Subject: [bertha-swaa]
Tent City
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 11:29:20 EDT
From: MochCIHRI@aol.com
Reply-To: bertha-swaa@egroups.com
Subj: Tent City
Date: 8/10/2000
To
SWAA members and others in the Seattle human service community,
As
we all know, many of those left homeless when Seattle shelters closed down in
the Spring gathered together and formed Tent City. Hounded from vacant lot to
vacant lot and churchyard to churchyard by city officials citing health and
security concerns, Tent City has found a home at El Centro de la Raza. As they
have been doing to churches and property owners throughout the summer, officials
have threatened to fine El Centro if Tent City is not evicted by August 19.
But,
hey! The fine is $75 a day. Cheap rent for 100-150 people who police themselves,
allow no drugs or alcohol, and look after each other. Many of us have stopped
by with words of support or food. Others have written letters to the Mayor
urging the city to let Tent City alone. But here is an action we can all take
to keep Tent City where it is and show all of Seattle that many citizens
support Tent City. LET’S PAY THE RENT!
Take
$75 to El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th
Ave. S, or send a check to SHARE/
WHEEL, PO Box 2548, Seattle, WA 98111, or simply reply to this e-mail with a
$75 pledge. Do it NOW! Not only will we notify Tent City and El Centro, we will
notify the press. Give us your name. We WILL let them know who we are and that
we support Tent City. Don’t have $75? Get a group of your friends and pledge
together. Or, if you are an organization, a church, or a community group, give
$75 in the name of your group.
There
are some possible alternatives, but they involve permits and the city’s willingness
to grant permits. Cash and check donations will be used toward the $1000 cost
of applying for a permit. Our support now will increase the chances that the
city will relent and the payment of rent/fines will not be necessary.
This e-mail was initiated by Seattle members of the Social
Welfare Action Alliance (formerly the Bertha Reynolds Society), a national
organization of progressive workers in social welfare. Though most of our
activists are social workers, we welcome other human service workers and
alliances with other progressive social movements working for peace and social
justice. For more information, give us your slow mail address when you respond
with your $75 pledge or write to PO Box 20563, Columbus Circle Station, NY, NY
10023.
To
Look at the bertha-swaa/eGroups.com page, go to http://www.eGroups.com and then complete the
registration/log-in procedure. You will
need
a password to create “my page” for eGroups, which will list all eGroups groups
to which you belong.