Greater Seattle currently has between 9,000 – 11,000 homeless people living on the streets. It’s a life Barb Oliver was close to living herself 20 years ago.
“In 2000, due to unforeseen circumstances, I was days away from being homeless myself. Although that was over 20 years ago, I can still feel how utterly terrified I was,” wrote Oliver, director of operations for Sound Foundations NW. “My friend Gloria picked me up by the scruff of my neck and plopped me down in her spare bedroom until I got on my feet. I will never forget her kindness. I vowed at that point that if I ever had a chance to pay it forward, I would.”
Now she’s doing just that, thanks to a grant from Lowe’s 100 Hometowns initiative and a little help from an NFL Hall-of-Famer – former Seahawk Steve Hutchinson. Hutchinson, a member of the Lowe’s Home Team, partnered with Sound Foundations NW to help build tiny transitional homes. The additional homes will allow the Tiny Home Village to house up to 50 residents at a time and provide warm, safe, dry and healthy places for them to live during a transitional time.
“Over one-third of the homeless population in Seattle is getting moved into permanent housing and they’re getting off the streets for good,” Hutchinson said. “You’re seeing a permanent solution.”
This project is the seventh collaboration between the 2021 Lowe’s Home Team and Lowe’s 100 Hometowns. 100 Hometowns is Lowe’s initiative to celebrate its centennial year and after serving communities for 100 years, 100 impact projects are nearing completion across 36 U.S. states.
