Volunteer Feature: Karin Weekly
With years of experience teaching piano, DESC volunteer Karin Weekly brought her talents to the basement of the Morrison Hotel. There, she bonded with DESC clients through a universal language: music.
Finding the Morrison
Originally from northern California, Karin and her partner moved to the Seattle area in 2003. Having previously donated to local causes working to solve homelessness, she wanted to find somewhere to give back in her new community.
“The more I read and learned about DESC, the happier I was to support [them] because of the Housing First policy,” Karin said.
The fact that DESC’s policies have also informed national efforts reinforced for Karin that DESC was the right fit.
Karin started supporting DESC through a breakfast put on in collaboration with another organization. Through a Microsoft giving campaign — where Karin worked for 26 years — she and her husband were able to match donations by volunteering with DESC.
What started as coming in every two weeks for breakfast at the Morrison’s drop-in center became breakfast plus afternoon piano lessons once Karin realized there was a piano in the basement.
Conversing through music
After discovering that the piano in the basement was water damaged, Karin brought in a new one she sourced from a neighborhood exchange. At first, Morrison residents and visitors were shy to approach Karin on the keys, but over time, she began to get to know many people with musical experience.
“It resonated with me, how many people over [the course of] their lives have played either piano or guitar,” she said.
Upon realizing this, Karin bought a secondhand guitar and had a friend restring it for her to share with Morrison residents.
Interacting with individuals through music allowed Karin to learn about societal barriers, different ways to communicate, and just how similar we all are.
“I learned how hard it is for a lot of people to function in society. There’s a lot of reasons why it might be hard to function,” she said, noting that many DESC clients face multiple challenges.
“It’s ridiculous to say people who are homeless are making a choice to be homeless,” Karin said.“When you’re living a ‘normal’ life as a person with privilege, you don’t realize the diversity of issues that exist on the street, and I became highly aware of that.”
Students to friends
From a patriotic woman who loved military ballads, to a former musician who slowly but surely found his voice, Karin spent lunches playing music and chatting with DESC clients for two years.
“I made some really close connections,” she said.
Though she had to stop volunteering in person after COVID, Karin said her time at the Morrison had a huge impact on her.
“One of the women I played guitar with said we should start a band, and I went home and just thought about that all night!” she said.
Read more about Karin’s story on her blog.
Interested in volunteering with DESC? Email volunteer@desc.org