfish for sure, but they are quite charming.  If you are interested in testing the waters on a saltwater tank, this could be great, or if you have room in your tank for a few guests!  Email Phaedra if you are interested – boothp@wwu.edu

RADIO FREE FL!P: MIKE MARKER

For those of you who knew him, I am sorry to bear the news that Mike died this weekend of some kind of sudden, massive heart failure. He was riding his bike when he went down. Medics came very quickly but were unable to save him. He left behind an amazing body of music. Here is Mike’s 12-string guitar take on Deep River Blues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8b9GsEaLJk

Love/Fl!p 360-671-4511  2518 Cherry Street flip@columbianeighborhood.org

If you’re willing to share your phone  with me, personally, I would love that, and would not share it further without your express permission. Nor would I ever exploit it. You might put mine in your phone so if I were to phone you, you’d know it was me.

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.

Alert: Lost Keys; Soup; History; Tune: Wolf’s Lullaby

IDES OF JANUARY

Alert: Lost Keys
Soup Brigade
Some Personal History
Radio Free Fl!p: Wolf’s Lullaby
Going to bed early tonight…

ALERT: LOST KEYS

Somewhere on a walk around 4 pm from W North to Elizabeth to Madison to Wiliams and back to North. Honda key fob and a bunch of other keys. Phone 360-306-1401 ~ Jodi Pilkey

SOUP BRIGADE

I still have pots, ingredients, containers and advice. I would love to assist you to cook hot food for our neighbors who have lost their homes.

SOME PERSONAL HISTORY

I wrote this just a year ago. I was just beginning to face the issue of homelessness here in Bellingham. This was before COVID, when there were more emergency shelters, staffed mostly by elder volunteers. We went out as the storm was coming in and the snow was just beginning to fall. I don’t think I will ever forget that night. I learned to take hot soup for folks as they were just leaving the warmth of the library and seeking a doorway’s shelter for the night. And now the library is closed. The emergency shelters are almost all closed. There are over 100 people without shelter camped on the City Hall lawn. And snow is predicted again, in about a week. I am heartbroken.

Here is what I wrote to some other friends last year on this day:

  I spent Sunday afternoon and evening out with a volunteer learning how to find homeless folks and warn them of the coming storm and let them know both the City and County were opening emergency shelters. And we handed out lots of coats, hats, gloves, socks, hand-warmers, blankets & food. I was pretty horrified to find out first hand that almost none of the homeless folks I talked with had heard a storm was coming! What good does it do to open shelters if there is no mechanism for getting the word out to the people who need them? No phones, no TV, newspapers, and clearly no one is talking with them, even when they hand over money. Wah!

I learned a lot. It was clear that my mentor, a woman a little younger than me who has been doing this work for years, is so concerned about individuals without shelter that she has little slack for how scary they can be. Enough to be careful and avoid some of them, but not enough to stop her from approaching individuals and groups. There was a young man who was pretty clearly disconnected from the world, voices in his head etc. She moved in as Mama and got him into a coat, gloves, hat, scarf etc, and got him turned around and headed directly towards the shelter pickup point. He seemed much calmer and more connected by the end of our visit. It was lovely.

  She did tell me that she almost never takes anyone into her car. Once in a while a disabled elderly woman who is familiar to her. We were seeking those elders yesterday. My mentor knew a lot of the hidden places homeless folks habitually take refuge in, and what time they are likely to arrive. I printed off lists of shelters, pick up points, and times, and handed them out along with clothing. My mentor was very glad to have me with her. Two women together are much safer than one. Her SUV is completely stuffed with supplies, but she could use lots and lots more supplies.

  I was pretty horrified that almost all of the people we spoke with avoided and were scared of the Lighthouse Mission, had awful stories, and thought they would freeze before they would go there. It was a relief to be able to tell them about other shelters. (This was a year ago when there were other shelters.) We tried to let them know they have a human right to be safe and have a place to rest; that it is not their fault they are without shelter.

  WARM GLOVES and thick mittens, new socks, warm hats, and taxi rides to shelters…. dry sleeping bags with water proof cover or at least a huge contractor-weight garbage bag to curl up inside with bedding to try to stay dry. …These are all desperately needed. Ten minutes waiting or walking in cold with no gloves is painful. Not “clothes in general’ because people on street don’t have closets or storage to keep things dry. Protein bars, beef sticks & jerky, easily pocketed, wrapped food, and hand warmers. Money to help volunteers get more of what’s needed. Deliver to Unity Village in Fairhaven at 206 McKenzie Ave in a waterproof container. We are also accepting donations at our house if you live nearby and know where we live. Check before you bring things to make sure we can use them. We have limited space at home. Thank you!      Love/Fl!p

RADIO FREE Fl!P: WOLF’S LULLABY

Cindy Kallet. Sometimes there are no words. Thank you Cindy. I am trying to go to bed early. In my warm house. How can I?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiYEo0cq7iY&list=PLuVviDccPmWoDjaNJr3JSbXXe23DslG3z&index=11

Love/Fl!p 360-671-4511  2518 Cherry Street flip@columbianeighborhood.org

If you’re willing to share your phone  with me, personally, I would love that, and would not share it further without your express permission. Nor would I ever exploit it. You might put mine in your phone so if I were to phone you, you’d know it was me.

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.

Soup; Laundry; Other Needs; Homeless Perspective; MLK Jr Conference & Film; More; Folk Festival; Tune: Washington Blues

CONTENTS 1/14/2021
Soup Brigade
Laundry Help
City Hall Encampment Needs
Homeless Perspective
MLK Jr Human Rights Conference
Unapologetic
Donate A Baby Gate?
Victorian Rental
Bellingham Folk Festival
Radio Free Fl!p: Washington Blues

SOUP BRIGADE

I have been coordinating community grass-roots efforts to provide hot, nourishing food to the neighbors who have lost their homes and are camping on the city hall and library lawns for the last few months, hoping to draw public attention to their plight. Because of Covid, local Whatcom County refugees have no buildings they can go into to warm up and dry out. Many of them have been outside for months in drenching rain and blustery winds that blow their tents down.  So we try to warm them up from inside. You can pick up ingredients, big cooking pots, and helpful tips from me.

Today’s Ingredients: Some carrots, (carrot muffins anyone?) 15# rice, 4# lentils, three 4# bags of pasta (Ziti, penne), two 5# sacks and two 2# sacks of shredded cheddar. (Please come get the cheese!)  There’s a big tub of curry paste (wouldn’t that be great with lentils & onions?). About 8# of onions. Ten dozen eggs. Three jars of chicken soup base. Seven huge cans of Chili, and cheese & onions to go with them, for those who would rather heat food that make it from scratch. And individual containers for everything.

Sign up here to keep a steady flow of meals, and then come pick up soup pots,  ingredients & individual containers from me. I’ll be glad to talk you through the process.

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

LAUNDRY HELP

They are still working on a new system so campers at City Hall can put one load of blankets a in blue plastic recycling bag from the supplies tent. If you want to help with cleaning and drying out blankets, food tent volunteers are likely to be able to point you to the pile. Anyone can pick up a bag or bags, launder and return to the donations tent. Clear plastic return bags are best, so it’s easy to see what’s in the bag, to make sure it doesn’t get mistaken for garbage (black bags).

CITY HALL ENCAMPMENT NEEDS

If you bring donations to our house at 2518 Cherry Street, we now have outreach volunteers come by three times a week to rescue us from the mountains of gifts. Thank you!

*Headlamps
*One back-up battery for an outreach volunteer’s phone
*Great big 90+ gallon black garbage bags – the ones they sell to line wheelie bin toters.
*See-through blue plastic Recycling bags for laundry. These need to be at least big enough to hold a couple blankets.
*Clear plastic bags big enough to hold a single blanket for returning clean laundry and keeping it dry while it awaits pickup and travels from the donations tent to the person who needs it.

HOMELESS PERSPECTIVE

This is not a comfortable thing to read, but I offer it anyway. We need to first listen well and in detail to anyone we would like to assist. That person knows the most about their own circumstances. When I first read this, I kept noticing all the details this woman has had to figure out and keep track of to survive. Her life is more complex than mine – and I thought I was busy! She offers a view of the structure of our local system, as seen from the bottom.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Bellingham/comments/kvkrfn/my_homelessness_perspective/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

MLK JR HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE

I wanted to plug this weekend’s MLK Jr Human Rights Conference, an annual event hosted by the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force and other community orgs, now virtual for 2021. There is still time to register and join the workshops. It kicks off Thursday evening 1/14 and continues into Saturday.Take care! ~ Elma Burnham  

https://whrtf.org/revdrking/2021-conference/2021-schedule/ 

UNAPOLOGETIC

CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival joins film festivals from across North America for an online screening of Ashley O’Shay’s 82-minute documentary, “Unapologetic” this Saturday, Jan. 16 for Martin Luther King weekend.

The film focuses on Janaé and Bella, two young activists who, after two police killings, challenge a Chicago administration complicit in state violence against its Black residents. Unapologetic is a deep look into the Movement for Black Lives, from the police murder of Rekia Boyd to the election of mayor Lori Lightfoot. Watch the trailer here

Buy your tickets here. Purchase your tickets in advance and watch the film anytime Friday, Jan 15 and Saturday, Jan. 16. One half of every ticket purchase goes back to CASCADIA!

A ‘live’ Q&A with Ashley O’Shay and the film’s subjects Janaé and Bella will take place for all ticket holders at 6:30 p.m. PDT. A Zoom link to the Q&A will appear in your ticket confirmation email.

DONATE A BABY GATE?

I am looking for one of those classic wood/wire mesh (plastic/wire mesh) baby gates that requires no installation for doorways. If you have a one of thes baby gates you no longer need and would like to donate, I would be happy to pick it up. The doorway I want to close off is about 31in wide. ~ Kaleigh Downing, Washington St, kaleighdowning@gmail.com

VICTORIAN RENTAL

Sweet Victorian, 2515 Jaeger St, Columbia neighborhood. Currently available.  3 bdrm, 2 ba, plus bonus room. 1800 sq ft. Built in early 1900’s. Completely updated including wiring, plumbing, insulation, furnace, water heater, thermopane windows, new roof, fresh paint inside/outside. Clean. Small fenced back yard. Off street parking. Close to Squalicum Park, easy access to I-5. No smoking/no pets. $2200 per month, first, last, deposit. Call/text Sally Hileman, 360-303-7141. 

BELLINGHAM FOLK FESTIVAL

January 22nd, 23rd and 24th, 2021

One of the most delightful local events I know, and virtual this year. I get to lead a sing-along session on Saturday and decided to lead it on songs of connection – to people, places, memories, and ourselves. (And do go look at the poster! It utterly cracks me up!!! Read the fine print.)

http://www.thebellinghamfolkfestival.com/read-this-first

RADIO FREE Fl!P: WASHINGTON BLUES

My beloved Elizabeth (Libba) Cotten plays an instrumental guitar piece she created when she lived in our nation’s capital. I thought we might all be able to use something deep, calm and loving about the heart of our nation at this challenging time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMJ73DKvYpY

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.

Soup; Needs List; Laundry Help? Swifthaven; Lots more; Song: Arise Arise

CONTENTS 1/14/2021
Soup Brigade
Needs List
Laundry Help
Swifthaven Needs
Flo Simon Speaks
Reassuring
Dead Birds At Feeders
Zoom Theatre
Piroshky Piroshky
Coty Hogue & Aaron Guest
Radio Free Fl!p: Arise Arise

SOUP BRIGADE

Today’s Ingredients: Some carrots, (carrot muffins anyone?) 20# rice, 4# lentils, three 4# bags of pasta (Ziti, penne), three 5# sacks and three 2# sacks of shredded cheddar. (Please come get the cheese!)  There’s a big tub of curry paste (wouldn’t that be great with lentils & onions?). About 15# of onions. Fifteen dozen eggs. Three jars of chicken soup base. Seven huge cans of Chili, and cheese & onions to go with them, for those who would rather heat food that make it from scratch.

Sign up here to keep a steady flow of meals, and then come pick up soup pots,  ingredients & individual containers from me. I’ll be glad to talk you through the process.

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

NEEDS LIST

Headlamps, back-up phone batteries,  AA & AAA. Warm scarves, balaclavas, hats, gloves, thick wool socks, re-usable rain ponchos. Boots, sleeping bags, WOOL blankets, rain gear. At this point I can accept these here, at 2518 Cherry Street. It helps if you call first to let me know you’re coming: 360-671-4511. I’ve got several Zoom meetings to work around tomorrow. Thank you!

LAUNDRY HELP

My friend Shari has suggested that any camper at City Hall can put 1 load of blankets a in turquoise bag from the goods tent. Campers are invited to put in bags in a pile by the big tree by the food tent. Anyone can pick up a bag, launder and return to donations tent. Clear plastic bags are best, so it’s easy to see what’s in the bag.

SWIFTHAVEN NEEDS

Plywood – larger pieces to build a low pony wall around the kitchen tent. They are also working on building a laundry & shower facility, so if you are replacing appliances soon, they might be able to use some. Plus more plywood! SwiftHaven has a facebook page of their own, and it’s a good way to communicate. If you start your post with “@Paul Morse” he’ll get back to you, but not quickly because it’s hard to get a decent internet connection there. SwiftHaven – 1555 Puget Street, behind Civic Field.

FLO SIMON SPEAKS

Women of Color Speaker Series Registration –
Thursday January 21, 2021 12:00 – 1:30 PM

Go to the website below to register for the first of the YWCA four-part Women of Color Speaker Series: Race and Gender in Whatcom County! This presentation will feature Flo Simon, Interim Police Chief of the Bellingham Police Department. Chief Simon’s presentation will be on Thursday, January 21, from 12-1:30pm PDT.

https://www.ywcabellingham.org/2021-women-of-color-speaker-series-race-and-gender-in-whatcom-county/

REASSURING

I thought this information I got from Indivisible might help reassure our neighbors.  The march Protect the Vote that was rescheduled for Jan. 22 has been cancelled. They ask people to celebrate the inauguration and election victories at home or safely with neighbors following Covid guidelines. ~ Kathy Piscitello

DEAD BIRDS AT FEEDERS

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking the public to take down bird feeders, including hummingbird feeders due to the spread of salmonellosis.  Please try to avoid handling a sick or dead bird and bring in your cats if you find a sick or dead bird near your home. The request is in place until at least February.  WDFW would like you to report dead birds online at https://wdfw.gov/get-involved/report-observations.

Can you please post update and warn people to wear gloves when removing/cleaning feeders.  Thank you, as alway.  Carolyn Gray

http://www.chronline.com/news/wdfw-bird-feeders-blamed-for-deadly-salmonella-outbreak-among-wild-birds/article_a5af5512-546b-11eb-a33d-c7694ab26481.html

ZOOM THEATRE

Dear Columbia neighbors, thank you for your past support of my theatrical endeavors! I have a new play coming up which you will be able to watch in the comfort of your own living room, live-streamed over Zoom from the Sylvia Center for the Arts. Julian the Humble is based on the life and writings of 14th-century mystic Julian of Norwich, but was heavily inspired by our collective experience of quarantine and isolation over the past year. At the age of thirty, while deathly ill, Julian experienced a series of visions. She left the secular world behind and moved into a small cell outside a church, where she lived for many years, writing about her visions. While the life of an anchorite is hard for most of us to imagine, it’s fair to say that all of us have seen the physical boundaries of our world shrink over the past year. Much has been lost, but ultimately, Julian the Humble is about the forces that continue to bind us, through walls, space, and time. It is performed by Dawn Hunter and Lauren Brigolin, and directed by Sean Cook and Glenn Hergenhahn-Zhao. The show runs January 22, 23, 29, 30, and February 5, 6. Each performance will be live-streamed, not a recording. Virtual “tickets” are by donation. For details and tickets, please visit https://sylviacenterforthearts.org/event/julian-the-humble/2021-01-22/ Thank you for your support of the arts during these unprecedented times!  – Rosalind Reynolds, Park Street

PIROSHKY PIROSHKY

Sunday January 17 Pre-Order & Pop Up at Lummi Market, 4839 Rural Ave, Bellingham, WA 98226. Pick up and enjoy freshly baked Piroshky Piroshky as you pick up your Pre-Order!!! Pre-Order Cutoff At: 01/16/2021 2:00 PM Minimum pre-order: $35,

https://piroshky.store/

COTY HOGUE & AARON GUEST

Tomorrow night we will be bringing back the duo for the Fairhaven College Winter music series and the Folk Music Experience class, streaming here on Facebook at 7 PM PST! This time with better sound, better video, and hopefully no false starts!   Join us here at 7 PM PST:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/298533994557015

RADIO FREE FL!P: ARISE ARISE

Jean Rohe and even more friends. I got to host her here in a concert some years back. It’s nice to see she is still growing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay1iC1zt24A

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.

Crossroads Of Kindness; Crisis Line; Soup; Vaccinations; Lots More; Song: Here Is The Chorus

CONTENTS 1/13/2021
Crossroads Of Kindness
Monday’s Meeting
Who Deserves To Be Homeless?
Crisis Line 800.584.3578
Soup Brigade
Apples, Soup Packing Tips
Insurrection Response
Vaccinations
Games For Parents That Are Too Tired To Play
Windy Weather Recycling Tips
Washing Recyclables
In Search Of Sourdough Starter
Grocery Run?
Radio Free Fl!p: Here Is The Chorus

CROSSROADS OF KINDNESS

Because of you and others like you, I’ve been standing at the Crossroads of Kindness and food and supplies  for neighbors who have lost their homes flow in and out of our front entry. It’s a lovely if sometimes heartbreaking view. Thank you.

MONDAY’S MEETING

I have decided to wait to report on it, till we see how this week unfolds. It looked to me like officials were hoping BaseCamp could accomplish things it hasn’t shown signs of being able to do. Fingers crossed!

WHO DESERVES TO BE HOMELESS?

Because of all the work our neighborhood and community are doing for Camp 210 at City Hall, and those experiencing homelessness in Whatcom, I want to share with you the latest blog post from Interfaith Coalition (full disclosure: I am the Volunteer and Communications Manager for the nonprofit). With such a spotlight being shone on homelessness in our community, it’s a good time for each of us to pause and reflect on how we view homelessness and those who experience it. If there is one takeaway from this post, let it be this: “’The most uninteresting thing about the people we work with is that they are homeless.’ We’re all more than face value. We are our life experiences. And we all have value.” ~ Lindsey McGuirk, Elizabeth Street

https://www.interfaith-coalition.org/blog/who-deserves-to-be-homeless

CRISIS LINE  800.584.3578

I work at Whatcom Crisis Triage Center, the mental health side of the new facility. We’re not open quite yet, but we’re expecting to open any moment. The Social Detox beds are already open.

Even still, you mentioned trying to avoid calling police for a mental health or SUD crisis. The number for the Volunteers of America Crisis Line is: 800.584.3578. Anyone can call, whether they are in crisis, concerned about someone’s safety, or with someone in crisis. VOA staffs their phones with Master-level clinicians trained to respond to crisis. They can talk and safety plan; if warranted, they’ll send the appropriate responders: an ambulance, a member of the Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) that includes Peer Counselors and Clinicians, or a Designated Crisis Responder (DCR–mental health practitioners trained to determine whether someone needs to be involuntarily detained because they are gravely disabled or an imminent threat to themselves or others). ~ Lauren Kenny

SOUP BRIGADE

Today’s Ingredients: At this point we have 10# of red potatoes & another probably 5# of bakers (Scalloped potatoes? Twice baked?).  8# carrots, (carrot muffins anyone?) 20# rice, 10# lentils, three 4# bags of pasta (Ziti, penne), three 5# sacks and three 2# sacks of shredded cheddar.  There’s a big tub of curry paste (wouldn’t that be great with lentils & onions?). About 15# of onions. Six dozen eggs. Three jars of chicken soup base. Seven huge cans of Chili, and cheese & onions to go with them.

Sign up here to keep a steady flow of meals, and then come pick up soup pots,  ingredients & individual containers from me. I’ll be glad to talk you through it.

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

APPLES, SOUP PACKING TIPS

Thanks and a little easy tip for soup brigade volunteers, and to my dear friends, neighbors and applesauce friends :

First: YAY!  2+ more batches of super nice apples for sauce has been secured through your warmhearted donations!!! I’d say: PLEASE, KEEP IT UP and I myself will keep it up, so that we all are keeping it up and a pulse pulsing through our hearts where we can feel that pulse at it’s purest. So, that’s my humble, jumble praying cheer.

Here is my soup train insider tip:

Before ladling your hot content into the foldable kind of paper containers, it’s advisable to un-stiffen the flaps by pre-folding them a few times back and forth, as well as to nudge open the pre-stamped slot so that the tab and all is going in nice and easy at the moment of loading instead of the hot content burning your flesh while you ponder if you should drop the whole mess on the floor and scream (or mutter) profane thoughts.

And, oh, while you work the flaps loose, write the date on it and then eyeball/pre-fit of how many of the containers will fit into your box. Smooth packing makes for a faster, hotter dash out the door!!

Stay healthy, stay wise (to all that you hear…) ~Max Eberhard, Apple donations, pappenspiel@gmail.com

INSURRECTION RESPONSE

A concerned neighbor wrote to me, and here is part of my response: I think the odds are that we will be OK. And if we aren’t, that neighbors will aid each other in every way we can. Of that I am confident! This is a good time to reach out to one another.

VACCINATIONS

From one of the two blogs I read every single day. Betsy is a doc in Seattle and I find her both informative and reassuring.

… this MMWR report from the CDC explaining the numbers of reactions in the first 10 days of vaccinations with the PfizerBioNtech from Dec. 14-23. Anaphylaxis, the dangerous allergic reaction that can be life threatening, was rare, only 21 cases out of 1.89 million doses. These are the early data in the process, so more reactions will be documented moving forward. But so far so good. The information is helpful in planning for the vaccinations so providers and staff can be prepared with rescue medications, as well as having protocols in place for people to wait at least 15 minutes after their vaccine, before leaving, so treatment can be started if they have symptoms.

So far I like the odds. My risk of dying from COVID is much higher than a theoretical risk from a vaccine. You can check at your risk at this link to a risk calculator that Johns Hopkins University designed.

BetsyBrownMD/Substack.com

And a local doctor chimes in:

While anaphylaxis can be dangerous, it is an immediate reaction. All people getting the vaccine MUST stick around for 15 minutes afterwards at the vaccine center, where anaphylaxis can be quickly and easily treated. NO ONE HAS DIED FROM ANAPHYLAXIS from the Covid vaccine, and no one has had to be hospitalized. However, the waiting and observation period is one reason that the rollout of the vaccine has been slow…it takes a lot more time, and equipment and personnel at the ready than say, a tetanus shot. ~Anonymous Local Doctor

GAMES FOR PARENTS THAT ARE TOO TIRED TO PLAY

In order to access this article, you will need to sign in to the Hand In Hand Parenting website. I completely trust this organization and the people in it. And their work is brilliant!

Games For Parents That Are Too Tired to Play

WINDY WEATHER RECYCLING TIPS

It sure has been windy! I getting advice from all sorts of experts – not only medical, and counseling (and musical)  but recycling! Thanks Rod…

http://www.ssc-inc.com/weather_delays.php#tips        

Scroll down for Windy Weather Tips on all our collection types. ~ Rod Pemble, Recycling/Safety Manager, SSC

WASHING RECYCLABLES

Piggybacking on the comment about windblown trash–there is another reason that trash/recyclables end up on our neighborhood streets.  When recycling isn’t properly washed out before being placed in the bin, it attracts animals that pull the items out.  I pick up litter when walking in our neighborhood and have seen clear evidence of this.  Cleaning your recyclables will help prevent this (and also make it more likely that your items are actually recycled, and don’t contaminate the recycling process with food).  Thanks for your help in keeping trash out of our environment. ~ Darrah Blanton, Williams St.

IN SEARCH OF SOURDOUGH STARTER

I’m working through an elimination diet, and now in the process of reintroducing certain foods. I would love to make some homemade sourdough bread for this process…does anyone have a healthy and happy starter they’d be willing to share? Can pickup! Please text 970.488.9195  –Anya Gedrath

GROCERY RUN?

I had an offer of a SmartFood run today, and today got away from me. I would love to find someone going there tomorrow, and with luck, someone (else?) going to Haggens or Winco. Love/Fl!p 360-671-4511

RADIO FREE FL!P: HERE IS THE CHORUS

Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer perform a song by Australian singer-songwriter Bernard Carney. Now, this is ridiculous! And brilliant. I’ve been teaching music lessons over Zoom to my 12-year-old Grand-Twins, and my granddaughter has begun writing songs in earnest. She had some questions about song construction, so I found this for her. I realized Cathy & Marcy had answered every question at Guitar Camp some years back. All the secrets revealed! You’ll never listen to a popular song quite the same way again…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NBkTle3rzI

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.

Feelings; Soup; New Crisis Center; Consultant; Winter Blooms; More; Song: Children Of Darkness

CONTENTS 1/12/2021
Lots Of Feelings
Soup Brigade
Crisis Stabilization Center
Medical Consultant: On Masks
Winter Blooms
Windblown Trash
Radio Free Fl!p: Children Of Darkness

LOTS OF FEELINGS

I have a sense that everyone was upset by the events at the Capital on Wednesday, and the feelings are spilling over onto everything else. There’s a sense of urgency, and impatience with other situations and with each other. We don’t always make the best decisions when feelings are running high. I think connecting kindly with other people and with nature can help restore us to ourselves.

SOUP BRIGADE

Today’s Ingredients: At this point we have 8# carrots, 20# rice, 10# lentils, two 4# bags of pasta (Ziti, penne), three 5# sacks of shredded cheddar.  There’s a big tub of curry paste. About 15# of onions. Six dozen eggs. Three jars of chicken soup base. About a pound and a half of white flour. And all that canned Chili!

Check with me on how this all works if it’s your first time, or first time in a while.

Sign up here to keep a steady flow of meals:

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

CRISIS STABILIZATION CENTER

Adults struggling with mental illness and addiction have a new place to stabilize in Whatcom, replacing an older center. The old one held 13 and this one holds 32. The goal is to be able to avoid calling police when it’s possible to use appropriately trained professionals. The center is working on getting a state certification that allows for involuntary holds at the center for up to 12 hours.

https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article248374770.html?ac_cid=DM361672&ac_bid=-899151658

MEDICAL CONSULTANT: ON MASKS

I now have a medical consultant! A local but anonymous MD has offered to double-check anything I post about medical issues. I’m just delighted. Here’s his comment on yesterday’s post. In the future I’ll be able to check before I post, which should avoid most back-and-forthing. I already sent him a question to double-check for tomorrow.

I am concerned with the accuracy of info on your blog about Covid prevention. Most of the info is good. However, your recent post re: N95 masks is not accurate. Fitting is very important and, for a poor N95 fit, surgical masks may be better than N95s because they are more flexible and therefore easier to fit well over a variety of face shapes. HOWEVER, AN N95 MASK IS NOT WORTHLESS FOR COVID PREVENTION. It’s just that their effectiveness goes down if air can move in and out of spaces that exist around the edges when they don’t fit well. AN N95 IS MUCH, MUCH BETTER THAN NOTHING, and, if it fits with only a bit of space around the edges, may be better than a surgical mask that fits poorly. It depends on the face of the individual. As we all know, our faces aren’t all shaped alike. 

WINTER BLOOMS

Our witch hazel tree is in full, fragrant bloom! This is the week. And the first hellebore by the back gate is too. And the snowdrops are up. The star magnolias out by the street have their pussy-willow buds ready to pet (very gently) for the rest of winter until they burst into lovely white flowers in early spring. And yesterday I saw my first tiny magenta primrose out by the sidewalk. I love our winter garden! If you’d like a tour, I’d love to share. Please set up a time in advance though.

WINDBLOWN TRASH

For the last few months I have seen an abundance of trash and recycling blown in the wind. Please contain your recycling and garbage on those days you put it out so it doesn’t end up on someone else’s property. Thank you. ~ Margaret Hellyer, Keesling Street

RADIO FREE FL!P: CHILDREN OF DARKNESS

Richard & Mimi Fariña. “Now in the age of confusion I have need of your company.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i84J_VaJmo

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.

Big Meeting; Soup Brigade: Chili; Virus; N95s; More; Song: Here Comes That Rainbow Again

CONTENTS 1/10/2021
Important Meeting Monday
Soup Brigade
   Teamwork
   Today’s Ingredients
   Chili!
   Sign Up Here
Covid-19 Virus Activity Very High
N95 Caution
Wild Whatcom
Cat Collar
Radio Free Fl!p: Here Comes That Rainbow Again

IMPORTANT MEETING

Monday, 1/11/21, at 3:00 p.m.

City & County elected officials are meeting together tomorrow afternoon to make plans to respond to local homelessness, and in specific to the encampment on the city hall lawn. Campers and volunteers are deeply worried that a Sweep will be ordered. That local citizens with nowhere to go will be driven “out of sight and out of mind.” I hope not! The public does not get to speak at this meeting, but if lots of people show up on zoom to witness, that could contribute to the best possible outcome for our most vulnerable citizens.

https://www.cob.org/ccc011121

If you wish to have an impact on the decisions at this meeting, please email  and phone beforehand, as soon as possible. It is important to be warm and respectful as you express concern. Thank you!

Mayor’s Office  (360) 778-8100
mayorsoffice@cob.org
ccmail@cob.org

County Executive’s Office  (360) 676-6717
ssidhu@co.whatcom.wa.us
council@co.whatcom.wa.us

SOUP BRIGADE

Teamwork: I hear from more and more volunteers who are teaming up with friends to share the cooking for fifty. I love that! Less work for each individual, and closer connections between us. I’d love to hear if you choose to do this.

Today’s Ingredients: At this point we have 8# carrots, 10# red potatoes, 20# rice, 10# lentils, four 4# bags of pasta w/ holes (Ziti, penne), four 5# sacks of shredded cheddar and one 5# sack of mozzarella. There’s a 2.5# sack of parmesan but somebody asked for it, and now I can’t figure out who. Please get in touch with me ASAP.  There’s a big tub of curry paste. About 20# of onions. Eight dozen eggs. Three jars of chicken soup base. One #10 (3-quart) can of tomato sauce.

Chili! And today, a volunteer (in her mid-80s) offered to buy a couple cases of ready-made chili in the huge #10 cans. If you have wanted to help, but worry that “you can’t cook” – here’s an invitation to pick up the chili, heat it up, serve it into containers (we have them) with grated cheese on top (we have that), and deliver it! If you’re feeling brave I could hand you some onions to chop and put on top. We’ll have enough chili to do two meals.

Sign up here: This lets us space out our meals to avoid “feast or famine” – especially famine!

https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/nnmwke

COVID-19 VIRUS ACTIVITY HIGHER THAN EVER

Officials Urge Immediate Action: Since Dec. 30 cases have risen very rapidly, faster than ever before. There’s a high risk of the virus spreading even further as people return to work after the holidays. The Whatcom County Health Department advises immediate action to curb the rise in cases. 

Twice as many cases were reported this week than last, and case counts in recent days far exceeded previously seen daily count records. The virus is more active in Whatcom County now than at any time in the past, including the spring of last year. The rise in cases is consistent across all age groups. After preliminary and ongoing review of case investigations, it appears that the majority of transmission continues to occur in households and at social gatherings. 

Erika Lautenbach, director of the Whatcom County Health Department, said it’s imperative for Whatcom County residents to double-down on known preventive measures. These measures, Lautenbach said, include wearing a mask whenever around others who aren’t from the same household, avoiding gatherings, washing or sanitizing hands frequently, and staying home when experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or after spending any time around others with symptoms. Anyone experiencing symptoms such as a fever, cough or shortness of breath should get tested immediately and stay home from work or school.  Now, perhaps more than ever, the actions you take today can save your life and the lives of others. Cancel your plans this weekend.

https://www.whatcomcounty.us/CivicSend/ViewMessage/Message/132779?fbclid=IwAR1jvuxuFr_ze9e1QIhm-GKIWsolXK8auBUxG9YNC3JAQFXigUNs9Bph8rA

N95 MASK CAUTION

The Whatcom Health Department has  told me, (as the Circle of Life Caregiver Cooperative representative) that N95 masks are only effective if properly professionally fitted. Otherwise, they recommend disposable surgical masks— which are more effective than an N95 mask that has not been fitted to the individual. There are places here in Bellingham that will do this fitting for you—contact the health department to find out where. This is very important info since N95 masks are really worthless to protect the wearer unless properly fitted to the individual wearing them.  Thanks, Aurora Fox

WILD WHATCOM

Our 2021 winter season of weekday programs is now open! This session will be 8 weeks long, running February 8th-April 1st and rotate through our favorite local parks.

Neighborhood Nature, our after-school program, connects participants with the surrounding ecosystem through exploration, play, art, and nature activities one or more days per week! (Does not conflict with public school schedules)

Nature Lab uses an inquiry-based learning model that aligns with typical classroom learning standards. Learning is paired with nature games, free exploration, and quiet reflection time. Meets four days per week. Learn more and register on our website.

Financial assistance and free loaner gear (rain jackets, rain pants, boots, and more) available – don’t hesitate to reach out with questions!

CAT COLLAR 

I found a turquoise cat collar with a bell on it in our yard – Victor street near Connecticut.  It doesn’t belong to the usual suspect (you know who you are) but if someone else has a cat who is missing their collar, it is looped on our front railing to come and get it if you’d like.  Or email – Miriam Schwartz  pieface880@gmail.com.

RADIO FREE FL!P: HERE COMES THAT RAINBOW AGAIN 

Kris Kristofferson 1982. Kristofferson was a Rhodes Scholar who was interested in the communication of complex ideas in compact packages. Here’s one of them, drawn from John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes Of Wrath. (Oops! Ran this song last summer. Decided it’s a great song, and we can all listen to a great song more than once.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej1I-IrHWCc

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.