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News & ArtsTuesday, January 17, 2012
City City Clamps Down on Operation Sack Lunch
Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 2:34 PM
A program offering free meals to homeless people outside is in jeopardy. From the Operation Sack Lunch website:
Mayor McGinn and his new Seattle Human Service Director from Atlanta, Georgia, Danette Smith, have decided to close this invaluable resource to our entire community on 02/29/2012. The reason for this closure? Ms. Smith has told the outdoor meal providers that although we are well meaning, it is undignified, inhumane, and disrespectful to serve hungry people in an outside setting. These citizens, most of whom are unable to access a nutritional meal with more conventional means, will be forced to go back to dumpsters for leftover food. Ms. Smith has not accepted our invitation to serve with us at the site, nor will she speak with the people whom she will be denying lifesaving food.
OSL reportedly feeds about 200 homeless people a day and 6,000 different people per year. They're asking for your help contacting the mayor's office and city council so the city will reconsider. There's more from them here.
UPDATE at 5:00 PM: I've sent two requests this afternoon to the mayor's office seeking comment, but I haven't heard anything back. I'll post more when I hear more.
3
Danette Smith is simply showing those "southern values" we hear so much about.
And she's a cunt who should lose her job....NOW!!
And she's a cunt who should lose her job....NOW!!
4
limo liberals!
This doesn't fit the stereotype of progressives as "out of touch elites" that Conservatives go by, not one bit.
This doesn't fit the stereotype of progressives as "out of touch elites" that Conservatives go by, not one bit.
5
It is bad enough that she doesn't understand the reason WHY these people won't be able to be served through a more traditional indoor setting. But to shut this down without even having a place to relocate the service? Batshit Crazy. McGinn obviously made a pretty stupid choice for his human services director. She is trying to "fix" something that isn't broken. This program works. Leave it the hell alone. Christ.
6
Wait, so all those people who eat "al fresco" at fancy restaurants are having their dignity and humanity stripped away from them? Can't wait to tell that to the folks hanging out at Harborside or Anthony's or Ray's this summer, as I'm sure, once they're made aware of how cruelly they're being exploited, they'll write letters of thanks to Ms Smith's office.
8
The Sacred Heart Shelter was able to reopen its Lower Queen Anne food bank program with the influx of donor dollars.
I would hope that the greater population of Seattle could be at least as effective in an attempt to keep the Operation Sack Lunch program going.
I would hope that the greater population of Seattle could be at least as effective in an attempt to keep the Operation Sack Lunch program going.
9
These are people who sleep outside and shit outside. And somehow, eating a decent meal outside is too undignified?
If the city wants them to eat inside, it should pony up a free facility (or equivalent rent) to the program. Period.
If the city wants them to eat inside, it should pony up a free facility (or equivalent rent) to the program. Period.
11
If the service is provided to 200 people a day, and serves 6000 in a year, that means that it is only open 30 days a year. If those people who use it are able to get by the other 335 days, it seems like they'll be able to manage without this apparently less than essential service, whose funding is supposedly going to be distributed to indoor sites with similar aims. Given this, I wonder, if the program loses its funding and closes up shop, is that really going to have a major effect upon those it serves?
12
Because they have such a history of Human Services in Georgia (but only if you're a wealthy white man.)
15
@11: Those figures are probably 200 per day, and 6,000 *unique* individuals served per year. Some of the daily 200 are regulars, some are drop-ins.
17
I'll bet you that our "Human Services" director is some southern born again who isn't thrilled that OSL isn't trying to convert the homeless to Christ.
I just throw that out there for consideration.
I just throw that out there for consideration.
18
The figure @11 is looking for is the 90,000 meals outdoors served every year by this one provider. They serve 120,000 meals indoors each year, and believe the outdoor feeding is an important part of what they do. The links above are helpful, but even more helpful is this reporting by Publicola last week, which has a good deal of rich detail.
@10, you'll note from Publicola that the feeding programs were kicked out of City Hall by McGinn's predecessor Nickels back in 2004.
http://publicola.com/2012/01/11/city-cou…
@10, you'll note from Publicola that the feeding programs were kicked out of City Hall by McGinn's predecessor Nickels back in 2004.
http://publicola.com/2012/01/11/city-cou…
19
In fact...Dominic says so right after the excerpt. "OSL reportedly feeds about 200 homeless people a day and 6,000 different people per year."
This same 'logic' is applied to the city's policy with Seattle's Tent Cities (as run by SHARE) and Nickelsville (as run by, well...Nickelsville). There's a lot of bloviating re: 'dignity' and pointing adamantly to the 10 year plan to end homelessness but let me tell you: I work in low-income housing. There's no funding. There's no housing.
The idea that the city wants to force this operation in doors so they can have outreach workers working 'one-on-one' to help meet needs is utter bullshit. There is no magical housing waiting beyond that outreach worker. Seattle has loads of day centers for those folks where they can get assistance navigating the social service system, and they're told what is true: the waits are years long, and just because you're homeless is no guarantee you'll be approved.
Often times the folks who haven't come inside to access these services neglect to do so because of pervasive mental health issues. If the city wants to reach these folks, who literally do not know to come in out of the cold, or cannot for a multitude of reasons, they can make sure that DESC's REACH team is fully funded (they do the street outreach that builds trusting relationships with the mentally ill population).
If the city wants to house people and 'end homelessness' (hah fucking hah), they should deregulate housing laws and let people provide for themselves what the government has been unable to do. Better yet, they should just fuck the laws all together. This new Human Services director can suck a dick.
This same 'logic' is applied to the city's policy with Seattle's Tent Cities (as run by SHARE) and Nickelsville (as run by, well...Nickelsville). There's a lot of bloviating re: 'dignity' and pointing adamantly to the 10 year plan to end homelessness but let me tell you: I work in low-income housing. There's no funding. There's no housing.
The idea that the city wants to force this operation in doors so they can have outreach workers working 'one-on-one' to help meet needs is utter bullshit. There is no magical housing waiting beyond that outreach worker. Seattle has loads of day centers for those folks where they can get assistance navigating the social service system, and they're told what is true: the waits are years long, and just because you're homeless is no guarantee you'll be approved.
Often times the folks who haven't come inside to access these services neglect to do so because of pervasive mental health issues. If the city wants to reach these folks, who literally do not know to come in out of the cold, or cannot for a multitude of reasons, they can make sure that DESC's REACH team is fully funded (they do the street outreach that builds trusting relationships with the mentally ill population).
If the city wants to house people and 'end homelessness' (hah fucking hah), they should deregulate housing laws and let people provide for themselves what the government has been unable to do. Better yet, they should just fuck the laws all together. This new Human Services director can suck a dick.
20
Typical New Seattle Transplant attitude. Come here with no background and no context, and yet you still think you know how to run things better than everyone else. Fortunately, this attitude is usually expressed through harmless internet bloviation, not through policy changes that fuck over hungry people.
21
Wait....is this because dumpsters qualify as "indoors" since they have 4 walls?
Dumpsters! For a a humane, indoor dining experience!
Dumpsters! For a a humane, indoor dining experience!
22
Human Services Department
Dannette R. Smith, Director
(206) 684-4000
E-mail Dannette
Dannette.Smith@seattle.gov
Dannette R. Smith, Director
(206) 684-4000
E-mail Dannette
Dannette.Smith@seattle.gov
23
DumpsterFu will be opening in an alley in a hipster district near you. It will provide a unique experience highlighting a natural ambiance with a scent catalog imported from the streets of Four Continents. DumpsterFu. An empty palate is a clean palate. DumpsterFu.
25
Much more dignified to starve, I guess. It has been my experience that most politicians who claim to know what is best for the poor/homeless/needy/hungry have never experienced these conditions themselves.
26
Dominic's later addition of 'different' to the sentence regarding the number of people served clears up my question.
27
Fire this CUUUUUUUUUUNT. And, let's admit it, McGinn was a big fat MISTAKE. Sigh.
Where are our leaders?????????????????????????????????????
Where are our leaders?????????????????????????????????????
28
Fire this CUUUUUUUUUUNT. And, let's admit it, McGinn was a big fat MISTAKE. Sigh.
Where are our leaders?????????????????????????????????????
Where are our leaders?????????????????????????????????????
29
Has there been a follow up to this article? Has anyone responded to your queries in the city, Dominic?
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