2023 Fleagle Lecture: Rex Hohlbein
Sunday, February 19, both services (9:30 and 11:15 a.m.) and a 1–2:30 p.m. workshop and Q & A
Workshop title: Homelessness, Ethics and Social Action
Livestream link: https://www.uuchurch.org/sunday-service-live-stream/
Childcare available* by reservation
Soup lunch: The Social Justice Steering Committee will be providing a soup and bread lunch for people staying after the second service for the workshop.
On February 19, Rex Hohlbein, founder at Facing Homelessness, will deliver the sermon during morning worship with a focus on homelessness in Seattle and building relationships between people who sleep outside and people who are housed. Following the second service, Rex will lead a workshop and Q & A about next steps from 1:00–2:30 p.m. also in the chapel and via livestream.
We invited Rex Hohlbein to speak at UUC as part of our preparations to host Tent City 3 this spring. Rex has been connected to Tent City 3 for many years and lived within that community for a month as part of his own education when he started Facing Homelessness. He returned to Tent City 3 in early January of this year to meet and interview some of the current participants there in anticipation of bringing some of their stories to UUC.
This Sunday service and workshop is intended to be open to the community of UUC as well as the wider community. Feel free to invite your friends!
More about Rex:
Born and raised in Seattle, Rex ran a successful residential architectural firm for thirty years. In 2010, after befriending several men experiencing homelessness along the Fremont Canal, Rex started a Facebook page to raise awareness for those living unsheltered through the sharing of photos and personal stories. Today, that Facebook page has over 50,000 followers and has become a thriving and inspirational non-profit, Facing Homelessness.
In 2017 Rex started a new chapter that combines both architecture and community outreach in starting a socially-focused architecture firm, BLOCK Architects, with his daughter Jenn LaFreniere. Together they co-founded The BLOCK Project.
In 2022 he, along with Tomasz Biernacki, began a podcast titled You Know Me Now that explores in depth stories amplifying unheard voices in our community.
* Childcare will be open to drop-in, but you can help us plan appropriately by signing up ahead of time. Childcare for the Fleagle Lecture will open at 12:50 p.m., 10 minutes before the event begins.