Inaugural Edition
Welcome to the HomesNOW! Not Later newsletter. We are excited to provide this as another avenue
to distribute information to and about the Whatcom County homeless community. This will be a
work in progress as we hear from you, our readers, about what you need in the way of news and
information. The initial ground rules are:
• This will be a monthly for the foreseeable future. Any time sensitive information should be posted
to the HomesNOW! Bellingham Facebook (FB) group page.
• We are eager to have your articles, photos, cartoons, or other submissions. The deadline is the
15th of each month for the following month’s edition. Submissions, comments, suggestions and
corrections can be emailed to newsletter@homesnow.org (preferred).
• You can be put on automatic email distribution by signing up at the HomesNOW! web site. —
(http://www.homesnow.org) Or, if you prefer hard copy or don’t have email access, feel free to
stop by the office at 814 Dupont St., Bellingham, WA 98225 (hours on FB page and web site).
Voices of the Homeless
We will highlight one community member per month in the newsletter — this month it is Leonard.
You can find the interview done by Lynette Allen on YouTube (https://youtu.be/Q1pHWDdwKqI).
Community
The update on our focus for the remainder of 2018 can be found on our YouTube channel
(https://youtu.be/JTUb4_3uF1U).
You can subscribe to the HomesNOW! YouTube channel and view many of our activities including
additional interviews since the founding in June 2017 (either click on the link or search for
HomesNOW on YouTube).
Homeless Summit
The background — since June 2017, HomesNOW! has been hosting a monthly summit which
included refreshments and a an opportunity for the homeless to get needed clothes and gear. Our
goals for the summits are to encourage housed people to engage the homeless, see what we have
in common, and work together to end homelessness in Whatcom County by 2020.
The event has evolved into a monthly community social. Our amazing Sikh community provides the monthly
meals, called Langar (a feast for all). This month’s summit will be at Maritime Heritage Park, 500 W
Holly St., Bellingham, May 20 from 1 to 4 pm (food serving begins at 1, clothing/gear distribution
begins at 2).
You may contact Amy Glasser on the HomesNOW! FB group or web site to arrange for donations
pick-up or delivery, or you can bring donations the day of the event at 12:30 pm.
Projects and Updates
Safe Storage PNW (https://www.facebook.com/safestoragePNW/) aims to increase the
chances for people experiencing homelessness to transition off the streets and into permanent
housing by providing outdoor storage lockers to safely store personal belongings.
This pilot project, run by the non-profit BasicsPNW, was started by community members in 2016 in response to
community-wide feedback and surveys identifying storage as the most needed service, after
housing, by people experiencing homelessness in Bellingham, WA.
The pilot project will consist of 24 outdoor lockers in 2 to 3 locations around downtown Bellingham, with the goal of growing the
number of lockers and locations as quickly as possible to meet demand.
Safe Storage PNW offers an opportunity to go about daily life (including attending work or school, looking for a job, going to
appointments, and completing other daily tasks) without the constant mental and physical burden of
carrying one’s belongings everywhere, all day long.
Lockers are in the design/prototype phase as we work out the best and most cost effective
materials and best client usability. Final design and build can begin as early as Summer 2018.
Securing locations is the first step toward finalizing the locker design for each space and beginning
construction. GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/bellingham-safe-storage and do you know
someone buying or selling a house? Choose 2roofs as your Realtor and 20% of their commission
will be donated to Safe Storage at no additional cost to you. Learn more: 2roofs.com/safestorage
Garden of Eating — Thanks to Amy Coughlin, Dakota Doney, and all the others who made the
garden happen.
Services
Laundry — vouchers can be picked up at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship at 1207 Ellsworth
Street on Wednesdays from 10:00AM to 11:00AM.
There are two services:
1) laundry vouchers and
2) financial assistance.
Vouchers are not available outside of the noted time.
Anyone who wants to contribute to the Laundry Love program can make donations for vouchers to
the Center for Spiritual Living (360-734-4160).
Haircuts — every Tuesday at First Baptist Church, 1172 S Main St., Bellingham, at 5 pm.
Dental — Dental hygiene students at Bellingham Technical College, 3028 Lindbergh Ave., will be
hosting screenings on Wednesday, May 2nd. They will be looking for patients eligible for their no-
cost dental care as part of the students’ licensing exams. Ideally the patient is someone that has not
had their teeth cleaned for a long time. The clinic will accept walk-in screenings from 12-4 PM.
Those patients who qualify will get their exams, x-rays, and cleanings for free.
Volunteer and Financial Support
Volunteer — we always have plenty of volunteer opportunities whether at the monthly summits, the
Garden of Eating, planning and constructing tiny homes or other structures, attending government
meetings to support ordinance changes or creation, and numerous other activities. Please monitor
the HomesNOW! FB group page for these opportunities.
Financial — while we are a 100% volunteer organization, we do have costs.
Four ways you can provide financial support are:
• Tiny Home Capital Costs — are funded online thru our GoFundMe page
(https://www.gofundme.com/homesnow)
• Monthly summit, materials, administration — recurring (monthly) are funded online thru our
Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/homesnow)
• In kind donations — clothing, gear, plants, materials, and other items, please contact the office for
specifics.
• Checks and cash — of course, we accept monetary donations no matter the amount. Please drop
them at the office.
To save a life is a real and beautiful thing.
To make a home for the homeless, yes, it
is a thing that must be good; whatever
the world may say, it cannot be wrong.
-Vincent Van Gogh
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