Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Over many years, St. Dunstan’s Church has been called to help those among us who have fallen on hard times. This has led us to our meal programs and caring for the homeless and food challenged. We are planning to invite a homeless encampment to stay on our property from May 1 through August 28, 2021. This camp is called Camp United We Stand (CUWS) and they are currently located at Shoreline Free Methodist Church, 510 NE 175th St. in Shoreline. The camp will be situated on the eastern portion of our property near the Interurban Trail with access to North 145th Street near the trail.
Camp United We Stand currently has approximately half a dozen vehicles. They will all be parked well within the Church property. There will be no impact on neighborhood parking.
Camp United We Stand is incorporated as a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization. Associated with incorporation, the camp formed a board of directors composed of members of the community. Camp members operate under a set of bylaws. The purpose of the board is to provide oversight to the camp and to help with fund-raising and providing other support.
Many camp residents are employed. They are focused on getting into housing. They have a record of being good tenants, and the residents adhere to a strong code of conduct, policing the properties where they stay, and being good neighbors. According to Camp United We Stand policies, the encampment is limited to 35 people or less. The camp’s website is https://campunitedwestand-tentcity.org.
In accordance with the applicable City of Shoreline Ordinance we will host a meeting on Wednesday, April 7 at 7:00 pm over Zoom to discuss our plans to host Camp United We Stand. To attend the meeting, go to our website and click on the Zoom link.
You are invited to come and learn more about the camp and to ask any questions you may have regarding their stay with us. We look forward to sharing the details of this project with you and–as before–will inform the city of any concerns that are brought forward. If you have any questions and cannot attend the meeting, you can email me at alan@sdchp.org.
Sincerely,
The Rev. Alan Christensen
Deacon, St. Dunstan’s