the focal point issue 1

8/8/2019 The Focal Point Issue 1

1/8

[ also in this issue]

*Interview with author Richard LeMieux |6

*Guide to local outreach organizations |8*

COLUMN: Experiencing homelessness up close |5

Volume I | Issue 1october 19, 2010

HOMELESS


2/8

2 Focal Point October 19, 2010

[ staff]Editor

Kaylee Woods

Editorial StaffKaylee Woods

Christopher CarterJosh Nothnagle

CrEativE dESignChristopher Carter

John RodriguezMorgan Newhouse

adviSErMichael Prince

1600 Chester Ave.

Tech Building 101

Bremerton, WA 98337

about uS

The Focal Pointis a special

section of

The Olympian, the

award-winning student-

produced newspaper

of Olympic College.

The Olympian and The

Focal Point is gener-

ally published every

two weeks during the

fall, winter and spring

quarter and online year-round.

The Olympian is a

program of Student

Services and is funded

by both Student Activi-

ties Fees and through

advertising. It is a mem-

ber of the Associated

Collegiate Press.

The Focal Point and

The Olympian wel-

comes all student, staff

and faculty contribu-

tions and letters.

LettersLetters to the editor

must be typed and 300

words or less. Writers

must include name, ad-

dress, phone number

and e-mail for verica-

tion.

Letters may be sub-

mitted in person or by

e-mail to olyeditor@

olympic.edu.

The Olympian re-serves the right to edit,

condense or reject any

letter.

THE FOCAL POINT | www.ocolympian.com | Phone (360) 475-7690 | e-mail [email protected]

What do you think of the homeless situation in Kitsap County

I just think any kind

of homelessness is aproblem.

-Brandy Planterrs

I really think we needmore community help.

-Jenoelle Davis

I dont think there are a

lot of them.

-Kristil Finley

Sometimes its really

hard to decipher if

theyre really homeless

or not.

-Briana Haskell

What youre looking at is the first issueofThe Focal Point.

We plan on using this publicationas a venue to do in-depth reporting on issuesthat resonate not only with the Olympic Collegecommunity, but could be relevant throughout thecountry.

We have chosen to tackle the social epidemic ofhomelessness for our first issue. This is an issuethat hits home for more people on campus than

you might think. We have homeless students, wehave faculty and staff who have been homelessand there are students and staff who may beliving on the brink.

The goal of this publication isnt to convinceyou of anything, and it is not meant to changeyour stance on any issues we cover. Our goal is toreport on issues in a fair and unbiased way. Wewill do our best to include all sides of an issue.When you finish reading an issue of The Focal

Point , whether you agree with the topics andviewpoints or not, we hope you will come awayfully informed.

The Focal Point will be included in most issuesof The Olympian. In addition to the writtenreporting, The Focal Point will also contain moreimages and graphics than a typical story in TheOlympian would.

Feedback is not only encouraged, but requested.Comment on the stories on the website, write us

an e-mail, mail us a letter or contact us by anymeans you see fit. We want to know what youhave to say on the topics we discuss.

Many issues addressed by The Focal Point willalso be topics of discussion for The Olympiansaudio podcast, Press Time. With your thoughtsand feedback, we will be able to ask the questionson your mind, or raise your concerns.

-Kaylee Woods and Josh Nothnagle

Welcome to The Focal Point:This is about you.


3/8

The Focal Point 3October 19, 2010

Olympic College students, like Jarrett, faceendless obstacles while chasing a degree,for some those obstacles go beyond the

Financial Aid line and paying for books.Homelessness is the fourth largest issue reported

by students to the Students in Need Group.Homelessness within the OC community is a presentand very real issue.

From May 2009 April 2010 Department of Social

Health Services reported an increase in the homelesspopulation of nearly 4,000 individuals. That putthe count at 26,138 individuals who reported beinghomeless in Kitsap County for the month of April.

Of those citizens 10,460 were children ages 18 andunder. Fourty percent of the homeless population in

Kitsap County are children.In April there were 1,644 families receiving DSHS

food benets that reported being homeless. The mostrecent count took place in September and yielded1,756 households that were dependent on DSHS foodassistance.

Based on trends in the Point in Time Counts, avoluntary census conducted to obtain a count ofthe homeless population, conducted by DSHS, The

number of homeless individuals has continuedsteadily increasing since April.

There are currently 130 families, 398 people,on the Kitsap Community Resources waiting listfor emergency shelter. These waiting lists are alsoincreasing steadily with the homeless population;

however the resources in Kitsap County arestruggling to meet these growing needs.

This continuing increase seemed to gain speedwith the onset of the Great Recession beginning in2007. Due to the declining economy, layoffs, and therising cost of living, The Salvation Army and several

home. home. house.

Less than a year ago, Leon Jarrettwas making more money than he ever had in his life. His son was taking college prep courses, excited aboutthe potential for art school, and the two drove around town in a shiny white Chevy Aveo.

Now, 47-year-old Jarrett is forced to ask strangers in grocery store parking lots for enough cash to pay for a bridge toll. And, when he and his15-year-old son can't crash on someone's couch for the night, they call the Aveo home a reality that gives Jarrett a new lens from which to view

society around him."A house doesn't make a home," he said.

Smoking a Marlboro cigarette and reading a yellowed and tattered science-ction novel with its cover missing, Jarret took a break from class atthe Olympic College Bremerton campus. He looks up, takes a drag, and returns to the book. He is now a student in the OC College Skills and Life

Training program hoping to get life back on track and end up back home, wherever that is.As homeless students go, hes not alone.

A housedoesntmAkeAhomeStoryByKayleeWoods

PhotoSByChristopherCarter

IlluStratIonSByMorganneWhouse

The help is out there. Its the despairthat is hard to get over.

Leon Jarrett

On being homeless

see homeless pg 4


4/8


other local assistance organizationshave become all too familiar for many.

The main causes [of homelessness]that are reported are mental illness,substance abuse, and the new one isthe economy, said Liz Wallace, SocialServices secretary for The SalvationArmy.

Jarrett knows about the latter twoall-too-well.

Jarrett said he hasnt taken narcoticsin more than 25 years but he was redfrom Puget Sound Energy, where hewas earning more than $25 an hour, in January after failing a random urineanalysis test. He tested positive formarijuana.

It was my weekend thing, he said.Because of pot, they lost their bestagent.

The Salvation Army is a prominentsource of assistance in the community.They offer food and utility assistance,as well as basic hygiene services such ashaircuts, toiletries and clothing. Theyalso run a small food bank and offergovernment food commodities. As wellas their basic assistance services theywork with regional homeless shelters

and the Missing Persons Bureau. Theyalso organize free 6-month residentialprograms at the Adult Rehabilitation

Center in Seattle.The multitude of services offered

by The Salvation Army are necessaryfor many families to make ends meetevery month. Because of the increasingnumber of households seeking

assistance and the limitations placedon the organization by federal budgetregulations they are only allowedto offer utility assistance once perhousehold every 12 months.

Along with The Salvation Army, KCRand the Coffee Oasis are reaching out tothe homeless population and offeringassistance. The Coffee Oasis conductsan outreach program to contact andsupport school aged youth, ages 13 25 who are dealing with the trying

conditions of homelessness.The Coffee Oasis also runs a smallministry at their Bremerton branchSundays. A free dinner is served everyFriday night.

KCR works with multiple facets ofhomelessness and different situationsof need. They offer emergencyhousing, childcare, domestic violence,and substance abuse recovery as wellas DSHS, food assistance and jobtraining.

Jarrett said without the help KCRhas given him, he doesnt know wherehe would be now. Hes currently on awaiting list for emergency housing sohe can take his son out of a troubledhousehold where theyre temporarilystaying.

You cant raise a child in chaos, hesaid.

Although Jarrett isnt having to sleepin his cramped Aveo at the moment,there was a time when thats the onlyplace he had to lay his head. And,thanks to KCRs Safe Park program, hefelt he could do so safely.

Me and my son were bouncingaround for awhile, he said of themonth or so he spent living out of thecar. That also marked the lowest Jarretthas felt.

It was one step up from sleeping ona park bench, he said.

According to the KCR website,[Our mission is] to create hope andopportunity for low-income KitsapCounty residents by providingresources that promote self-sufciency.

With the current state of theeconomy, job training has become animportant element to their assistance

program. Lack of training, education,or marketable skills can lead to layoffs,which have caused many people toturn to The Salvation Army or KCR.

People are trying to relearn andreeducate, theyre trying to get backin the job market without importantcompetitive skills, said PatriciaThomas.

A collaborative effort exists betweenKCR and the Kitsap Continuum forCare Coalition. Both organizationswork with the intent of providing

the necessary resources for people toget the assistance they need in orderto become self-sustaining, efcientindividuals.

OC has responded to the difculttimes with the fairly recent formation ofthe Students in Need Group. Directedby Patricia Thomas, SING was createdto connect students with the resourcesthey need to assist them with whateversituations they are faced with.

This program came at a criticaltime, said Thomas. I dont see thesecircumstances getting better verysoon. I dont see a quick way out of it,we just try and make these difcult

points in their lives as manageable aspossible.

For students like Jarrett, the mostdifcult part is knowing where to goand how to ask for help.

The help is out there, he said. Itsthe despair thats hard to get over.

He also said homelessness can takea harmful toll on the human condition.

Its easy to slip into a state of mindand heart when you dont see the endof the tunnel.

As far as homeless students are

concerned, SING would be a primaryresource that is present on campus,and networks actively with outsideorganizations. Homeless studentsare present on campus, and theyhave begun seeking the assistance ofThomas and SING.

I have been surprised, saidThomas. Theyre all in different stagesof homelessness. Ive seen three justthis week.

Sally Santana is a predominantadvocate for SING. She has recently

from homeless pg 3

Leon Jarrett takes a smoke break against his ChevyAveo parked near Olympic College. Jarrett and his15-year-old son have had to sleep in the car.

Leon Jarrett demonstrates how he slept while he and his 15-year-old son took advantage of KitsapCommunity Resources Safe Park program after he lost his job in January.

I dont see these circumstances getting better very soon. Idont see a quick way out of it, we just try and make thesedifcult points in their lives as manageable as possible.

Patricia thomas

Director, Students In Need Group at Olympic College

On connecting students with available resources

see homeless pg 5


5/8


received a $25,000 grant through theBirkenfeld Humanitarian Award. Shehas chosen to donate that money toSING. Santana is an active volunteerthroughout the homeless community.She writes a bi-weekly column forthe Kitsap Sun, and produces theHomeless in Kitsap newsletter.

I move information out into thecommunity, Im a networker, saidSantana. One of the critical piecesis communicating and networking between these organizations. Weretrying to raise the light on whathomelessness is, how many are outthere.

One element that all organizationsface problems with is shelter. KCRorganizes emergency shelter, but theyhave an overowing waitlist. TheSalvation Army is able to send peopleto the local mens shelter, BenedictHouse, and the women and childrensshelter based out of St. Vincent DePaul.

As an alternative to compensatefor a lack of shelter in the area, a safepark was formed in Poulsbo, which

provides an option for women andtheir children to sleep in their vehiclesin a safe designated parking lot.

Homeless camps have been formedthroughout Kitsap County at multiplelocations. The Bremerton RescueMissions temporary housing project,a Family Safe Camp is also in the beginning stages of planning andconstruction. The Safe Camp wouldbe built on 2.2 acres of land in the EastBremerton-Manette area.

Although Jarrett has been able toavoid resorting to pitching a tent inthe woods, hes still teetering on theedge. However, despite being withoutany foreseeable income and having totake care of a teenage son, the 47-year-old keeps a fresh perspective on life.

Im on my way back up, he said

of his current situation. He hopesto be assigned emergency housingthrough KCR while also nishing hiscerticate through Olympic College.With it, he wants to start on the pathto becoming a local area networkadministrator.

Its what I have been doing mywhole career just havent been paidfor it.

Jarrett said its important forothers in a similar situation to his toremember to continue pushing onrather than giving up.

However, he also said hes livingproof that homelessness can becomea reality to virtually anyone at anytime.

I went from $26 an hour to zip,he said. Dont be ashamed. It canhappen to anybody and its notnecessarily your fault.

Jarrett also offers advice to anyonestruggling to make ends meet.

Be careful who you associatewith. You dont have to compromiseyourself or sell yourself.

from homeless pg 4

By JoshNothNagle

Editor-in-Chief

Thank you Father for the food yougive us, said Walt LeCouteur, executivedirector for the Bremerton RescueMission to a group of people gatheredat The Hub in Bremerton for a spaghettidinner Friday.

Thats when I was struck by the realityof the situation, not just the words, butthe honest gratitude of the people inattendance; not only for the food, but forthe ability to eat that night.

The hardest part is when I donthave work, said Adam, a 30-year-oldhomeless man, and having to go downthere and ying a damn sign. You feellike a moron.

They come together at these meals not just to eat dinner, but also to check thedonated cloths, take a shower if therestime, and they visit with friends; old andnew.

A reoccurring thought in my head

while I was sitting there is how muchthey are willing to give from their meagermeans. But so many, with so much, evenif only relatively, hesitate to help.

After the dinner, they return to theirhomes. Some of them live in their cars,some live with a friend, some havemanaged to hold on to their own placeand some live in the woods.

I came to nd people who live in thewoods. I wanted to nd out how theylive, what they do to get by. That dinner

is where I met Adam.Adam lives in a wooded area

approximately 250 feet from highway303 near East Bremerton and has beenhomeless for eight years. That meansAdam became homeless before Mark

Zuckerberg created Facebook, the warin Iraq had begun, and before the spaceshuttle Columbia disintegrated overTexas.

In his time, he has become knownby his peers as an expert scout when itcomes to nding and preparing campsights. He was The Mayor of a previouscamp, and spent approximately twomonths preparing a new location for himand three other homeless men.

Each man has his own tent, withbedding, and a tarp over the top to blockthe rain and provide shade on hot days.They share a kitchen area, where Adamdoes most of the cooking for the group.They have also designated a latrine areaaway from their living space. And theyhave electricity.

Olympic College student Jeremy Bellhelped the group by providing themwith solar panels to replace some Adamfound with his brother. The panels sendelectricity to a set of car batteries thathe keeps under his tent which store theenergy until it is ready to use. Because ofthis, the men are able to keep their cellphones charged, and listen to the radio.

Because he has a phone, Adam is ableto work two or three days a week as a daylaborer. He worked for Labor Ready forsix years, but said he took it upon himselfto nd something else, so he asked forwork, and thats what he got.

Asking for what you need is notsomething new for Adam, or for the menhe lives with.

There is a code amongst thehomeless, said Steve, one of Adamscampmates. If you need something, you

ask.There is a good chance you could

drive past Adams site this winter, andnever realize 250 feet away, there are fourmen, struggling to keep warm; and stayoptimistic about better days.

Camping and conversation withsome of Kitsaps homeless

There is a code amongstthe homeless. If you need

something, you ask.

SteveHomeless


6/8


Storyand PhotoS

By ChriStoPher Carter

Staff Writer

Seven years ago RichardLeMieux was living in hisvan and considered endingit all with a plunge from theTacoma Narrows Bridge today, the experience is stillfresh in his mind.

It has also been nearlytwo years since the Kitsapauthor and former sportswriter shared with theOlympic College communityhis experience living onthe streets of downtown

Bremerton and he is preparingto release a second book whilestill penning a third.

LeMieux is enjoying thesuccess of his rst book,Breakfast at Sallys, andthe impact its had on thehomeless community as hetravels the country speakingabout his life and the lessonshe has learned. While his storyhas been credited with raising

awareness around the issue ofhomelessness, LeMieux saidits still a pervasive andsometimes ignored issue.

The face of homeless haschanged, he said, addingthere are disturbing trendsthat have changed even inthe last decade. The fastestgrowing group of homelesspeople is young people andthat is a disgrace in our

society.LeMieux said there is a

fundamental problem withthe publics perception ofhomeless, especially in KitsapCounty. He said homelessness

is less obvious in an area likeBremerton while the issue isfar more visible and promotesa negative stereotype inmajor metropolitan cities likeSeattle.

Were used to thinkingof people wandering aroundPioneer Square with a winebottle in their hand, he said.

LeMieux said the publicunderestimates the problem insmaller cities in part becauseof a phenomenon known asrural homeless.

According to the NationalCoalition for the Homeless, a

Washington D.C. - based non-prot, rural homelessness isless obvious to the averagesmall town resident because,there are far fewer shelters inrural areas than in urban areas;therefore, people experiencinghomelessness are less likely tolive on the street or in a shelterand more likely to live in a car

or camper, or with relatives inovercrowded or substandardhousing. Restrictingdenitions of homelessnessto include only those who areliterally homeless - that is,

on the streets or in shelters -does not t well with the ruralreality.

LeMieux calls them simply,the people you dont see.

Community outreachorganizations like KitsapCommunity Resources andOlympic Colleges Studentsin Need group have broughtattention to the issue,promoting services for youthand women especially.However, as long as there arepeople on the street, LeMieuxsaid he is hesitant to say theproblem is getting solved.

Anyone on the streetsneeds a roof over their heads,he said.

One of LeMieuxs themesin his life, stories and in his books is what he calls, thedaily miracles and whetheryou can see the homelessor not, LeMieux said thepublics attitude has to change before the problem has anopportunity to x itself.

My story is that people

helped me survive, he said,adding that society as a wholelacks compassion a trendhe hopes to end.

We have become a throw-away society, he said.

LeMieuxs third book,another non-ction accounttentatively titled Saint Mitty,is about Bremerton residentMildred Pratt and herinteractions with the cityshomeless. LeMieux said hewitnessed Pratt take multiplestrangers into her home tofeed them and keep them outof the weather.

LeMieux credits Prattand organizations likeThe Salvation Army fortaking in the homeless, butacknowledges not everyoneis capable. Each person has

his or her own unique way ofhelping, he said.

As he travels from coast tocoast, LeMieux said for him,contribution comes in theform of the written word.

The path the journey Im in is to nd ways to inspireothers. It seems like such alittle thing to do.

For his work with thehomeless, LeMieux will behonored by Seattles OperationNightwatch organizationwith the annual Hero of theHomeless award Nov. 23 atSeattle Center.

Catching up with ahomeless hero and

local author

The fastest growinggroup of homeless

people is youngpeople and that is a

disgrace in oursociety.

RichaRd LeMieux

On the rise in youth

homelessness

Richard LeMieux talks to The Focal Point about

homeless youth and his next two books


7/8


By Christopher Carter

Staff Writer

Although a downturned economyhas halted hiring in large part acrossdifferent employment sectors in the lastthree years, Kitsap County residents including Olympic College students are still being hired.

People like Margaret Hess at

Bremertons WorkSource is helping put job resources literally at the ngertipsof Olympic College students.

WorkSource opened their Bremertonofce in 2000 and establisheda relationship with the collegeimmediately, Hess said.

Weve always had a very strongpartnership with OC, she said.

Many job seekers who turn toWorkSource are also students lookingto nish a degree. Nearly 1,400 of

WorkSources 2,603 job seekers inSeptember had a high school diplomaor less, according to data provided byHess.

Because of the partnershipagreement, OC students can access thecomplete job listings on WorkSourceswebsite.

Sharing databases and informationis cost-effective for both parties, saidTeresa McDermott, director for WorkerRetraining and Work-Based Learning.She works in the colleges CareerCenter.

Weve had to continue to look atcreative ways to serve the communitywith the limited resources we have,she said. That has encouragedcollaborations.

Through WorkSource, job seekersand potential future OC students canget a head start on college classes.Through a computer lab program

known as Key Train, the soon-to- be students can work on Englishand math skills needed to place intocollege-level courses based on resultsof the Accuplacer test required uponenrollment at OC.

Elizabeth Scott, regional laboreconomist for the Employment SecurityDepartment, said organizations likeWorkSource and offerings like thecolleges worker retraining programwill help bring back a healthy laborforce.

The idea of matching job seekerswith the jobs improves the employmentpicture because people get returned

to work more quickly, said Scott,adding, As unemployment goes up,homelessness goes up. One of the waysto alleviate the situation is to work ongetting more people back to work.

For students looking to the CareerCenter for help, McDermott encouragespatience. Like other programsaround campus, stafng and limitedavailable resources havent met theoverwhelming demand for services.

On a Friday, which McDermott

describes as a slow day, the CareerCenter saw more than 80 students ona walk-in basis in addition to otherstudents calling by telephone.

Having WorkSource in the collegesown backyard is invaluable but doesntsolve the problems of limited resources,McDermott said.

Were very fortunate, although that

doesnt minimize the need, she said.

While unemployment numbers inthe Kitsap County area are typically better than those for both the stateand nation, this year saw the highestnumbers in two decades.

February saw the highestunemployment rate 8.7 percent

since 1990. The same month had highnumbers statewide and was the second-worst month for the country.

The rise in unemployment is due inpart to the economic downturn of thelast three years.

From 2004 to 2007, before the

downturn, the rate in Kitsap variedbetween 6 and 4 percent.

Scott said despite the high numbersthis year, Kitsap workers are in arelatively stable area.

Kitsap is prettyfortunate, shesaid, adding thatmajor employerslike Puget SoundNaval Shipyard area boon to the locallabor force.

Other types of jobs are beginningto hire once again.

If we look atwhats startingto come back, were seeing leisureand hospitality denitely showingstrength, said Scott, adding that retailstores are showing positive indicatorsof a healthy workforce as well.

There is one kind of job that isnthiring, however.We continue to see construction

work not returning, said Scott.Usually in the spring we seeconstruction work ramping back up.

Scott said the reason for seeing less

and less hard hats around again relates back to the tight economy and theeffects of factors like foreclosures.

With all available housing at thistime, people arent doing construction

and remodels,she said.

While some ofthe labor industryis still catchingup to others, Scottsaid its a goodthing there is anycatching up to doin the rst place.

There aredenitely signsof recovery. Were

denitely on the way back up, she said.All the typical indicators are showingthat we are moving ahead. The onlyissue is that were moving ahead veryslowly.

The county, like many areas thoughtthe country, saw a sharp rise and fallin jobs this year be cause of temporaryhiring by the U.S. Census Bureau. InKitsap alone, nearly 400 people tookjobs with the bureau, according to Scott.

2

4

6

8

10

12United States

Washington

Kitsap

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

%

Percentage

Year

Unemployment rate

over last 10 years

GraphbyChristopher Carter | Datatakenfromthestate employment seCurityDepartment

There are denitelysigns of recovery. Were

denitely on the way

back up.ElizabEth Scott

Regional Labor EconomistEmployment Security Department

Students have employment resources at their fngertipsOlympic College and Bremertons WorkSource partner to

put students and Kitsap residents back to work

Unemployment this year

retched the highest in 20 years


8/8


Local Service DirectoryKitsap Countyorganizations

Breakfast and lunch servedweekdays, from 8 8:45 a.m.and from noon 12:45 p.m.

Food boxes given out

Tuesday, Thursday and Fridayfrom 9 11:15 a.m. Wednesdayfrom 4 5:45 p.m.

Government foodcommodities are given out thesame times as food boxes, butare only given out weekly torecipients who are not receivingfood assistance from othersources.

Free bread and produce aregiven out on all weekdays.Thanksgiving and Christmas

food baskets are given out

annually, applications areaccepted starting in earlyOctober.

Diapers and toiletries are

given out during the samehours as food boxes.

Utilities assistance isavailable from Januaryto April and wheneverfunding is available annually.(Disconnection notice and proofof low income are required forassistance, which can only begiven out once every 12 months

per household.)

Free haircuts are given out byappointment.

The SalvaTionarmy(360) 377-5550

832 6th St. Bremerton, WA 98337

Kitsap CommunityResources845 8th Street Bremerton,WA 98337 (360) 478-2301

Housing Assistance:1201 ParkAvenue Bremerton, WA98337 (360) 377-0053Emergency ShelterTransitional HousingSafe Park

Energy Assistance:(360) 479-1507Help for renters and

homeowners with heatingand utilities.

Employment andTraining:(360) 478-2301Workfrst

Life Skills TrainingJob Skills Classes

Veterans Assistance:(360) 377-0053Temporary assistance

available with rent/mortgage, food,transportation, medical,and burial costs.Kitsap Mental Health

(360) 405-4010Adult Services:(360) 373-7049CounselingPsychosocialRehabilitationCo-Occurring DisordersTreatmentEmployment ServicesHousing ServicesResidential Services

Child and FamilyServices(360) 479-4994Childrens Crisis Team

Community SupportHome-Based FamilyServicesCo-Occurring DisorderServicesMadrona Day TreatmentIntensive ChildrensServices

Crisis Clinic of thePeninsulas:(360) 479-3033 or Toll-Free1-800-843-4793

Free Mealsin BreMerton:

Bremerton UnitedMethodist Church

1150 Marine DriveLast Friday of the month,4:30 6:30 p.m.

The Coffee Oasis822 Burwell St. (360) 373-0461Fridays 8 11 p.m.

Westgate Fire Hall1550 Rocky Point RoadSundays 10:30 11:30 a.m.

Sylvan Way BaptistChurch900 Sylvan Way

Tuesdays and Thursdays6:30 p.m.

Corner of Riddell Roadand Wheaton Waythird and fourth Saturdayof the month 2 3 p.m.Sunday 1 3 p.m.

Kitsap UnitarianUniversalist Fellowship4418 Perry Ave.Thursday 12 4 p.m.

Bremerton RescueMissionHwy. 303 across fromWalmartFriday 6:30 p.m.

Tip: Pillows, blankets andother bedding can protect you

from back pain depending onsleeping arrangements. Also,blankets can be used to coverwindows and ensure minimalprivacy.

Tip: Crackersand cannedgoods are simplefood staples. Its agood idea to havea box to keepfood in so nothingbecomes crackedor broken. Wateris essential andcan be used forcleaning.

Tip: Micro-waves canbe plugged inusing an ACadapter in thecars cigarettelighter. Theyare usefulbecause theydont have torun very long.

While its not ideal, some of Kitsap Countyshomeless are forced to sleep in their cars. Hereare a few common sense tips for safety andcomfort for those calling their car home.

the focal point issue 1

Documents