Friday, December 17, 2010

What's needed: THE LIST


• CASH to pay for telephone, garbage and (over-due) porta-potty bills; if you want to mail your (tax-deductible) donation, use this address:
NickelsvilleP.O Box 2548
• DISPOSABLE PLATES, CUPS AND FORKS/SPOONS (the facility not equipped to wash after 100 people); also ladles, spatulas, serving utensils
• TOWELS (people are very frugal with them and have a serious shortage)
• BLANKETS AND SLEEPING BAGS
• FOOD, including ready made or hot dinner for 50 peeps+... There is a website for volunteering to prepare a meal, but I can't get it loaded... You can just show up and donate, though
• UTILITY FOLDING TABLES - for the common dining area in the garage and for the kitchen prep
• CHAIRS:  any chairs - lawn chairs, foldable chairs, armchairs
• MED SUPPLIES:  especially Visine, Aspirin, cold and cough products, first aid
• PET FOOD AND CAT LITTER - the adorable animals and their friends will love you for that
• GARBAGE BAGS, especially the big, durable black ones
• PAPER PRODUCTS:  toilet paper, paper towels and napkins
•  WORK, WORK, WORK:  the residents will do small and big jobs, paid or volunteer (one of the requirements of staying in Nickelsville is community work, which each resident must perform at least once a week), so consider asking them to walk your dog, clean your yard, help with snow or other chores like cleaning windows or parking lot (businesses around).

I hope I covered it all.  But use your imagination, too: whatever you'd need to survive, sans home and family...

Nickelsville is presently located at the Lake City Way old fire station at 
2806 N.E. 127th Street (bus 41 and 72). Tel. (206) 450-5268.


Last night I stopped by, to get more info on Nickelsville needs, and thought separate WHAT'S NEEDED post might be easier to find, than correcting the previous post.  While there I attended the open-to-public first part of the meeting and then just stayed to hang out and socialize.  I highly recommend doing that, if you want to find out more about Nickelsville and perhaps individual needs of the residents - perhaps you have or know where to find some items which would make their life easier.  The meeting starts everyday at 6 PM, and you are welcome to participate in the 'external issues' part of it; you will be asked to leave the room when 'internal issues' are discussed (you can spend that time chatting with the entrance guards) and you can re-join the social/dinner fun after the meeting.

Yesterday I met Jeremy's wife, Andrea, who is a student at PIMA Medical Institute, studying to become a veterinarian; we talked about lots of homework she has to do every day, her joy of fulfilling her since-childhood dream of becoming a vet (she will be ready in a year), her love of animals and some other, unrelated chit-chatty stuff.  Before we parted I asked if there is anything she has trouble to secure for her pursuits; and she listed college ruled paper, pencils and pens, colored pencils and folders for her different class projects.   Easy: on the way home I stopped at the drugstore and felt like a kid at Christmas finding the items and being able in a small way to participate in Andrea's big dream.  On Monday she will get it with a bow attached.

I chatted with old-time resident Richard, the camp's oral chronicle keeper, and at some point he said: 'Another way to help is if you figure out something about helping the children; every 3 weeks or so somebody checks-in with a kid or a baby.  They usually end up in a shelter, but maybe there is a better place for them to go, maybe someone has a warm space for them to heal and get through, so they don't have deal with institutions for a while'.  Something to ponder...

So please go and visit;  some of the needed items you may have lying around your house: unused materials from by-gone projects like crocheting or scrap-books, games or books somebody may enjoy, or perhaps you are the same size as the person who needs a sweater or jacket and you would like to share in a personalized way.  There are also inexpensive ways to help from the right size of a dog leash to warm socks to a stylish winter hat or gloves; gift certificates for a haircut, or a meal, or grocery store would probably also be well received - so just find out.

2 comments:

  1. It looks like it is pretty easy to donate using this link:
    http://www.nickelsvilleseattle.org/
    that you have posted. It links you to paypal account for nickelsville and you can use your debit or credit card.

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  2. my gawd, i didn't realize one can donate online via paypal or credit card. thanks, sister of hannah! i now added the link in the post as well.

    i also added foldable tables and chairs to the list - the recreation/mtg/dinner (aka former garage) area could use some, as well as the spare kitchen: there is a functioning stove there, which would be great to use for extra food cooking, but there is no other furniture or countertop there - a big table for food prep would be great!

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