rally for John, Char and family!
Donation protected
Hi folks! Some of you may know this while many of you do not — Noah and I have been hosting a family in transition, experiencing homelessness since July. They are John Hodgson, Char Edson, and their two children, Rowan (13 years old) and Anya (10 years old). Noah has known John and Char since he was a teenager, hanging out at their coffee shop called the Usual, a welcoming space for youth, artists, musicians, and LGBTQ communities, at a time when there just were not a lot of welcoming spaces. This was one of the original safe spaces in Tacoma.
In July, they had been asking for help on FB, and Noah reached out, thinking we could help for a few weeks. We have a two-bedroom apartment, and they have been staying in a 16’ x 10’ spare room of ours, sharing our one bathroom and small kitchen. We have made the best of it and actually done really well managing a crowded space together. People double up like this all the time to adapt to the housing crisis. Our planned stay for them was only a few weeks, but there just hasn’t been any housing available, and there have been additional barriers and issues in their way of getting housing. In September, we all talked and thought we could make this work longer, so Noah built loft-style bunk beds for the kids, and they arranged the space pretty well to accommodate everyone, and we agreed to let them stay till mid-January.
We have been trying to help out more than just hosting a room. For instance, Noah (Second Cycle) got bikes for the kids, and he taught Rowan and Anya how to ride a bike. We have been helping out as much as we can and given extra attention wherever we could. I taught Anya how to crochet. And recently, I have been coaching Rowan about Bullet Journaling and other life skills. There have been a lot of teaching and learning moments with the kids and us. I think that Noah and I have grown because of this challenge. We have had a lot of opportunities to navigate adversity and practice a lot of emotional regulation. We all share in the chores and communicate about our needs and keep the house tidy, clean, and hygienic. There has actually been a lot of joy in the house as we have figured it out and dealt with conflicts and challenges. I'm sure you can imagine what the struggles would be.
And, this family is really strong! They show up for each other every day with compassion, grace, and as much patience as one can muster. John, Char, Rowan, and Anya have been exceptionally resilient in the face of this adversity. We have been inspired and impressed with how they have kept spirits high and looked for some joy in the day-to-day despite the uncertainty and scarcity that they face. These are good people that have had physical disabilities, suffered financial hardship, injury, and have received the short end of the stick with this housing crisis. Honestly, they are doing as well as one can to get through this.
We believe homelessness and poverty are not moral failings, and their circumstances are not unique; this is one small corner of a national epidemic. Housing vacancy rates in Tacoma are at an all-time low of 2%, and it’s just incredibly hard to find housing, even if you have resources.
I say all this as lead-up and context for the "ask" I am making. We are coming to the end of our commitment and capacity to host them on January 14th, and we want them to have the best chances that we can give them. So we are fundraising and trying to connect them to housing or other opportunities.
We believe in transparency in our fundraising efforts. By sharing our experience, the family's situation, needs, and the sacrifices we have made to provide them shelter, we aim to raise awareness about the systemic challenges they are facing.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
- Help financially (see link for breakdown).
- Your contributions will directly impact the family's ability to navigate short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals. From essential vehicle repairs to securing housing, every donation moves us closer to providing stability and relief for John, Char, and their children. Money can help solve problems and provide opportunities, and this money we are raising is to do both. Here's a breakdown of financial asks for transparency.
- Help us find a roof over their heads.
- Apart from financial contributions, they are exploring temporary housing options in the Tacoma and Seattle areas between mid-January and the end of April 2024 (they’re on waitlists for Seattle housing which they believe may become available in April or May). In the meantime, their prospects are staying in their van or staying in a family member’s unheated garage (which also means splitting up). Please, if you have suggestions or can offer temporary accommodation in Tacoma/Seattle area for a few weeks as an alternative, reach out (just contact me through this GoFundMe page). And please ask around your networks too - but use discretion with whom you ask re: short-term housing on behalf of this family.
- Donate Airline Miles to Char. (UPDATE - Folks have generously donated enough for TWO round-trips for Char! Incredible!)
- Another piece of this story - Char was adopted as an infant and learned in adulthood that she has indigenous heritage through her birth father, who lives in California and who supports Char in seeking tribal membership. However, Char was born pre-ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) and this complicates her ability to access her adoption records including birth certificate. This barrier prevents her from officially seeking tribal membership, which further keeps her from being able to access any potential long-term tribal benefits such as access to land, educational opportunities, etc. After speaking with Char, we’ve learned that she needs to petition a judge for her birth records in Orange County, California. She’ll need to fly down there and stay with family while she shows up to court on a daily basis. So if you have enough airline miles for a *round-trip* from Seattle to Orange County, please consider donating that to Char (just contact me through this GoFundMe page), or see if you can compile that amount of miles through your network. It would increase the possibility of opening a door that never should have been closed.
- Spread the word by sharing the campaign within your network to maximize our impact.
These are trying times for John, Char, and their children, and your support can make an incredible difference. As a community, let's come together to uplift and stand by our friends. Thank you for considering this vital cause, and I look forward to sharing positive updates with you soon.
If you have the capacity to generously give any amount of your hard-earned coin, please consider a donation to this family in need. Please share this story.
Caroline and Noah
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Want to know more about this family's story? Read on!
- What factors have contributed to this family's current situation?
- Briefly - they have been homeless since April 2023 when they left a truly unsafe situation where they were previously renting nearby. (Mice, bugs, gun violence, and hard drug use were all part of the surrounding environment, and the landlord was unmotivated to address these conditions.) Between April and July 2023, they alternated staying in their van and staying with friends. In April, John changed jobs and began working in staging for events in Tacoma and Seattle, but he broke his hip at work shortly thereafter when a large screen fell on him. John was able to collect L&I payments but he had to stop working and recover for a while, so he missed the “busy season” of staging (summer). This fall, John resumed working and is accruing hours and skills towards the goal of joining the IATSE. In the last several years, Char has been unable to work due to chronic illness including autoimmune disorders. She has been successfully homeschooling Rowan and Anya by procuring laptops, utilizing the public library as a “home base,” and getting the kids outside for nature walks whenever possible!
- What efforts have been made to secure housing? What is the plan?
- Just as the factors contributing to homelessness are unique (except for the obvious lack of affordable housing), the ways in which the systems are failing this family are also unique. For various reasons, their own families can’t provide even temporary accommodations. Char and John have made regular efforts to secure housing in Tacoma through Coordinated Entry, Section 8, and more. They’ve been on the Section 8 waitlist for nine years, they visit Catholic Community Services (CCS) Family Day Center weekly to stay on the system’s list as situationally homeless, and we’ve recently gotten them on the waitlist for the Tiny House Village in west Tacoma. (Note - before you ask - Tacoma Housing Authority, Associated Ministries, and CCS all work within the same system, so additional resources cannot be gained by starting at a different point of entry.) They’re also on waitlists for affordable housing outside of Pierce County. They have stayed in a Tacoma shelter overnight before, but shelters are basically unavailable to the family due to strict curfews and other requirements they cannot meet. In summary, to the resource-strapped system, which operates on a triage basis, this family is considered too high functioning to merit priority. There’s simply nothing available for this family if they want to stay together. Also, we’ve recently met with three different people who might be able to help: a social worker from CCS, a well-connected pastor, and staff with Tacoma’s HEAL (homelessness services) team. They’re aware of the situation and have little to offer other than words of support including “stick to the plan.” And the plan is to ask for financial support (see GoFundMe!), airline miles, and a place to stay between mid-Jan and April 2024 to help Char, John, and their children navigate the limbo of the present moment while increasing their future prospects.
Organizer and beneficiary
Caroline Swinehart
Organizer
Tacoma, WA
Char Edson
Beneficiary