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Please click on the button below to donate to SHARE or WHEEL via PayPal. SHARE is a 501c(3) non-profit registered in the state of Washington and all donations are tax-deductible. WHEEL shares SHARE's 501c(3).






WHEEL

Mission:

The Women’s Housing, Equality and Enhancement League (WHEEL) is a non-profit and non-hierarchical group of homeless and formerly homeless women working on ending homelessness for women.  WHEEL is all about empowerment and action.

WHEEL is the women-only, women-concerned sister organization to SHARE (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort).  Both WHEEL and SHARE provide self-managed shelters—including Tent Cities.

 WHEEL works to get women out of the places where they have been hiding, recognize each woman as an individual and involve women in the process of improving programs and creating new programs for their own needs.

WHEEL’s goals are to give voice and leadership to homeless women, to organize campaigns around increased services and safety for women, and to develop and support self-managed shelters.

Since 1993, WHEEL has initiated many campaigns that have improved the lives of all women.  Our efforts have included:

  • Pushing for longer hours at shelters and drop-in centers
  • Moving the entrance DESC from “Crack Alley” to Third Avenue
  • Holding yearly Homeless Women’s Forums, community gatherings.
  • Establishing new shelters, day programs, meal projects and housing for women…including the County Winter Women's Shelter, Meal of Fortune, and Dorothy Day House

Current Projects:

Women in Black standing August 2010
Women in Black silent witnessing vigils are held whenever a homeless person dies outside in King County.  After notification of a death, we stand the following Wednesday, from noon to 1 PM outside the Seattle Justice Center (at 5th and Cherry Streets).  In 2011, 30 people died outside or by violence, and at least 16 already in 2012!  We've stood for more than 430 people since we started these vigils in the year 2000.  To get on our email notification list for vigils, please write wheelorg@yahoo.com

 

Leaf of Remembrance for Davina Garrison
Homeless Remembrance Project,  public places to honor and remember homeless people who have died.  We've worked with church and community leaders for the past seven years, and are now working with designers toward siting a "Tree of Life" sculpture and celebratory gathering place at Victor Steinbrueck Park near Pike Place Market, and installing "Leaves of Remembrance," with names, in sidewalks in Seattle.  For more information about this project, please visit FallenLeaves.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/pages/Homeless-Remembrance-Project/184372257014

Tent City3is a self-managed camp of up to 100 homeless women, men, and couples, which rotates among churches/spaces mainly in Seattle which we co-sponsor with SHARE.

Tent City4 is a 100-person self-managed camp in suburban Seattle, mainly the Eastside which we co-sponsor with SHARE.

Shelter for Women:   For the past four years there has been a severe lack of shelter for homeless women.  Our current projects and campaigns include:  WHEEL’s Winter Weather Shelter for Women, originally open during the worst winter weather and now open all winter October 1 through March 31, and Organizing for Provision of More Shelter for Women.

The Women’s Empowerment Center is a self-managed day organizing, arts and education center for women.

The Dorothy Day Group works for more housing, food, dignity, power and community among homeless women.  We currently have two projects:  Sandwichmaking and distributing sandwiches at Westlake Park, and producing and distributing our own newsletter, The Occasional Times.
 
Beloved Community: The Sisterhood of Homeless Women in Poetry is a beautifully-bound anthology of poetry by homeless and formerly homeless women collected by WHEEL over many years, published by Whit Press in 2007.

WHEEL Schedule:

Women’s Empowerment Center
Sundays, 10 AM—2 PM
Hammond House (between 2nd & 1st and Pine & Stewart, alley entrance)
Trainings, workshops, educational and fun activities and lunch!  Currently on hiaitus--check back soon!

The Occasional Times Newsletter
Monday morning Writing Workshops or Production Meetings which rotate between the WHEEL Office and Mary's Place--call WHEEL at (206) 956-0334 for the schedule
Writing and publication meetings rotate between Angeline's Day Center and the WHEEL Office.

Weekly Organizing Meetings
1 PM Mondays at Mary's Place Community Center (1830 Ninth Avenue)
AND 1 PM Thursdays at the WHEEL Office
Strategizing meetings for WHEEL —every homeless/formerly homeless woman  has a voice and vote.
 
Breakfast & Education Project
Thursdays, 8:30 AM—11:30 AM  Now year-round!
Antioch University (6th & Battery)
A collaborative effort of WHEEL, the Sisters Project and Antioch, this project offers breakfast, workshops and activities.

Women in Black
Wednesdays, noon—1 PM as needed
Municipal Courthouse, 5th & James
We notify people by phone/email when a death has occurred.

Women’s Housing, Equality and Enhancement League

Mailing Address:  P. O. Box 2548
Seattle, WA 98111-2548

Street Address:  between 3rd & 2nd off Stewart, alley entrance behind Josephinum

Phone:   (206)  956-0334

Fax:       (206)  448-2389

Email:  wheelorg@yahoo.com


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