Thank you for your coverage and for ensuring your readers receive factual information about Blanchet House's forthcoming women's program, Bethanie’s Room. We want to offer a few clarifications to correct some inaccuracies that may mislead the public:
1. The quote, “This is a 75-bed women’s shelter that I think the mayor and city have been planning for a while,” attributed to Ken Thrasher, is incorrect. Bethanie’s Room is not a city-planned shelter but instead a privately operated and fully donor-funded initiative led by Blanchet House.
2. Regarding the quote from Todd Zarnitz, “It’s interesting that they have had zero conversations with the neighborhood about this location,” we’d like to clarify that our first neighborhood meeting, by invitation, is scheduled for May 31 at The Triple Lindy. This will be our first gathering with close neighbors, and we’re genuinely looking forward to meeting them. Members of our team have spent the past week walking the neighborhood to introduce ourselves personally to residents, business owners, and property managers.
3. The statement, “Neighbors are invited to a presentation on the proposal Saturday, May 31, 10 a.m.-noon, at The Triple Lindy, 1000 NW 17th Ave,” may give the impression of a public presentation. In reality, this is an initial meet-and-greet small gathering with residents and businesses close to the future site of Bethanie’s Room. Ryan, the owner of The Triple Lindy, kindly offered his space after we introduced ourselves and shared our vision. Once the property sale closes, we look forward to hosting a larger, open-house-style event where more community members can learn about our plans and get involved.
Thank you again for your attention to our coming program and your commitment to accurate reporting in our NW neighborhood. If you have any questions, please email me at jshowers@blanchethouse.org or our director, Scott Kerman, at skerman@blanchethouse.org.
Thank you for your time, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
I only learned about the community presentation today, May 30th - 1 day in advance. I am unable because of previous plans. Is this the BEST the city can do to organize a community engaged process / meeting?
Anything to keep Homelessness Inc.™ up and running--and ruining yet another neighborhood. The idea that we owe "the homeless" anything is so insane that it easily passes muster in the progressive worldview--which is aimed at making people totally dependent on government (and NGO bolt-ons). Blanchet could care less about any spillover effects. The neighbors must get on the "service" agenda...or move.
I once thought this was a sort of naive compassion carried to its extreme; but having watched the various organs of the corporation, I realize it's really an extension of the collectivist impulse, with a thick frosting of careerism. As they say: Follow the money. (Tougher to do than say, since nonprofits are notoriously opaque--which makes them perfect companions to the progressive machine.)
We should do everything possible to get the Bethanie's Room shelter into the outskirts(!) of the neighborhood. Homeless women are among the most vulnerable of all of us. Privilege means choice: most of us have abundant resources for managing disruptions and risks in our lives.
My "pre-woke" YIMBY ethic of privilege is based on that ancient tenet "love your neighbor as yourself". It's not so much about guilt as about self-challenge and awareness. It's about seeking compromise via diplomacy rather than debating absolute negatives by raising catastrophic scenarios, blaming opponents, and setting up impossible demands.
Privilege comes with responsibility, part of which is developing resilience. Resilience is the learned ability to use imagination and ingenuity to manage risk, hardship, discomforts, and even challenges to one's aesthetic sensibilities. I've found that the kind of self-confidence that comes with resilience can have a rather amazing effect on one's attitudes towards one's fellow human beings. This in turn is often accompanied by increased enjoyment of one's own life.
That said, this may also be our last chance—if we can't handle our homeless neighbors living nearby, how are we ever going to manage what the Trump administration might throw at us? The nation they envisage consists precisely of this kind of fear-mongering, divisiveness and exclusion of the weak and vulnerable.
Thank you for your coverage and for ensuring your readers receive factual information about Blanchet House's forthcoming women's program, Bethanie’s Room. We want to offer a few clarifications to correct some inaccuracies that may mislead the public:
1. The quote, “This is a 75-bed women’s shelter that I think the mayor and city have been planning for a while,” attributed to Ken Thrasher, is incorrect. Bethanie’s Room is not a city-planned shelter but instead a privately operated and fully donor-funded initiative led by Blanchet House.
2. Regarding the quote from Todd Zarnitz, “It’s interesting that they have had zero conversations with the neighborhood about this location,” we’d like to clarify that our first neighborhood meeting, by invitation, is scheduled for May 31 at The Triple Lindy. This will be our first gathering with close neighbors, and we’re genuinely looking forward to meeting them. Members of our team have spent the past week walking the neighborhood to introduce ourselves personally to residents, business owners, and property managers.
3. The statement, “Neighbors are invited to a presentation on the proposal Saturday, May 31, 10 a.m.-noon, at The Triple Lindy, 1000 NW 17th Ave,” may give the impression of a public presentation. In reality, this is an initial meet-and-greet small gathering with residents and businesses close to the future site of Bethanie’s Room. Ryan, the owner of The Triple Lindy, kindly offered his space after we introduced ourselves and shared our vision. Once the property sale closes, we look forward to hosting a larger, open-house-style event where more community members can learn about our plans and get involved.
Thank you again for your attention to our coming program and your commitment to accurate reporting in our NW neighborhood. If you have any questions, please email me at jshowers@blanchethouse.org or our director, Scott Kerman, at skerman@blanchethouse.org.
Thank you for your time, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Julie Showers (she/her)
Content, Communications & PR Director
Blanchet House
I only learned about the community presentation today, May 30th - 1 day in advance. I am unable because of previous plans. Is this the BEST the city can do to organize a community engaged process / meeting?
Anything to keep Homelessness Inc.™ up and running--and ruining yet another neighborhood. The idea that we owe "the homeless" anything is so insane that it easily passes muster in the progressive worldview--which is aimed at making people totally dependent on government (and NGO bolt-ons). Blanchet could care less about any spillover effects. The neighbors must get on the "service" agenda...or move.
I once thought this was a sort of naive compassion carried to its extreme; but having watched the various organs of the corporation, I realize it's really an extension of the collectivist impulse, with a thick frosting of careerism. As they say: Follow the money. (Tougher to do than say, since nonprofits are notoriously opaque--which makes them perfect companions to the progressive machine.)
Wondering if "non-naive" compassion exists. What would it look like? Or is all compassion automatically "naive"?
100%
We should do everything possible to get the Bethanie's Room shelter into the outskirts(!) of the neighborhood. Homeless women are among the most vulnerable of all of us. Privilege means choice: most of us have abundant resources for managing disruptions and risks in our lives.
My "pre-woke" YIMBY ethic of privilege is based on that ancient tenet "love your neighbor as yourself". It's not so much about guilt as about self-challenge and awareness. It's about seeking compromise via diplomacy rather than debating absolute negatives by raising catastrophic scenarios, blaming opponents, and setting up impossible demands.
Privilege comes with responsibility, part of which is developing resilience. Resilience is the learned ability to use imagination and ingenuity to manage risk, hardship, discomforts, and even challenges to one's aesthetic sensibilities. I've found that the kind of self-confidence that comes with resilience can have a rather amazing effect on one's attitudes towards one's fellow human beings. This in turn is often accompanied by increased enjoyment of one's own life.
That said, this may also be our last chance—if we can't handle our homeless neighbors living nearby, how are we ever going to manage what the Trump administration might throw at us? The nation they envisage consists precisely of this kind of fear-mongering, divisiveness and exclusion of the weak and vulnerable.