Sandy Tweed and the "Safe Park" team of the Quimper Unitarian Universalism Scholarship in Port Townsend hope to turn their 22nd Street parking lot into a sanctuary for women living in their cars. (Diane Urbani de la Paz/Peninsula Daily)
It is safe to stay overnight; the online meeting is scheduled for Tuesday
PORT TOWNSEND — Last summer, artist Sandy Tweed traveled alone when her van thought it could not reach Missoula in Mengshan. She had to find a place to park for the night.
"I searched and searched," Tweed recalled. She found a well-lit parking lot for hospital staff and spent most of the night thinking about her privileges as a person who can repair vehicles and drive home to Port Townsend.
"As a single woman, it's scary," she said.
Tweed is a member of a team of men and women who are planning a so-called safety park, which is a place where people living in a car can live.
The parking lot of the Quimper Unitarian Universalism Scholarship (QUUF) at 2333 San Juan Avenue can accommodate three to six vehicles.
The safety park team-Tweed, Dean Carr, Maria Mendes, Cynthia Becker, Carl Allen, Barbara Morey, Julia Cochrane, Kathy Stevenson, Share DeWees and Kate Kinney-also plans to provide a portable restroom, a trash can, and pass after a while , Enter the shower room in the QUUF building.
An online public meeting on the program is scheduled to be held at 7pm on Tuesday evening, and the link is on QUUF.org.
Tweed said the safety park will be open to women of all ages and women with children-the "most vulnerable people."
"We are trying to provide services to people who feel threatened." They can only sleep in the car.
She added that her team will work with Dove House and Bayside Housing & Services to help women access community resources to help them move forward.
Port Townsend Police Chief Thomas Olsen said he had been invited to send a representative to the meeting on Tuesday, but it was not yet certain who it was.
"When it comes to homelessness, I agree with anything that helps us meet the challenge," he said of the safe park plan.
"We did encounter some challenges, with vehicles, parking in the town, staying there for days and weeks at a time...We were not looking for it there, but if it was obvious, we would contact them and tell them to continue Go forward," Olsen added.
He said the business owner asked the police to get in touch with people who appeared to be camping in their cars.
Tweed and the Safety Park team wanted to express a clear welcome.
A letter on the QUUF website reads: "Imagine that only your car is used as a shelter for people." "You are forced to find a place to park every night. This means balancing actual risks. Before you are seen as a threat Or just unwelcome areas, you may be woken up by the police in the middle of the night. Parking in hidden areas will make you more vulnerable and unsafe."
Imagine that, by contrast, people will smile, nod or spend a minute chatting with you.
"At night, you can use sanitation facilities," the letter said. "If you feel threatened, you can call the police because you know you belong here. More importantly, the police know this. You can feel safe enough to get a good night's sleep. The impact of that little thing is huge."
The safety park will provide volunteer hosts at any time, as well as video surveillance cameras that the hosts and other members of the team can use.
"Initially, we will welcome guests to park from 4pm to 9am, and we are weighing options to switch to a 24-hour mode to provide more stability," the letter continued.
Tweed said that a letter about the safety park will be hand-delivered to the nearest neighbor, and anyone with questions can send it via email [email protection]
"This kind of project is ridiculously cheap," she said, adding that other safe parks in the area-including Kirkland and Edmonds-provided insights for her team. Tweed pointed out that RVs will not be allowed to use, because if such a vehicle breaks down and is abandoned, the cost of the trailer will be very high.
"I want to speak out to Good Man Sanitation," provide portable toilets," Tweed said.
"That will be our main cost," she continued. "Otherwise, we are using the resources we have," including parking lots and volunteers.
Tweed and her team hope to have other accommodation options. The QUUF auction will start on November 14th and will last until November 21st. There will be a "funding demand" project called "Little Commons".
This is a small building, just like a small building built by volunteers for Pat's Place. This is a temporary small village that will be erected near the 10th and Rosecrans corners of Port Townsend.
The commons will have electricity, refrigerators, microwaves, tables and chairs, so families can store perishable food and charge their equipment; children can do homework.
Tweed said that since the safe park plan took shape, no community members have expressed opposition.
"This city is great; there are no obstacles," she said.
The contact information of Senior Journalist Diane Urbani de la Paz in Jefferson County is 360-417-3509 or [email protected]
Outbreak in Jefferson County School District
If the strong wind comes back, it may shut down
Officials say the holidays may bring challenges
Bei'ao Healthcare Network cooperates with the port...Continue reading
Clallam-Jefferson County Pro Bono Lawyers will proceed... Continue reading
Passengers travelling to Canada need to undergo a negative PCR test
Rian Anderson, Regional Manager of Black Ball Ferry Line Port Angeles, standing... Continue reading
The focus in 2022 will be resumption of work
It is safe to stay overnight; the online meeting is scheduled for Tuesday
Court proceedings stopped another trustee’s bank sale
About 50 people lined up on either side of Water Street in Port Townsend...
Prepare for Canadians
Can make an appointment now
The 102-year-old volunteer represents self-reliance
Two more Clarham County residents died of COVID-19, increasing the total...