Homeless Remembrance Project

Our thanks to all who joined today’s WHEEL Women in Black Vigil for 15 Beloved Community members who died recently. We're especially grateful to participants of our own SHARE/WHEEL Tent City3 for standing with us. Tent City3 is moving from King County Wastewater Treatment Division land at 2720 S. Hanford to University Congregational United Church of Christ (45th/15th NE) NEXT TUESDAY, MAY 26th!! Help is needed, ESPECIALLY at the S. Hanford site, all day! Move day food (snacks, breakfast and lunch) would be welcome! Also needed are blankets, tarps, & tents. Gratitude for your solidarity and support!

Don Lowe was a Renaissance man. He had a mathematics degree from Cal Polytech, worked for Timberland Library System and DSHS, and studied philosophy, astrology, and classic literature, amassing a collection of thousands of books that he spent the end of his life donating to local schools. He also made a point of keeping up on current affairs, and was active in the peace movement.

Don sold Real Change at the Columbia City PCC, where he met a circle of friends who helped him move from the streets to permanent housing, and then created the backyard shelter he's pictured in here. Dedicating a Leaf of Remembrance there in Don's honor was one of the highlights of last summer's Leaflaying season.

You can learn more about Don's life and share your memories of him by clicking the link below. His is our May Featured Leaf! We're currently planning this year's Leaf Dedications, and will keep you posted on this page.

https://fallenleaves.org/don-lowe-1948-2025-2/

On Tuesday WHEEL participant Anitra Freeman read into public testimony a letter the homeless women of WHEEL sent City Councilmembers the previous day: "WHEEL is a grassroots organizing effort of homeless women. We facilitate three low-barrier women's shelter--100 women a day/night. Our shelters are perpetually full, and we've been forced to turn women away at night, even elders. We also facilitate Women in Black vigils when homeless people die outside, in public, or by violence. At noon this Wednesday we'll stand for another 25 people who died this way, most just in March. It's a horrible list! In March THREE people died by hypothermia, one by pneumonia, and another person by su***de. Homeless deaths by su***de have gone up dramatically this year. We'll dedicate our vigil to a baby who died homeless last month.

Without shelter, people die. You are taking up and voting on bills that would expand and expedite shelter. We testified in support of these efforts last week. Today, on the eve of our Women in Black vigil and in the name of those who have died, we urge you to support this legislation without delay. We need this shelter, and we need the hope for the future it symbolizes for so many people who have no shelter at all."

Then, before the vote was taken, bill sponsor CM Strauss asked for a moment of silence in honor of the people Women in Black would stand vigil for. The bills passed unanimously.

We thank the Councilmembers who sponsored and passed this legislation, Mayor Wilson who proposed it, all who do the everyday, ordinary work of sheltering and remembering our homeless relatives, and all who stood vigil with us yesterday.

Close friends were in touch to let us know of another person to be honored and remembered at our Women in Black Vigil at noon this Wednesday. We will hold in our hearts--and hold up the name of--Dene Kristyne MeGehee, 30, who died by su***de outside on Capitol Hill on 2/10. She was beloved.