During May, both Tent City 3 and Tent City 4 will be moving. It takes many hands to help move these organized tent encampments of about 100 people to a new host site. They will be moving pallets, large communal tents and all the rest of the stuff. Once again they will welcome and need help. 

Help Tent City 4 Move on Friday, May 15

Tent City 4 (TC4) will be moving back to the Seattle Mennonite Church in the Lake City neighborhood. They have been located about 1/3 mile west, at the former site of the Lake City Community Center, for the last year. It will be a bit easier for them to move a short distance in the same neighborhood, where they are already connected to resources. 

The move involves physical labor that includes loading, and later unloading or installing pallet boards; removing or hammering nails; schlepping boxes and more. But there are some light duty tasks too: sweeping, helping some take down their tents or mark their personal belongings before transport, or running masking tape, markers and other limited supplies around the move site.

Your help with either loading or unloading and setup is much appreciated. Arrive anytime and stay for however much time you have available, even if only for an hour or two. You do not need to sign up in advance to assist with the move. It's a good idea to bring your work gloves, if you have them. Garden gloves work too. Also, bring a bottle of water and dress in layers, as the weather warrants.

Loading: from about 8:30 a.m.–noon

Help TC4 load up at their current Lake City site (12531 28th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98125). Most work here will finish up by midday. 

Unloading and setup: from late morning through the afternoon

Help TC4 unload and set up at Seattle Mennonite Church. The first work will include unloading pallets, large communal tents for the camp kitchen and donations storage. By early afternoon many from the TC4 community will be unloading personal tents and belongings. There will be plenty to do in offering your help to individuals and families as they get set up. The Seattle Mennonite Church is located at 3120 NE 125th Steet. There is parking in a small parking lot behind the church, and also on neighborhood streets. 

Help Tent City 3 Move on Tuesday, May 26

Again, volunteers will be much appreciated! TC3 anticipates needing help all day, from 8:30 a.m. through the afternoon, at their current site on public land at 2720 S. Hanford (near the Mount Baker light rail station, and just a block southwest of the intersection of Rainier Ave. South and MLK Jr Way South). TC3 will be moving to University Congregational Church in the U-District, where they have be hosted many times. Stay tuned for more details on the TC3 move. 

Donations

Since TC4 and TC3 have to move everything, moving days are not a good time to donate items, other than baked goods or snacks. They do appreciate donations of things, but please wait until they get settled in. However, financial donations are gratefully received at any time.

If you have any questions about joining others from UUC in these efforts, please contact Dave Mentz.

~ UUC Homelessness Ministries Team