The Homeless Remembrance Project was begun in 2003. Eight years later, the Tree of Life was raised in Victor Steinbrueck Park on October 21, 2012. The Homeless Remembrance Project held our first leaf dedication ceremony, laying 15 new Leaves outside of Noel House/Bakhita Gardens. More than 300 people joined in celebration. In 2004, King County Executive Ron Sims came to agree with SHARE/WHEEL–after years of persuasion–that King County needed another Tent City. He began helping us to start an encampment on the East Side. After months of public wrangling, we succeeded. WHEEL drew together a Homeless Remembrance Project Committee to establish public places of gathering, beauty and remembrance to honor people who experienced homelessness who have died in King County. WHEEL established the Women’s Empowerment Center, a self-managed day organizing, arts, and education center for homeless and formerly homeless women. Partnering with Mary’s Place, WHEEL began holding Women in Black vigils to honor and remember homeless people who died outside or by violence in Seattle. More On March 31st–the day that Seattle’s Winter Response shelters closed–SHARE/WHEEL opened a self-managed encampment for 100 people. WHEEL opens a Severe Weather shelter—open only on nights of the most life-threatening weather, as decided by the Human Services Department—for any woman, in any condition, at any time of night. The new shelter is hosted by First United Methodist Church. Staff is hired from our own community of homeless…Read More November 1995, WHEEL held a large, public event organized and presented by homeless and formerly homeless women — the first of its kind. As companion to the event, we published a chapbook, “Through the Looking Glass,” of poetry by homeless and formerly homeless women. WHEEL pushed to move the entrance to the Downtown Emergency Service Center from “Crack Alley” behind DESC to Third Avenue. It took until 1995, but they moved it!WHEEL History
