Everyone has a story. What's yours?
 Linda Thomas
twitter: @TheNewsChick
About Linda
Linda is the morning news anchor and features reporter for KIRO Radio. This is her local news blog, with an emphasis on social media, technology, Northwest companies, education, parenting, and anything else that grabs her attention.

If you have a news tip or story idea, I'd love to hear from you...

To leave a voice message for Linda about any of her stories call toll free 1-855-251-2363

Follow Me on Pinterest


nickelsville.jpg
During a break from the Seattle rain, Nickelsville resident Elizabeth Iverson sorts donations that have poured in after their camp was flooded. (Linda Thomas photo)

Residents of Nickelsville have a message for the rest of Seattle

November 27, 2012 @ 6:16 pm (Updated: 10:58 am - 11/28/12 )

The people of Nickelsville have a message for the rest of Seattle and the Puget Sound region. Thank you for caring. Thank you for the "show of love."

Last week relentless rain flooded the homeless camp off West Marginal Way, not far from the 1st Avenue South Bridge. At least 30 tents - 30 homes - were soaked.

Photos: Record rains swamp Nickelsville

At the urging of KING 5 News and KIRO Radio's Ron and Don Show, people donated clothing, boots, hats, gloves, food, and other supplies to the homeless community.

"It just shows that not everybody wants people like us pushed away and swept underneath the carpet."

"It makes us feel like we actually are part of the community, and that people do recognize the fact that we're here."

"It's saved my life and my wife's life. It saved us from freezing to death out there."

Those words of appreciation are from three Nicklesville residents I'll introduce you to, but first a reminder of how the homeless camp started.

Advocates for the homeless set up about 150 bright pink tents on public land in September of 2008.

They wanted to draw attention to the needs of homeless people, and take a swipe at former Mayor Greg Nickels. They didn't feel he was doing enough to help the homeless, and they dubbed their protest camp Nickelsville.

The encampment is supposed to remind people of Hooverville, the Depression-era shantytowns whose inhabitants blamed their economic troubles on President Hoover.

The first Nickelsville popped up in an industrial area near the Duwamish River, just east of where West Marginal Way Southwest meets Highland Park Way Southwest.

Homeless residents are back at that location now, but the return path has included more than a dozen other locations and just as many arrests of demonstrators over the years.

Their tent city has spent most of its time at various church sites, often staying for weeks or months at one location.

Nickelsville supporters have been working with current Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn to find a permanent site for their camp, but nothing has come through, so last year they moved back to their original location near the Duwamish River.

Mayor McGinn has not tried to evict them.

Elizabeth Iverson, wearing a blue sweater and hand-crocheted hat, sorts through bags of clothing dropped off at the camp over the past week.

"We have donations that I haven't even gotten to yet, but I'll get this organized so people can find what they need," Iverson says. "It's quite a show of love from the community."

Iverson, 55, arrived at the camp in June after losing her job as a nurse in Snohomish County and then her house. Her only family is her cat and since shelters don't take pets, she came to Nickelsville.

"It's the last place on earth I thought I'd ever be," she says. "I don't know of anybody here who just wants to park here. Most people want to get a job and move on to more comfortable living arrangements."

Between 70 and 100 people live in the highly-organized and well-run Nickelsville.

A woman in her 40s tells me "It's a place to stay, but it'll never be home."

Dan Campbell is grateful to have any place to call home. He's lived in Nickelsville for almost 10 months with his wife.

He's never been homeless before. He lost his job, lost his home, and now worries he'll lose his life.

"I've got cancer, so I've been going through some things. This place has pretty much saved me and my wife. I don't know what's ahead for her if I can't kick this cancer and find work," Campbell says. "I'm just hoping maybe the government will do something to help us."

The majority of people in Nickelsville want better lives for themselves than what they have under the blue tarps and tents they call home.

Steve Mueller is an exception. Nickelsville for him has become a way of life. He's been there almost since the beginning.

"I like the freedom, just being out in the open away from electronics and that kind of stuff where you don't rely on TV, radios, gadgets, and the next iPod that's coming out," Mueller says. "I'm more in tune with my surroundings and nature."

Even if he had a million dollars, Mueller says he'd choose to live in Nickelsville.

"Absolutely," he says. "The people here are great."

As she tucks a new pair of socks into a pair of sturdy, black rubber boots, Iverson agrees.

"There's certainly very nice people here," she says. "There seems to be a human quality to people here that you don't always find."

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

MyNorthwest.com - Purpose of Comments statement
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.

Comments (24)


  • Add A Comment

  • cdbtx wrote...
    I have little sympathy
    November 28, 2012 3:15 am
    for many of the homeless - there was a time many years ago that I was homeless, not for long... I walked to a temp agency and took on some of the nastiest jobs, each day earned enough to feed myself and pay for a flea bag hotel. Eventually one of the guys I worked for saw me working my tail off and hired me full time, saved more money, rented a room, saved each day life got better. No food stamps, no welfare, no begging.. just work.

    There are those homeless that do need help, but they will never ask for it or beg and in the past I have put together numerous events to help them.

    As Ben Franklin said and warned "Not one cent for those without virtue" - Charity is for those that need it, not for those that demand it.

    Something I did learned about charitable people and it will strike many as odd, when asking for donations for some homeless events, the donors were easily 99% conservatives - the psuedo liberals did not contribute a penny, but the "True" liberals were every bit as generous as the conservatives - there were simply not as many. A true liberal walks the talk, are honest, sincere, kind, wonderful people... people that I've maintained friendships and the utmost respect with for many years despite huge ideological differences...

    What defines a person is not their ideological views - it's their integrity and ethics...

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    cdbtx
    November 28, 2012 6:54 am
    I agree with your post with one exclusion, Liberals will give money but that's it, they don't want to touch you or talk to you or hire you for that matter. Conservatives want to convert you before they give you a chance. My biggest problem with the liberal is that they think if they throw money at you, that should help you instead of standing next to you and actually teaching you a skill and giving you a chance to make a living with that skill. The problem that I have with the conservative is that if I don't convert to there religion FIRST, then I can't get that meal and/or training skill. I don't want to be converted, I want a doggone job please,lol.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • GloScot wrote...
    Sports...
    November 28, 2012 7:59 am
    I am in charge of my church's benevolence fund, which isn't much. I get calls regularly from homeless people wanting a room to sleep in and a hot shower. I get calls from people who can't pay their water bill and who are about to get cut off. I also get calls from people who are about to get evicted if they don't make the rent payment. When I get calls, I show them love and help them if our small church can. I ask them how they are changing their situation so they don't have to be put in this situation. Sometimes, if I am getting that they are receptive, I will ask if I can pray for them and if there is anything else that we as a small church can do. We have between 60-75 people in our church. I don't ask if they have accepted Jesus as their savior and ask them to hear a pitch before I help them. I don't know what in your life causes you to paint conservative (I am assuming) Christians in such a negative light, but you are dead wrong about them my friend. I don't know of any charity organization or church that would demand that you convert before getting help. Do you really believe that is typical or do you just really hate Conservative Christians because what they do believe in?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    GloScot
    November 28, 2012 6:27 pm

    Hate is a strong word, no I don't hate anybody's religion nor what they believe in. I do a lot of volunteering of my time (I don't trust giving money to large organizations as most of the money don't go to the people it's suppose to go too) and some of my volunteer opportunities have been at church's around king county and announcing that they have to pray BEFORE every meal when they know a good percentage may not be religious.

    I have even seen some that give a sermon to the group before a meal and/or handout's of clothes, grocery etc.. As well as taking people aside and counseling them on there beliefs. I am not saying that it's wrong to try and reach somebody if they want to be reached, I just don't like it to be mandatory to help another individual.

    Most people will ask you how you keep it together or how you got successful, once they ask, then go ahead and reveal yourself and your faith. I have always been attracted to people that lead by example and allow me to approach and inquire, then by someone just assuming I must don't have no faith as the reason that I am in the position that I am in, there are a lot of religious people on the street as well non-religious people and most of the recipients feel that that they are there to convert them in my conversations and feel uncomfortable with it.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • GloScot wrote...
    Sports...
    November 29, 2012 9:42 am
    Thanks for the explanation. I like your second post as opposed to your first where you paint conservatives as doing good deeds in the hopes of putting checkmarks on their eternal records. You and I will agree that beliefs should be secondary before ensuring that someone is clothed and fed. Doing good and taking care of people are on the minds of the people I know, including myself, who work at food banks, soup kitchens, hand out clothes, offer free medical care, etc. I do hope that when their bellies are full and are steered toward other assistance that I can't personally help provide, that their spiritual life is care for, too. But that comes in time and with relationships with people that truly care. You and I seem to be on the same page. Thanks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    homeless and community
    November 28, 2012 5:42 am
    don't go together....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    "It just shows that not everybody wants people like us pushed away and swept underneath the carpet."
    November 28, 2012 5:47 am
    People like us want people like you to get jobs and get on with your lives. While you still can!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rocketman wrote...
    How could this woman not find a job as a nurse?
    November 28, 2012 6:26 am
    There are ads everywhere for nurses including the state jobs website.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tbookout17 wrote...
    @rocketman
    November 28, 2012 6:49 am
    My thoughts exactly...maybe she "lost her job" for doing something that makes her not rehireable like stealing meds or something
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TigerSGT wrote...
    cat
    November 28, 2012 7:26 am
    dude it tells you about her when she would rather live in a tent and freeze so she don't have to find a home for her FLIPPING CAT!!!! that says it all!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • GloScot wrote...
    A simple check
    November 28, 2012 8:10 am
    The subject of this story still has her nurses license and it is active. I just checked on the Department of Health website. Perhaps she's just telling the truth and really doesn't want to part with her "family." Is there anything wrong with that? At least she's not screaming to the world that life isn't fair and is demanding we step up to help her. She was thanking the citizenry for their help.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • smithval75 wrote...
    If you've put yourself in this situation I have no sympathy for you.
    November 28, 2012 7:51 am
    There is a small percent of the homeless population that are mentally or physically challenged, that truly cannot fend for themselves and need to be helped. Mental illness and other ailments are real problems. However, alcoholism is a choice not a disease, drug abuse is a choice not a disease, criminal records that prevent employment are their own fault, laziness or the unwillingness to take responsibility for their own lives are choices they make. There is so much help for the homeless people of Seattle staying on the streets is a choice they make, not a situation anyone puts them in. So if you get flooded and lose what little you have, freeze to death, or starve that is your own fault. I choose to get up every day, work hard, and make sacrifices of myself to provide for my family. It is not my fault, nor do I feel bad for you because you choose not to. For the bleeding hearts, those who feed, clothe, and otherwise take care of these people all you are doing is enabling them to continue on with the current course of their lives. I am sure you feel oh so smug and self-righteous that you are doing a great thing for those less fortunate. Why not put them up at your house? Then they won’t be wet, cold, or hungry. If every bleeding heart liberal in the city of Seattle who claims to care about the homeless took them in and gave them a home the problem could be solved in one day. I’m sure enough of you have an extra bedroom. Ron and Don I love your show and I’m sure you make enough money and have large enough houses to put a few of them up until they can get back on their feet? At the least you could let them camp out in your yards so they don’t have to worry about the flooding and the rats. You lament about the plight of these poor people, is just giving them a sandwich or a blanket enough to make you feel like you have done some great deed for a person less fortunate? Why not take a few of them in?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • calapete wrote...
    thanks
    November 28, 2012 8:01 am
    as well to the Vietnamese community group who helped out enormously!

    I feel blessed to live in a caring, giving community

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • wsshirling wrote...
    you aren't...
    November 28, 2012 11:59 am
    You aren't part of the community.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • wsshirling wrote...
    AJ...
    November 28, 2012 12:02 pm
    Whatever the reason they BECAME homeless, there are way too many who find it easier to STAY homeless. And that's the problem. She felt good she was part of the community as if this is a good move acknowledging her choices as OK. That choice to live long term in tent cities is not OK.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • JEberle wrote...
    sadly some homelessness IS by choice....
    November 28, 2012 3:23 pm
    I know factually that the nurse you featured does indeed have family ...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    AJ - What would Jesus do? . . . .
    November 28, 2012 4:17 pm
    why not give one or two of them a JOB?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }