Leaves of Remembrance

Archive for the ‘News’ Category

40 Leaves of Remembrance are being laid in Pioneer Square this week, and will be dedicated on Wednesday, October 10th. Beginning at noon, 15 Leaves will be dedicated at Compass Center (65 South Washington Street), 10 Leaves at Real Change (96 South Main Street) at approximately 12:20 pm, and 15 Leaves at DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center, 517  3rd Avenue) at 12:40 pm. At 1 pm we will celebrate in the Morrison Community Room, 509 3rd Avenue.

We have gotten news coverage before, but never so thorough and thoughtful an article as How homeless remembrance finally found a Seattle home by Alison Sargent, published in the online news journal Crosscut on June 21, 2012.

Carol Cameron and Pastor Melanie Neufeld begin the ceremony.

More than 60 people came to the Seattle Mennonite Church in Lake City on Saturday, June 23rd to dedicate fourteen Leaves of Remembrance for beloved neighbors, friends and family members.

Attendees listen to the reading of the names

Because our  permit for permanent installation had not quite been completed, we did a ceremonial laying of the Leaves.  This was a powerful emotional experience, and the sense of community was profound.  All fourteen  names were read aloud, with a personal statement about each person.   Then each of the fourteen Leaves was laid on the ground by people who felt close to that person, as the names were spoken again.  Many times, Leaves were carried forward by two or more friends!

Sally begins the stone blessing

Finally, Sally Kinney of Temple Beth Am and the Homeless Remembrance Project Committee laid a small stone on each Leaf symbolizing the permanence of memory, speaking the name again, with the community responding, “May (his/her) name be a blessing.”

Sharing memories

Friends came forward to share memories of people special to them.  More memories were shared around tables inside as the community “broke bread” together with a buffet provided by friends from the Seattle Mennonite Church and the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Our friend Rex Hohlbein has a lovely photo at his Facebook page, Homeless in Seattle.

See much more of the Tree of Life and the history and development of the Homeless Remembrance Project at our brand new project website, homelessremembrance.org.

Our first installation of 2012 will be fourteen Leaves of Remembrance outside the Seattle Mennonite Church in Lake City (3120 NE 125th Street), at 3 PM on Saturday, June 23rd.  Please check back for more detailed information, and please mark your calendar now!  We will post stories and photos of the 14 folks whose Leaves we’ll be dedicating by June 1st on this site.

On October 18, 2011, the Homeless Remembrance Project dedicated 13 Leaves of Remembrance at the WHEEL/Women in Black Vigil Site outside the Seattle Justice Center (at 5th/Cherry).

Pastor Pat Simpson led the ceremony as project artist Clark Wiegman laid the last three Leaves, for Tattoo Joe, Michael Lindsay, and Isaac Palmer. Family members of Tattoo Joe Gaerte and Michael Lindsay were here for the ceremony. All 13 names were read aloud, with all 70+ of the people in attendance calling “We remember you” for each one.

A reception was held after the ceremony in the Bertha Knight Landes Room of City Hall. Speaking: Reverend Pat Simpson, MC; Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata, who sponsored our use of the room; Carol Cameron, Chair of the Homeless Remembrance Committee; and Tom Dunne, who shared memories of Tattoo Joe Gaerte (whose parents came from Indiana for this Dedication). Anitra Freeman announced two special books on display at the event: “No Room of Her Own,” an oral history of homeless women, by Desiree Hellegers, with many entries about WHEEL and Women In Black; and “Beloved Community,” an anthology of poetry by homeless and formerly homeless women, edited by WHEEL. Naomi Watson sang a passionate rendition of “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” to close the program. Conversational groups formed to share memories and food, generously provided by Horizon House and Exeter House. Food remaining at the end was taken out to Occupy Seattle.

Photographs of the Dedication/Reception by Ion Gardescu, and photos of the Leaf Installation by Michele Marchand:

Our Last Big Event of the Year:
Leaves of Remembrance Dedication at the Women in Black Vigil site, outside the Seattle Justice Center (600–5th)

You’re warmly invited to the Homeless Remembrance Project’s last big event of the Year!  This will be a big Leaf Dedication & Celebration, starting at NOON on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18TH, at the WHEEL/Women in Black Vigil Site, outside the Seattle Justice Center (at 5th/Cherry)!  We’ll be dedicating 13 Leaves of Remembrance in this Installation.

Directly after the Leaf Dedication Ritual, under sponsorship from Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata, we’ll be hosting a RECEPTION (from 12:30 to 2 PM) at the Bertha Knight Landes Room of Seattle CITY HALL.  ALL are invited to join us–there’ll be light refreshments and a powerful speaking program!

The 13 Leaves in this Installation are for the following beloved community members:  Debbie Cashio, Sandra Lee Smiscon, Davina Garrison, Colette Fleming, Melissa Davis, Michael Lindsay, Major Lee Gay, Rebekah Woods, Tattoo Joe Gaerte, Robert Kotopka, Clinton Matthew Ray, Al Farr, and Isaac Palmer.

Copies of  two ground-breaking national publications will be available at the City Hall reception:  WHEEL’s Poetry Anthology “Beloved Community:  The Sisterhood of Homeless Women in Poetry“  and copies of our friend Dr Desiree Hellegers’s newly-published collection of Seattle homeless women’s Oral Histories, “No Room of Her Own:  Stories of Homelessness, Life, Death and Resistance.”

We are doing a joint reading of these books at Elliott Bay Bookstore at 2 PM Sunday, October 16th.

On Sunday, September 18th, a community celebration was held outside the Seward Park PCC (5041 Wilson Avenue S) as we installed a “Leaf of Remembrance” for our beloved friend Robert Hansen.  More than 50 people gathered, including Real Change vendors and staff, PCC staff and shoppers, community activists, politicians, and other friends of Robert.  The Installation Ritual was co-led by Reverend Pat Simpson (Superintendent of the Northwest United Methodist Conference) and Reverend Jeffrey Barker of nearby Columbia-Lakewood Community Church.  Many memories were shared in a sidewalk gathering afterwards; PCC provided delicious, fancy cupcakes.  We’re grateful for their support in honoring Robert!

Read the rest of this entry »

At 2 PM Sunday, September 18th, 2011, we’ll be dedicating a single Leaf at the Seward Park PCC (5041 Wilson Avenue South, on the #39 bus route from downtown Seattle) for beloved community member and Real Change vendor Robert Hansen.  Read the rest of this entry »

On August 16th, we dedicated two more Leaf installations, with 15 Leaves in front of Angeline’s/Opportunity Place, and 11 Leaves in front of the Family and Adult Service Center (FASC), on 3rd Avenue between Lenora and Virginia Streets.

Read the rest of this entry »

We warmly invite you to witness and celebrate when we dedicate more “Leaves of Remembrance” for those we’ve loved and lost! Starting at 2 PM Tuesday, August 16th, we’ll be dedicating two more Leaf installations, in front of Angeline’s/Opportunity Place, and also in front of the Family and Adult Service Center (FASC), on 3rd Avenue between Lenora and Virginia Streets.

Read the rest of this entry »

THE JUNE 11th “GROUNDBREAKING” CELEBRATION for the HOMELESS REMEMBRANCE PROJECT–INSTALLATION OF 15 “LEAVES OF REMEMBRANCE” outside Noel House/Bakhita Gardens, was a big success! More than 300 people attended, blessed the newly-installed “Leaves,” and joined in the celebration.

Here are some photos of the Leaf Installation and the June 11th Celebration: