July Newsletter
Dear Community,
Our neighborhood has been experiencing the struggles that get constant coverage on the news: increased camping, drug use and constant dealing, overdose deaths, and most recently a shooting in which two people camping outdoors were injured. The news is filled with stories about violence in our communities, and those stories often de-humanize the people without homes who experience that violence most directly. But there is another story happening too, and a community culture that is being built up day by day. We have been caring for our neighbor for over 35 years now, and our years of experience speak clearly: kindness and safety open up a better future, that as we welcome the stranger we begin to love them.
Our days are always really full in summer. We are busy growing food and flowers, doing all the repairs outside that we can, and enjoying being outside together. Huge thanks to the Immanuel Presybterian youth group for your help. It was really fun to have youth in the garden again, and these amazing young people tackled their work with skill and energy. They put in many hours in the heat into replacing the boards on the JV house deck. The results are beautiful!
We are an multi-generational community, and we have been spending more time lately caring for our elders. One of our neighbors has been in and out of the hospital this summer and a big circle of friends stepped up to bring meals and take care of her needs. It is good for our hearts to be part of her care. So many of the people that come to Guadalupe House from the shelter are also dealing with illnesses that limit their choices and isolate them. Their stays with us are usually longer because affordable apartments are so limited, and the wait list is so long. We have had wonderful help from the extended community, especially Joe and Mary, to take the extra time to accompany guests to appointments, track medications, and support them through medical procedures. Several guests in the house currently are also Spanish speakers, and we are grateful to have a team of interpreters and helpers Mara, Mary, Jose, Florian, Megan, Maggie, and Julie that have offered their time.
We continue to work on a variety of maintenance projects, and the savings of doing the work ourselves really piles up. It's quite astonishing. Matt, Eric, and Jack, our weekly volunteers, have made a huge difference in the downstairs of Guadalupe House. They reinvented the tool closet, making it an organized and useful space. They completed the laundry room renovation and moved immediately on to the adjacent bathroom. We are now doing the finishing touches to make this a serene, clean, and even spa-like space.
We have our eyes on the next phase of the re-siding of Guadalupe House, and expect to start in late summer. We anticipate a cost of $8-10k to reach the end of this work, which will last for many decades. As always, we need your help. Your support is the reason we can buy a new shower to replace a leaky one, to purchase siding to replace what is damaged, and it is the reason we are here each day, available to the people who need us. We are grateful for the years of support, and we ask you to keep this work going.
The Tacoma Catholic Worker Team,
Gary, Liz, Peter, Melissa, Nora, Michael and and Harlan
We have received our 501(c)3 designation and your gifts are tax deductible.
