LOL Presentation for Linked In

Damian: You will find Damian on the Ave, playing his keyboard and giving you a rocker sign as you pass. He is a self-taught musician and has dreams of going to music school. He calls himself The Keyboard Kid. Damian is an enthusiastic people-person with a deep love for music. “Music is life” he often says.

Photo: Rex Hohlbein, Facing Homelessness

Source: Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness

Homelessness Demographics


Three Stars: Three Stars is a lover of all animals and an avid environmentalist. He is proud of his native heritage as a Mohawk. Three Stars is an artist himself. He carves arrowheads out of flint and glass.


“People are homeless on average for more than 100 days, and they return to homelessness after being housed nearly 20 percent of the time.”Source: All Home King County.


Joseph P: Joseph is a veteran who once told us, “I don’t need help, I need love.” He doesn’t go anywhere without his guitar. Joseph plays music and also loves to write, keeping a journal with him to write down his thoughts.



There was a 21%increase in King Countyhomelessness from 2014 to 2015

Source: Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness


Patrick: Patrick is enchanting and bubbly. He is loved by others on the street. Patrick is a mystery to many; we call him Saint Patrick in our office. Say hello if you see him at Gasworks Park or by the Fremont Canal.


Rex Hohlbein: “I recently met with a woman who’s been working with the homeless for 20 years. She’s worried that I’m going to burn out, and she could be right. But all I can tell you on that is that I’m getting a lot more than I’m putting in. I’ve never felt more connected to my community. I’ve never felt more alive, really.”

Source: SeattleMet: Matthew Halverson

Reggie: Reggie is always dressed to the nines, looking cheery and dignified. He’s got a soft voice and he’s a good listener.


Rex Hohlbein: “If you take five minutes with anybody who’s living on the street and just listen—genuinely listen—you will find out why they’re there. And you will find that there are underlying issues: mental health; emotional, sexual, or physical abuse; trauma; PTSD.”Source: SeattleMet: Matthew Halverson


Angel: Angel represents so many people on the street who are suffering with mental illness; she is one of the most vulnerable people we have gotten to know. She is a clear indication that our mental health system is broken, along with our empathy.



Source: All Home King County


Tenaya: Tenaya was a beloved member of the Homeless in Seattle community before passing away last year. Her mother writes, “Beautiful mother, precious daughter, smart, funny, loving and dedicated to social justice for all human beings. Our lives will be forever diminished because of the loss of our wonderful Tenaya.





Jenna: Jenna is a mother with a bright heart. She is a survivor of repeated domestic violence. She desperately wants to break the cycle of her current life situation. She has a new hair color every time we see her and always brings a smile to our faces. She is quite the fashionista too.





Ann: There is so much to say about Ann. Words like “courage” and “beauty” come to mind. Ann is a proud grandmother and a beloved member of the Homeless in Seattle community. Her best friend is her dog, Hydro. Ann is, above all, a fighter who shows such strength in the face of adversity and who remains positive through it all.





Curtis: Rough life. Kind man. Curtis is originally from Texas, which you can tell when talking to him by his welcoming nature and southern manners. Curtis has a definite twinkle in his eye. He used to sell Real Change in Seattle and we are excited to tell you that he just received housing.


SCLC: Since 1997, SCLC has provided legal advice and representation to low-income individuals with disabilities, in matters related to their entitlement to Social Security disability, and SSI benefits. SCLC is a compassionate legal services organization providing high-quality advocacy centered on a client’s needs.



David: David has a constant smile on his face. He is a lover of hats, wears a different hat each time we see him and makes any hat look good. David only wears clothing with a U.S. label.

THE SCLC MISSION is to provide accessible legal advocacy to people living with physical and mental disabilities so that they may obtain the resources necessary to overcome barriers to financial and medical stability.


Laura: Most people know me as Rain Storm. I think it may have been raining the day I came into the world. I am of the Lakota Sioux and Quinault people. I’ve been homeless more or less since I was 10 years old. I can’t really say homeless is that bad because I’ve met some awesome people and lifelong friends. I love to write poems and stories, even songs.


SCLC: Every year we serve over 800 individuals across Washington State who would, in most cases, be unable to find proper legal support. There are many more that we could serve with the right resources. These people could be your mother, brother, father, or sister and deserve to have a voice in their financial fate; a fate that is often times determined by the courts.

Photo: Rex Hohlbein, Facing Homelessness Photo: Rex Hohlbein, Facing Homelessness

Caesar: Caesar is ruggedly good-looking, dangerously attractive and unbearably charming. He makes you feel good just by being around him. He recently graduated from voice school. He is aspiring to be a voiceover actor and we think he’s doing a pretty good job at voice acting.


SCLC: Fair representation should never be contingent upon the wealth an individual has. At Seattle Community Law Center, we meet our clients where they are at –in the community and in life – often taking cases that are non-fee generating and thereby undesirable to a private law firm. These are people who would otherwise never get a fair shot.


Steve: Steve is an inventor with a smart, active mind. He is a kind, endearing man who lives out of his truck. Steve often helps people move their belongings from tent city to tent city with his truck, out of the goodness of his heart.


SCLC: One of the largest barriers disabled homeless people face is a lack of reliable income. Often times they are entitled to SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) benefits because they are unable to work or to continue the work that they did prior to their disability, but their condition precludes them from securing benefits for a multitude of reasons. That’s where SCLC comes in.



Avery: He's bright and charming. He also has plans for finishing school, among lots of other good ideas. Avery is currently homeless. He sleeps on cardboard just off the road under an over-pass. “I pretty much grew up homeless under the freeways so I am used to it, in fact, it's comforting to me, the noise helps me fall asleep."


DHAP BY SCLC: Created in 2006 to serve those facing multiple barriers in their claim for Social Security benefits (SSI or SSDI), SCLC’sDisabled Homeless Advocacy Project (DHAP) is committed to serving people living with disabilities who are homeless.


Sherri: Sherri used to be a model. She has been living in tents and doorways around Seattle. She used to frequent the office a lot, but we haven’t seen her in a while. She suffers from a lot of trauma and mental health issues. Sherri is a really sweet, good person.


SSAP BY SCLC: The Social Security Advocacy Project (SSAP) has been delivering services to the community since 1997. SSAP is dedicated to assisting people with disabilities who have post-entitlement issues, where their benefits may have been suspended, reduced, terminated or where there is a claim they have been overpaid. These cases typically generate no legal fees so representation is hard to come by.


Carey: Carey is a mother of two daughters who has been living out of her van and recently got housing. Carey has written over twenty articles for the Huffington Post about her experience being Native and homeless. She is a profound writer, mother and person.

Photo: Rex Hohlbein, Facing HomelessnessPhoto: Rex Hohlbein, Facing HomelessnessPhoto: Rex Hohlbein, Facing Homelessness

SCLC: Through the DHAP and SAAPprograms SCLC helps disabled individuals living in poverty gain a measure of income stability: the first critical step toward stability in housing, medical treatment, and quality of life.



Gladys: Gladys was a Yupik Eskimo who loved her culture and was a beloved member of the Homeless in Seattle community. Gladys passed on a few months ago. She was an artist, a great hugger and had a charm about her.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE HOMELESS

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LOL Presentation for Linked In