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Let me count the ways:
Ten methods for ending homelessness
Each day
in King County more than 8,300 people are without a stable place to
live – including
3,700 (nearly half) who must live on the street because of a lack of
shelter. There are plenty of opportunities for you to join in the
efforts to end homelessness. By performing one of the following
tasks, you can do your part to help break the cycle of homelessness in
our community.
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1.
Contribute generously 
If you believe
homelessness can and should be eliminated, help provide
the financial resources to make this possible. There are many ways to make a
tax deductible financial contribution.
2.
Become a volunteer
DESC
currently has many openings for volunteers. Please click on the above
link for a list of opportunities. If you are interested, please contact
Janelle Rothfolk by email, volunteer@desc.org Volunteer
Coordinator or 206-515-1517 to sign up for the next volunteer orientation.
Next Volunteer Orientation: Saturday, September 11th 10am to 11:30am for the following volunteer positions:
- Volunteer Driver pick up donations around town and transport to various programs. Times are somewhat flexible, and would be one day a week.
- Clothing Closet Assistant sort and organize donations for shelter emergency clothing closet. Available anytime between 9am and 5pm M-F for 1-2 hours.
- Dinner Assistant Lyon Building is currently looking for a volunteer 5-7pm on Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat. to help serve dinner.
- Breakfast Volunteer looking for one more person on both Monday and Friday from 8am-9am. Must be able to volunteer weekly.
- Volunteer Program Assistant help
with scheduling and training of volunteers, preparing and keeping
volunteer files. 2-4 hours per week between Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm.
- Breakfast Program Volunteer Manager order food and prepare weekly breakfast menu, manage inventory of food. 2-4 hours per week between Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm
- Computer Basics Instructor connections
is currently looking for a volunteer to help with teaching a class on
basic computer literacy for clients looking for employment. Word
Processing, email and Internet. This would be held on Saturdays.
3.
Get your group
involved
Religious, civic,
business, and professional groups regularly help with
seasonal cleaning, maintenance and other special projects. To
learn
how your group can make a lasting impact in our community please view flier, and email or call Janelle Rothfolk, Volunteer
Coordinator at
(206) 515-1517. In order to sucessfully plan a project for your group, we must be notified at least one month in advance. Must be 18 or older to volunteer
4.
Understand the
issues and stay politically active
Educate yourself
about homelessness. Find out how your local,
state, and federal representatives stand on the issues surrounding
homelessness. Write or call those representatives and let them
know how you feel. Below are some advocacy organizations that
track housing,
homelessness, and mental health issues:
Seattle/King
County Coalition for the Homeless
NAMI Greater
Seattle
Washington State
Coalition for the Homeless
Washington Low
Income Housing Alliance
National Alliance
to End Homelessness
Corporation for
Supportive Housing
5. Advocate to end homelessness
Speak up and
speak out! Support affordable housing initiatives.
Each person has a right to affordable and secure housing, as well as
access to any service that can improve his or her quality of
life. Support – don't block – agencies attempting to provide
services and shelter in your area.
6. Treat
homeless
people that you encounter with respect
Do not promote negative stereotypes about homelessness. It is
these smaller, daily changes in behavior that lead to larger changes in
the way homeless people are perceived and treated in our
community.
7. Spare yourself
and others from useless trinkets or impersonal gifts
Celebrate a special occasion by making a donation in honor of a
relative, friend or co-worker's birthday or anniversary. Instead
of exchanging holiday gifts, pool your resources and make a
contribution to a worthwhile organization working to end
homelessness
in your community (like DESC).
8.
Make an in-kind
contribution
You can make an in-kind
contribution to DESC at 515 Third Ave, Monday-Friday between
9am and 5pm. To see what items we are currently in need of,
please visit our Wish List. To see what items we are focusing on collecting this month, please view our Monthly Wish List
Welcome Home Spring Supply Drive
Build a Welcome Home Kit. Everyday we have our homeless clients moving into
housing. They move in with little what they carry. You can help make
someone's new place feel like a home by providing essential
supplies.
9. Sponsor a
collection drive at your workplace, congregation , or civic group
Drives are a great way to collect needed items for the men and women
DESC serves, and a fun activity for all ages. Please contact the
Volunteer Coordintor, 206-515-1517 before starting your drive.
10.
Fight proposed
budget cuts to Medicaid funding
Newly proposed federal budget cuts will have a devastating effect at
the local level, cutting off thousands of people living with mental
illness from much needed clinical health services. These proposed
budget cuts will punish our community's poorest and most vulnerable
individuals. Don't stand by and allow this to happen, speak out
against cuts to Medicaid!
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