In this episode we meet Preacher. Personal relationships can be thought of as the foundational supports of a healthy community. By simply getting to know each other, being exposed to different life experiences and views, we broaden ourselves and deepen our ability to empathize within the community.

On this episode we are talking with Rev. Rick Reynolds. He has spent most of his life stepping closer, getting to know those struggling. For nearly 40 years he worked at the nonprofit Operation Nightwatch, most of that time as the Executive Director, engaging in direct action for those in need.

In this episode, you will be hearing from Kaitlyn, a young woman struggling through addiction, homelessness, and loss.

When we first met Kaitlyn, she was in her tent suffering from a great deal of physical and emotional pain. Even worse, for her, she was emotionally distraught over a stranger having taken Prince, her dog, her best friend.

There is a wide diversity of people who make up the population of Tent City 3. For every person living there you will find a profound reason for why this is their best choice for now. For some folks the stay is short, others stay longer to work things out while having shelter from the storm. Others arrive and discover their mission in life. Turning their experiences from hindrances into assets.

There were 310 homeless deaths in 2022 in the Seattle area. A 65% increase over the previous year. In this episode we want to share about one person who lived chronically homeless in Seattle. Just one of the 310 that passed away in 2022.

A conversation about people and their pets living homeless. Lora Troncoso has helped thousands of dogs and cats, as well as their owners, who are living homeless.

We want to begin this episode by asking a big question.
With all the suffering, all the helplessness and fear felt, as expressed by Dene and others living on our streets, why have we not ended homelessness?

In this episode we meet Auntie who poses a question. A question really for all of us, which is, “If you are judging my life, tell me what you have done with yours?” She goes on to say, there are probably a lot of your actions that you don’t think are wrong, but to her and to others, maybe they are.

In this episode we are going to hear from the Miller family and their struggle with Conall’s addiction. In a world that is ever more complex, our relationship to it is increasingly being simplified. We are living in an age of information overload. There is not enough time to consume, verify, digest, and form an opinion on everything being presented. So we take short-cuts. In the rush of daily life, it’s easy to dive less deep so that we can cover more area, hoping to know a little about a lot. Soundbites and stereotypes work their way into our understanding and beliefs of the world around us. 

What does becoming a friend with someone experiencing homelessness look like? Getting to know and becoming friends with anyone, you begin to care about that person, about their well being. When your friend is struggling it pulls at you, you want to help. That’s what friends do.

Meet Courtney. A mother of three who survived homelessness on Seattle streets. “When we first came to Seattle it was so freeing, so comfortable. It all felt right. I remember closing my eyes and breathing in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, feeling happy. A sense of belonging filled me. Best of all we didn’t feel judged. People were saying, “No worries”. - Courtney