On Oct. 21, the same morning the Steve Cox Memorial Park field house was filled with law enforcement officers giving a press conference about their drug and gun bust operating from White Center businesses, another passion-filled group also advocating for a safer White Center was meeting a few blocks away at Mt. View Presbyterian Church.
The group of about 25 met to confront the issue of the chronic alcoholic homeless population in White Center, led by Nancy Woodland of WestSide Baby., a nonprofit that collects previously owned items for children and babies and distributes them, and diapers, too, free of charge, to South King County families in need.
She was joined by Mark Ufkes, White Center Chamber, Frank Cantwell, Principal, Holy Family School, Mike Johnson and others from the Union Gospel Mission, Natasha Hicks Mt. View Presbyterian Church, Peter Truong, King County Sheriffs Office, Geoffrey "Mac" McElroy, owner, Triangle Pub, and others.
So why focus on only those homeless people with drinking issues? Because this summit feels it can get a handle on this specific group.
"Homelessness in general is too big a problem for our summit to successfully solve," said Woodland, following the meeting. "We left the meeting with the sense that we can really make a difference with this population, and they are causing the major bad perception in White Center compared to the non-drinking homeless. We also think we can successfully engage the White Center business district."
More meetings are planned
This meeting established some rough parameters. One is that 30 to 40 individuals are homeless, addicted to alcohol, regularly inebriated in public and have created their own sense of community in White Center. They are ethnically diverse, mostly male, generally aged 30 to 40 with varying issues of criminal history, mental illness, history of trauma and intellectual challenges. Most are very passive and some are occasionally aggressive when approached.
One resident who attended said she was troubled that she did not feel comfortable taking her young daughter to a local park because of homeless who drink. She said she has seen such people congregating in the daytime next to the car wash by Albertsons for years.
Most at the meeting agreed that the homeless discussed buy their alcohol at local convenience stores, and that they earn money from selling food stamps, selling their own prescription medicine, collecting social security, which they can do from a family member's address, day labor, and prostitution.
Said Mac McElroy, "I don't see that population in my bar. Drinking high octane (alcohol) can sold at convenience stores. They can sell a pill for a lot of alcohol. Reselling prescription drugs is a problem. We need to create a business district that people outside our district will come to and spend money. If people are defacating in the street or are passed out, that's not a real attractive calling card for businesses here."
Woodland also said that this population defecates outside WestSide Baby and said no one in the community seems to be in charge of cleaning such messes.
Added Sheriff Truong, "I'm more than happy to get you a ride to Seattle, to a shelter, food. But by law we can't take them if they do not want to go. "The say 'we want to be here'. We can just suggest services. But they poop and pee all over, and businesses suffer."
Frustration flared up in the group when discussing the stores selling the booze.
"Selling alcohol to drunk people is illegal," Cantwell pointed out.
Ufkes held up a large sticker that reads "We support responsible alcohol sales in White Center".
"We invited businesses in White Center to participate and display these stickers but they avoided it like the plague," Ufkes complained. "We were getting no encouragement from anybody other than the Chamber."
"I talk to lot of businesses," said the sheriff. "It's really tough. Not enough man power to keep an eye out."
Others said that they have seen drunk people send in others to purchase their alcohol, and believed that some convenience store employees are not trained to refuse drunk customers as well as bartenders are.
Some agreed with Sheriff Truong that those drunk and homeless often resist help.
"They say, 'This is how I choose to live,'" said McElroy.
Said Ufkes, "When temperatures dropped to 16 degrees some of these folks didn't realize how cold it would get at night. We've had a hard time convincing them they were in danger and should come into church. At first they didn't want to come inside but then a couple did respond. Then others followed. It took them to make the decision themselves."
"People do have a choice, but their choice can become corrupted in addiction," said Johnson of the Union Gospel Mission. "Most adults started using drugs and alcohol before age 15 and have grossly disproportionate child abuse and trauma backgrounds, really tough starts.
He continued, "They pretty much decided 'This is about as good life gets. I have booze. I have some friends. My basic needs are met. Power for most of these people is a symbol of abuse, the power structures that we here know how to navigate through. Their ability to make good healthy and even sane decisions like getting out of the bushes when it snows can be wildly self-destructive."
