February 26, 2009
by Bethany Furkin Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE – Tent City 3, a community for the homeless, set up camp at Calvin Presbyterian Church in Shoreline, WA, at the end of November.

Now, three months later, the city is moving on. But the congregation at Calvin isn't doing the same – the experiences of working with the city will remain for a long time.

Church members provided the tent city residents with food, clothing and fellowship, but the experience has been a blessing for all involved, said Barb Farden, leader of Calvin's tent city team.

"The outpouring of love and generosity ... has been beyond the imagination," she said. "It's been stupefying."

Tent City 3 was set up by SHARE/WHEEL [at http://www.sharewheel.org/Home/, on the web], a grassroots organization made up of homeless and formerly homeless people in the Seattle area. In addition to serving as an advocacy and educational group, SHARE/WHEEL coordinates a shelter network consisting of tent cities and indoor shelters.

Because of a city ordinance limiting temporary-use permits to 90 days, the tent cities must pack up and relocate within three months. After leaving Calvin, Tent City 3 will head to St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle.

But some members of Calvin plan to keep connections with residents of the city once they've moved, and plans are already being made to host Tent City 3 at Calvin again.

That commitment to stay involved reflects the overwhelming dedication already shown by church members. The past 90 days have been a series of countless "fish and loaves stories," Farden said.

"There's a situation, and before I even have a chance to figure it out, it gets solved. God just solves it," she said.

For example, Calvin decided to host a Christmas party for the tent city. To feed everyone, people would need to donate about 40 pounds of potatoes. Instead, they brought 150 pounds. Coordinators estimated they would need 200 cookies for dessert. They ended up with 2,000.

"To me, it's just like the story in the Bible," Farden said. "God has multiplied the food."

Because of the immense outpouring of donations, the church was left with more leftovers than it could handle. As members were trying to figure out what to do with the extra food, a van pulled up and its drivers asked if they could have any leftovers to distribute to the homeless in downtown Seattle. No one had called them; somehow they just showed up.

These stories aren't limited to the Christmas season. When wooden pallets in the tents had started to fall apart and needed to be replaced, Farden heard from a man who offered to donate as many as they needed before she had even put the word out.

Another time, she was on the phone trying to coordinate centerpieces for a dinner when someone stopped by the church and dropped off the exact centerpieces she was still discussing.

Calvin planned a Super Bowl party for the tent city, and Farden was worried that there wouldn't be enough drinks for everyone. Later, she went to the camp and found a tent full of cases of soft drinks that had just been donated.

"I've never witnessed anything like this – ever," she said. "This experience of getting to be team leader has solidified my faith in God."

The outpouring of generosity has been surprising to Farden, who expected people to be helpful but never imagined the kind of reaction she's seen. She has her ideas about the reasons for the immense support. In addition to God honoring and lifting up the work of the church members, Farden also believes America's shaky economy has inspired the community.

"The economic downturn in this country has really opened up a lot of eyes that have been closed to the plight of the homeless," she said, adding that more people are realizing that they themselves could be just a few paychecks away from homelessness.

There are an estimated 8,000 homeless people in greater Seattle, but only 2,500 shelter beds. The tent cities help provide more shelter but also offer a sense of stability to residents, who have electricity, water and a place to keep their belongings. The tent cities operate under a strict code of conduct, which stipulates that residents be sober and nonviolent and follow trash, laundry and noise guidelines.

Before Calvin decided to host the tent city, it went through months of research and discussion. Members of the coordinating team met with representatives from SHARE/WHEEL, hosted community meetings for the neighborhoods surrounding the church and spoke with congregations that had hosted tent cities in the past.

That preparation is important for congregations considering whether to commit to big projects, said Corey Schlosser-Hall, executive presbyter of the Presbytery of North Puget Sound, to which Calvin belongs.

Also important is the realization that such projects can have more of an impact than perhaps planned. By hosting the tent city, Calvin took a more active role in the wider community, putting into action the PC (USA)'s focus on growing Christ's church deep and wide.

"Churches should think beyond the immediate and consider how this experience can further their ministry," Schlosser-Hall said. "When churches do this, it can be a really strong catalyst for deeper relationships with people in the neighborhood. It's the kind of relationship building the church should be doing anyway."

Presbyterian News Service