Volunteer-led groups in Seattle doing what the city won’t to help unhoused

Local volunteer-led groups, like We Heart Seattle, have started cleaning up trash and connecting unhoused residents with services, doing the work some believe the city should be doing.

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Andrea Suarez is the leader of We Heart Seattle, who says that while a number of organizations have faded away during the pandemic, there are volunteer groups stepping up and making a difference.

“I think the silver lining is these various grassroots organizations that are non-partisan, volunteer led, tired of pointing fingers, tired of writing to our leaders for answers, are just starting to do it ourselves,” Suarez told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson Show. “And doing it in a compassionate, effective, and friction-free way with the money we’ve raised through private donations.”

She admits it’s not a lot, but they’re doing what they can, starting with picking up trash.

“We’re now over 80 organized litter picks later, over 320,000 pounds of trash removed, over 200 registered volunteers, and over 70 people that we’ve helped connect to services and get off of the streets, including fully furnished apartments with one year leases just by being out there every day for over a year in a hyper-local kind of way, which I think is where the city kind of has a missing link. They’re trying to wrap their hands around all 12,000 people all at once,” she said.

Her organization has found success, she explains, by going to one particular area or park, and then going back every day for three to four weeks.

“The unhoused folks start to realize, oh gosh, these people really care. They show up every day. They come in, they do a very compelling service, which is waste management,” she said.

Suarez wouldn’t say the city is incompetent in terms of trash pickup, but she says they’re paralyzed.

“They’ve got so many rules and restrictions about what they can and can’t take, so they’re not taking anything,” she said. “… Even the homeless are like, my God, thank you for finally coming and picking up the trash and inspiring me to pick it up with you. So it’s been fascinating to see what we can do with our small nimble organization.”

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Her advice to Seattle’s leadership is to get out there and do the work.

“I’ve been doing this every single day for 365 days a year throughout the year — exception of a couple days off,” she said. “… If you want to know what is going on, roll up your sleeves, leadership, and get out there and look that there are multiple people occupying multiple tents. There’s a gentleman down in Green Lake who has multiple RVs.”

“There are people who have housing through DSEC, through tiny house, fully furnished apartments through Plymouth that still occupy tents and tent mansions on our streets,” she added.

Listen to the full interview with Suarez and fill-in host Jason Mattera above, or at this link. To donate or volunteer, visit weheartseattle.org.

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.