Homeless in Seattle
October 5, 2022 10:10am
I experienced a couple days of being homeless in Seattle. It's not that I didn't have a bed to sleep in and a roof over my head. At night, I had both. But by day, I panhandled for money to help feed and shelter the homeless.
While most people simply ignored me, about five dozen gave me money. Cash handouts ranged from twelve cents to twenty dollars. The most common verbalized reason not to give was "I don't have any cash on me." But I am certain the majority who said that just figured it was a kind way of saying "no" in a manner that could not be overcome.
So I set up a Venmo account with a QR Code, so people without cash could quickly and easily donate. The next day, when people would tell me they had no cash on them, I'd reply, "I can take Venmo. Just click on this QR Code" while flipping one edge of my sign to reveal the QR Code. And while that didn't get everyone to donate, it did encourage some allegedly cashless people to donate. When I responded with my Venmo payment information to one guy who said he had no cash on him, he laughed, said, "Oh my god, that's hilarious," scanned the QR code and sent me $20, which dinged my cell phone in less than two minutes.
In about six hours over two days, I collected $153.56 in handouts. That works out to be an hourly income of $25.59. Pretty good, huh? But I kept none of it. I donated the full $153.56 to the Waterfront Rescue Mission in Pensacola. It is a Christian mission that feeds and shelters the homeless while providing drug & alcohol recovery treatment to those who need it. Most of the homeless who graduate from the mission’s vocational training program get jobs and go on to be productive members of society. The mission's work is highly effective. And they are very good stewards of the money people donate to help support the cause.
Over the years, the Waterfront Rescue Mission has improved countless lives. For more than two decades, I have supported their mission with donations, free radio commercials, and through radio interviews with its management team and some of the people whose lives were saved because people cared enough to care.
If you would like to donate money to support the very good work of the Waterfront Rescue Mission, online donations can be made at www.WaterfrontMission.org
The above photos are a collection of some photographs taken during my two days being "Homeless in Seattle."