Measuring Hope in Thurston County

Above: A crisp Saturday afternoon brought walkers to Capitol Lake in downtown Olympia. 

A community survey is being conducted to assess the level of hope in Thurston County. The Hope Thurston survey process began in June 2018. 

By Janine Gates

Little Hollywood

https:/janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

At the beginning of a new year, many people reflect on the past, present and future. 

Opportunities are explored and new goals are set. It’s often a time full of anticipation and renewal.

But sometimes, the death of a loved one or challenges with one’s health, finances, employment, or housing makes some of these life course changes for us.

Regardless of the situation, we often hope things will get better, right? Not always.

Although research shows that hope is instinctive, some people feel hopeless. Manifesting itself as apathy, some see no vision for the future. Mental illness is a barrier to hope. Hopelessness can lead to depression, addiction, and suicide.

What does it mean to hope? How hopeful are you?

Working closely with children who have suffered abuse, trauma and neglect, Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim has seen the impact of adverse childhood experiences.

Discovering the concept of hope theory while attending a domestic violence conference several years ago, he has become a student of its principles and has since delivered over 100 “hope talks” throughout the South Sound community.

Last week, he spoke at the Hawks Prairie Rotary monthly meeting in Lacey.

“Hope is the belief that the future can be better than the present and the ability to make it so,” said Tunheim.

“Hope contemplates that we have the ability to influence our future: one, to set goals and create a vision of goals and success; two: to have the ability to create strategies and pathways to achieve goals, anticipate barriers, and see alternatives; and three, to have the willpower to achieve goals. That’s what moves you forward – goals and strategies,” he said.

Research indicates that hope is the single best predictor of a person’s ability to thrive and flourish.

“Hope is a way of thinking, not feeling. It’s cognitive, not emotional. It’s figuring out the strategy to get there. It’s contagious, taught, learned, and measurable,” said Tunheim.

Above: A little girl catches sight of a great blue heron taking flight at Capitol Lake in downtown Olympia. Applying the science of hope can help facilitate positive community change.

Measuring Hope in Thurston County - Hope Thurston

Separate from his role as prosecutor, Tunheim is the public safety and justice chair with Thurston Thrives, a public-private community council with action groups that examine the root causes undermining public health.

Through a county wide survey of residents, Tunheim is assessing hope in Thurston County. Applying the science of hope can help facilitate positive community change, he says.

Communities are starting to measure hope at an individual, organizational, and community levels.  

Hope Thurston is modeled after the work of Dr. Chan Hellman at the University of Oklahoma –Tulsa who created a community map of hope called, “How Hopeful is Tulsa?” 

Hellman will measure and analyze the survey data to establish Thurston County’s “Hope Score.”

Hellman is also involved in analyzing hope survey data gathered by Kitsap Strong, a community-based organization similar to Thurston Thrives based in Kitsap County.

The Thurston County survey is at www.thurstonthrives.org/hope-thurston. Written in plain language, it takes about 10 minutes to complete and does not require your name.

What It Means to Build a Hopeful Culture

The Hope Thurston survey process began in June in partnership with Saint Martin’s University, The Evergreen State College, South Puget Sound Community College, Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Thurston Chamber Foundation.

The project’s work is funded through a grant from the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound. 

A variety of methods are being used to conduct the survey. Nonprofit organizations are engaging with their clients to survey their level of hope.

To reach out to the population they are serving, the Family Support Center has already incorporated an index of “hope language” questions about their client’s goals and pathways, Tunheim said. This will help determine their clients’ “hope score.”

Tunheim says the idea is to identify why someone is feeling hopeless and target resources in the community where there is less hope.

The report produced by the survey will help direct Thurston Thrive partners for three to five years.

“We want to make Thurston County more hopeful and figure out how to reduce those barriers to feeling more hopeful,” said Tunheim.

What would it mean for Thurston County to have a higher “hope score?”

“A higher hope county is a safer county. One is more productive at work and less vulnerable to stress. Hope is the best predictor of college, higher grade point averages, healthy, lower rates of depression and post-traumatic stress syndrome. 

“In the justice system, it means a lower risk of recidivism. It’s about making the community better,” Tunheim responded.

The survey will close soon and a final report is expected by the end of 2019.

The survey is downloadable and printable as a PDF. For more information about the survey, contact Jesse Knudson, Community Engagement Specialist, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Thurston County, at (360) 786-5540, ext. 4272.

For more information about Thurston Thrives, go to www.thurstonthrives.org

For crisis intervention, resources or referrals, contact The Crisis Clinic at (360) 586-2800 or 1(800) 627-2211, 24 hours a day. A list of community resources is available at www.crisis-clinic.org.

The National Suicide Hotline is 1 (800) 273-TALK. Veterans, press 1

Above:  Walkers at Capitol Lake in downtown Olympia on Saturday afternoon.

Just Housing, Homeless Camp Residents Organize

Above: Michelle, a former medical assistant, lives at the Nickerson encampment for the houseless off Eastside Street in Olympia. She has gastroparesis, a digestive system disorder, and other chronic illnesses. 

By Invitation, Little Hollywood Visits Nickerson Camp

By Janine Gates

Little Hollywood

https://janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

“I had two closets full of shoes!” Michelle laughed, but then paused. “It almost makes me want to cry,” she added.

Michelle, a former medical assistant, has lived at the Nickerson homeless encampment, a wooded, 2.5-acre property located on Wheeler Avenue off Eastside Street in Olympia, for about three months.

She has always worked, and is waiting for her Social Security disability benefits to start.

From Pierce County, Michelle became homeless after a divorce, but says she is healthier now in spirit than she was while married.

Her decline into chronic illness began after colon surgery in August, 2014. She has gastroparesis, a digestive disorder in which the stomach cannot empty itself of food in a normal fashion.

Then she suffered her first heart attack in July, 2015.

She needs regular colostomy supplies but has no address for them to be delivered. Instead, she uses sanitary pads as a heavy duty, makeshift bandage for her stomach so she doesn’t soil herself. She is in pain, which perpetuates vomiting.

“I’m used to being the one who takes care of others, but I’m resourceful,” she says. “I grew up on a farm in Lewis County.” 

Michelle is just one of nine residents at the Nickerson Camp who has a story, illustrating how easy it is to slip into a life of homelessness and lose access to the everyday conveniences of modern life.

Above: A meal of ravioli at the Nickerson Camp.

Nickerson Camp History

The city recently bought the Nickerson encampment area for use as a future park.

Camp residents were served a 72 hour notice of eviction on July 12. The area has been a homeless encampment for many years, but this was the first time this specific property had been served with such a notice.

Last month, Olympia city council members put off the eviction until further notice.

It was the same evening the council declared homelessness a public health emergency and the optics didn’t look good to take action on both actions on the same night.

Then, on July 24, the city announced the proposed locations of two city sanctioned sites for the homeless. A council finance committee met July 31 to discuss financing options for those sites and other homeless response efforts.

Councilmembers will hold a study session on August 21 to discuss those financing options, which include current operating and capital budget monies, and the possible use of Home Fund sales tax dollars, parks funds, and emergency reserves from the city’s operating budget.

City manager Steve Hall says the Nickerson site is not an ideal site for a permanent camp due to the environmental sensitivity of the area. In reality, hundreds of Olympia residents are living in wooded areas around Thurston County and all of them are environmentally sensitive.

Residents of the Nickerson Camp are interested in being part of the solution.

Prior to the eviction notice being served, they had collected numerous bags of trash to take off the property. The bags have been removed by members of Just Housing, an all volunteer advocacy organization, without the assistance of the city. 

With boots-on-the-ground, the group works directly with the homeless on daily and long-term solutions to local homelessness issues and urges councilmembers to adopt realistic, cost-effective approaches to managing the city’s unhoused residents.

Above: Tye Gundel of Just Housing takes a call while sitting at the Woodland Trail trailhead near the Nickerson Camp. 

Tye Gundel of Just Housing visits the Nickerson camp and other homeless encampments several times a week. She not only listens to residents, she washes their laundry at laundromats, brings needed supplies, and facilitates communication among residents, councilmembers, the faith community, and other community social service providers.

“City staff and councilmembers are gradually taking steps to embrace some of our ideas,” Gundel said diplomatically this week.

Gundel has suggested numerous goals, policies and procedures regarding local homelessness since the group started its work advocating for open 24/7 restrooms in November 2016.

Recently, the group created several half-inch binders, one for each city councilmember and some for staff, chock full of solid local research and practical strategies. Gundel gave them to councilmembers prior to their July 24 study session on homelessness.

For example, Just Housing provides suggestions for regulating camping rather than imposing an outright ban.

One approach includes a “shelter-in-place” plan to working with existing encampments, in addition to the creation of alternative legal and safe encampments, like the two recently proposed emergency housing locations.

People will camp even if it is banned, because some people have no other choice, says Gundel.

The study session fell flat, as Just Housing and other community social service providers were not offered a seat at the table and the material did not appear to be used.

Now, as the days inch toward cold weather months, councilmembers are increasingly interested in making sure community partners and social service providers are included in future conversations.

In the meantime, Gundel will continue her efforts.

“I have had some great meetings with folks about structure and organizing the camp. 

We are also continuing to look for a partner for a camp. So far, two churches are interested. Our next step is to arrange a meeting with some representatives from the churches, the city, the camp, and some of our folks to go through more of the details of how we should move forward,” said Gundel this week.

Nickerson Camp Residents Speak to Little Hollywood

Above: Micky Nelson, 34, a resident of the Nickerson Camp, has twice addressed Olympia city council members during public comment time, and has ideas for organizing the camp.

Little Hollywood visited the Nickerson Camp property, by invitation, with Gundel in late July and last week.

Many residents of homeless encampments do not want to or cannot live in an enclosed shelter or camp-like environment.

Mickey Nelson, 34, moved from Texas to Washington State in 2009. He and his girlfriend, Jackie Taylor, 39, have lived at the Nickerson Camp since January, making them the longest, consecutive resident campers on the property.

Nelson is a jack-of-all-trades and has worked in construction, remodeling, steel fabrication, welding, auto body, detailing, lawn care, dog services, and cook.

Nelson has back issues which began with a motorcycle accident, then a car accident, in which he was a passenger, three months later. He is on state disability and is reapplying for Social Security. He says he has a long standing mental health history and is a participant of Capital Recovery Center programs. 

Capital Recovery Center is a community nonprofit, peer-supported agency that has special programs such as Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), a point of contact for adults experiencing homelessness who also suffer from mental illness.

Nelson says the camp is on good terms with its housed neighbors, and one neighbor brought them trash bags. He credits Taylor for cleaning up the camp, almost single-handedly. Trash is gradually taken off the property by individuals with Just Housing, without the assistance of the city.

“Evicting us off the property would push us back into downtown, or on other city property,” he said. “Since we have been here, foot traffic and noise has gone down. It’s a safe place for the sick, youth, pregnant women, and domestic violence victims.

“We are looking to be a camp that has a positive impact on society. Not all of us have the desire to live indoors because we’ve been homeless for so long. We have to do the best we can with the best we have.”

Nelson hopes to start a nonprofit whose mission it would be to purchase property for homeless people to camp on and use as a safe place.

He is co-director of InReach, an organization organized by the homeless community. In collaboration with James Joy of The Jungle, Olympia’s largest homeless encampment of about 200 residents, Nelson is creating a practical survival guide for the houseless. The guide would be updated every six months.

“I’ve done so many bad things in my life as a kid. Doing this is my way of atoning for the people I can’t ask forgiveness from, for whatever reason. I’m making it up to the universe,” he said. Nelson has an eight year old son and a 21 year old cousin living elsewhere.

“I want this world to be better than mine was,” he said.

Jackie Taylor, sitting nearby, was born and raised in Olympia, and patiently waited to tell her story. 

To relieve her stress and anxiety, she likes to bicycle at night.

“I don’t do daytime. I can’t be around traffic and people,” she says.

She says the state department of social and health services provides outdated information, such as telling women who are homeless to go to Bread and Roses, a former shelter for women that has been closed for years.

It is her goal to create a donation supply drop off center at the Nickerson Camp, similar to the one at The Jungle.

She also wants a more organized camp. All the area camps are currently self-managed through peer-support but Taylor wants the city’s support in establishing a resident list and process for approving people as new residents.

Taylor brainstormed a Nickerson resident code of conduct and her wish list for the camp: it must be clean and sober, no theft, no bullying, and no violence. She would appreciate it if the city would provide the camp a small dumpster and a porta-potty with a sink.

“This is my safe haven – a small community where people follow the rules and help out. I don’t want the city to spend a lot of money,” said Taylor.

Taylor says the Just Housing organization has been supportive of their work. “You couldn’t ask for anyone better,” she said.

Little Hollywood often writes about homelessness issues, and unsheltered, street dependent individuals. For more information about these issues, go to Little Hollywood and use the search button to type in key words.

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Rhododendron Death Mourned in Olympia Park

Above: A rhododendron grove in healthier times at Woodruff Park in Olympia. The grove became diseased and was recently cut down and removed. Photo taken in May, 2015.

By Janine Gates

Little Hollywood

https://www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

A spectacular rhododendron grove standing 25 feet high has graced the corner of Woodruff Park on Olympia's westside near Thomas and Harrison Street since the 1950s.

The beauty of its lavender colored blossoms has provided decades of joy for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, transit riders, neighborhood residents, schoolchildren of Garfield School, nearby business patrons and members of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.

The grove, however, has not lived to see another Spring. 

After an expert reported its condition to city staff, the diseased grove was recently cut down and removed.

Above: A close up of the rhododendron grove in Woodruff Park on Olympia's westside. Photo taken in May, 2015.

Above: The diseased rhododendron grove in June, 2017. Rhododendrons are a large family of deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees with showy blossoms. In 1959, the Legislature designated the native species, Rhododendron macrophyllum, as the official flower of the state of Washington.

Before making the decision to remove the bushes, Olympia Parks and Recreation staff consulted with rhododendron expert Dr. Gary Becker, an Olympia chapter member of the American Rhododendron Society.

Becker has been involved with many rhododendron gardens in University Place and Gig Harbor and recently moved to Olympia. After inspecting the five large rhododendrons, he provided a report to the City of Olympia.

Becker suspected an infestation of phytophora, which spreads through the root system. One plant was dead and the others exhibited significant dieback of branch tips and an absence of new growth. He recommended the removal of the one plant and its root ball and not recycling or composting it. 

Two bushes appeared healthy “with normal flush and full green leaves with only sparse tip dieback,” while two others, he reported, could possibly survive with treatment.

“Fortunately rhododendrons have shallow roots and a fungicide may be successful, but that is not guaranteed. Despite the best efforts, all of the plants may become infected and die over the next few years,” wrote Becker in his report.

Above: Tags with handwritten messages expressing positive thoughts such as “Hope,” “Mend & Heal,” and “You are Beautiful,” dangled from the rhododendron grove’s branches.

Messages of Hope

The rhododendron grove’s ill health did not go unnoticed.

Messages of hope written on paper tags have been tied to its branches for at least a year. Little Hollywood first made an inquiry last June to city staff about its appearance. 

Seth Chance, the city’s landscape horticulturist, said the disease has been spreading throughout the grove, taking out one or two rhododendrons per year for the past couple of years.

“It’s a real tragedy that those rhododendrons had to be removed. We didn’t send in tissue samples for a definitive diagnosis, but phytophora is the suspected pathogen…and finally infected the last healthy ones this past year. 

“The plan is to plant grass and leave the area fallow for a few years so that hopefully the infection will die off. We opted against using pesticides in trying to combat the infestation, as Woodruff is a pesticide free park, and success would not have been guaranteed even with treatment,” said Chance.

Above: The rhododendron grove as seen this past week in Woodruff Park.    

Olympia City Council Passes Parking Ordinance: Hurts Food Program for Homeless

Above: Ben Charles, second from left, hands out "snack packs" on 4th Avenue outside city hall and listens to someone before tonight's city council meeting.

 

By Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The City of Olympia tonight passed a parking ordinance that negatively impacts the work of a passionate group, Crazy Faith Ministries, that serves hot food and drinks to the homeless.

The ordinance cleans up city parking lot regulations, stating, in part, that lots may only be used for parking, unless an activity is authorized by a city issued permit, lease or unless the activity is conducted by the city.

Crazy Faith uses a public parking lot for its service to feed the homeless two evenings a week. 

Councilmember Karen Rogers voted against the ordinance, and Councilmembers Jeannine Roe and Steve Langer were absent.

During public comment tonight, about 17 people testified against the ordinance, many of whom spoke to council last week.

Before the vote, Councilmember Rogers asked City Manager Steve Hall to give a summary of communication between the city and Crazy Faith Ministries. Hall said that he and city building manager Tom Hill have identified some possible alternative properties, then took everyone by surprise by suggesting that a person in the audience who testified, John Forespring, act as an intermediary between the city and Crazy Faith Ministries.

John Forespring, a local insurance agent in business for 45 years, is a member of the Cowlitz Tribe. In his testimony, he urged better communication between the city and Crazy Faith.

“The main issue is where are they (Crazy Faith) going to do this (service)….I would like to see the city communicate with these people…let’s do what’s right.”

During a council break after the vote, Hall came out to the lobby and apologized to Ben Charles of Crazy Faith Ministries and Forespring for taking them each off guard. Handing them his card, Hall said he hoped there could be some communication.

After Hall left, Charles said to this reporter, “I’m not hard to get a hold of….The challenge is, they refuse to put in writing the process and the location and that makes me apprehensive. I’ve asked multiple times, but have received nothing in writing. I think the lack of trust and lack of follow through - I’ll be honest - does have something to do with communication, and sitting down….I haven’t heard of any alternative locations.

"Not feeding is not an option – should the city not offer a viable location without delay…then we will have to continue feeding where we are at. I dare say they will have to fine us and arrest us. Passing this was a mistake…it saddens me.”

Indeed, Crazy Faith Ministries is not hard to get a hold of.  Today, I contacted Charles by email to ask a few questions and received a detailed response within two hours.

In the email, I asked, in part, what contact he has had to date with the city. Charles responded:

“City manager Steve Hall finally sent me an email last night, the first since October 10. He stated he was not able to get ahold of me via phone - probably because my last email to him stated that email is the form of communication we will use from now on so there is a written form of what is being stated as well as for our response…. Even at last Tuesday night’s city council meeting I told him he would need to email me and yet he still says he tried to call. So I did respond to them to send me what they would like to talk about and as of right now, 1:00 pm on Wednesday, December 10^th, there is still nothing from Steve Hall in response. When I see Steve Hall tonight I will bless him but he can email their suggestions to me so I can have the time to make sure about their wording.” 

Crazy Faith Ministries Serves Hundreds

Crazy Faith Ministries chose the specific location near the transit station on purpose:  Charles says that two years ago, he asked street people themselves where they would like Crazy Faith to set up and asked where the worst drug deals went down.

"They responded, 'behind the 4th Ave Tav,' so that's where we decided to set up. Street people say the crime situation in that area is better now," said Charles. 

A graduate of North Thurston High School, Cheyanne French, 19, of Lacey, spoke tonight to city council. She said in an interview earlier tonight that she’s been volunteering with Crazy Faith since August, and was homeless for a few months when she was eight years old in Olympia.

“I like it. I like the feel of helping and seeing people’s happy faces because they’re able to eat something warm.” Her best friend, Kayla Butterfield, 18, agreed.

Butterfield’s mother, Heather Swedburg, also stood nearby. Swedburg said she got involved last August when she heard that Little Caesar’s Hope of Love truck donated 200 pizzas to Crazy Faith.

Asked why she helps out, she responded, “Why not? People need help – everyone has been there where they need help…."

Before the council meeting, Charles gathered a group of supporters around him, prayed, and gave them some advice, “We love our street family where they’re at – we’re not doing anything different now than we were doing before – we’re handing out snack packs, loving people, right where they’re at….Speak from your heart, out of love. That’s how we want to leave things on the table. We’re setting forth to spread God’s Word to the hurting….”

Above: Warm hats, gloves, coats and blankets were free for the taking on Thursday night while Crazy Faith Ministries served hot food and drinks in downtown Olympia across from Intercity Transit on State and Washington Street.

Thursday Night – On The Other Side of the Table

At Washington and State Streets, dinner is served by Crazy Faith Ministries on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., and Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. They plan to be there on Christmas Day also. 

It was 28 degrees last Thursday night when I volunteered for Crazy Faith Ministries and served about 100 people who needed food. Not as many as usual were present due to the extreme cold. I admit I originally intended to go down and speak with organizers and some folks about their circumstances, but there was no time to talk.

Appropriately, I was instead voluntarily pressed into service because there was a need, so I handed out apples and oranges, while my girlfriend served coffee and hot chocolate. One and a half hours later, my plastic gloved fingers were numb and my hips hurt, frozen in place.

Getting there before the organizers, we witnessed two vans chock full of supplies driving into the parking lot across from Intercity Transit on Washington and State Street, behind Bayside Quilting.

With military precision, organizers jumped out and volunteers, standing by, proceeded to quickly set up two white tents with wind flaps to enclose the space of three parking lot stalls. Next came several tables, hot food and drinks, and several bags full of warm hats, gloves, coats and blankets. Empty black trash bags were tied to the tents to use as trash receptacles.

After a few short words from Ben Charles, a Lower Elwha Klallam tribal member, dinner was served.

Michelle asked each person what they would like to eat: chili with meat, pizza, biscuits and ham gravy, or chicken fettuccine. At first it was a choice, but early on, when someone asked for everything, everyone asked for everything, and everyone got everything. Then some came back for seconds.

There were single male adults, single women, a woman with a little girl, teenagers, and seemingly unaccompanied children.  A little blond girl about 9 years old boldly asked for food while her mom hung back. The mom explained that her daughter wanted to ask for herself.

While my offering of apples and oranges was not popular at first, when I suggested to a child that he take some for later, he did, and others followed suit.

When a little boy, about aged 9, asked for four of everything, I gawked as he took one of everything back to the car where his mom and siblings stayed warm. I just about lost it, and looked over at my girlfriend. She was too busy to notice. She was serving straight hot coffee, hot chocolate with coffee, or water.  

Ed Mills, of Lacey, and his daughter came to help also. Mills says it was his first time helping out, and brought 10 large pizzas from Little Caesar’s in Lacey. When he bought five, employees spontaneously matched his five with five free pizzas. The pizzas were very popular, and were the first food to run out.

Despite the intense cold, people lingered around the table, the light, and each other.

The Mission of Crazy Faith Ministries

Denise and Ben Charles of Olympia have three children ages 13, 9, and 7 and started their ministry in January 2011, after Ben Charles resigned from his job as a traveling speaker for finances.

A blog article by Denise Charles in March 2011 explains, “The Bible says that "He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." ~John 14:6. We are madly in Love with Jesus and we believe that with Him, all things are possible! And we mean literally everything, and that is why we are called "Crazy Faith!”

A stay-at-home mom, Denise Charles said tonight, “We live on faith. It’s been an incredible testament to prayer. We’ve sacrificed….Building relationships is transformational, and that’s what will change our city – our street family is every bit a part of our community as they are,” she said, referring to the city council and staff.

She added that Saturdays are difficult for their street family.  “We especially see a lot of youth on Saturdays – there’s a gap there, no resources for them….” She said she appreciates everyone who has donated food, saying that Costco donated turkeys on Thanksgiving. “People pull together…."

When I shared my thoughts with Ben Charles in an email today about my experience last Thursday night, Charles wrote back:

“The Olympian editorial today catered to hide the things the city is really trying to do. And that is sad….Yes, lots of new faces each and every week. That again is sad. We do see a lot of the same people often. Lots of children at different times. The young man you saw that night, I know the mother very well. We help keep an eye on the kiddos when they are there as well. Many parents with children will come and know we love our Street Family and their children so they spend extra time with us…..I also have hundreds of adopted street sons and daughters I see regularly. Not just at the feeds but when we stop by to check on them.” 

Crazy Faith Ministries appreciates donations of warm clothes, socks, gloves, blankets, food being made/bought, and servers.