Another holiday gift for Nickelsville: Volunteers’ visit

| Highland Park | Nickelsville encampment | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

New haircuts to start the New Year. That’s part of what volunteers organized by Vietnamese Cultural Center director Lee Bui brought to the “Nickelsville” encampment in West Seattle today, along with donated food and clothing. Above, Renton hairstylist Van; below, Nga Ngo:

Volunteers promised they’d return, after a Thanksgiving visit with free flu shots as well as food (WSB coverage here). Here’s most of today’s group:

While there, we also found a second group of volunteers, who came to the encampment to offer a New Year’s Day barbecue:

What the New Year will bring for Nickelsville isn’t clear, as their status on this city-owned land remains tenuous. Though Mayor McGinn said after the encampment’s return last spring that he didn’t plan to evict them as his predecessor had three years earlier, the city also is not moving toward granting a request for utility hookups, as discussed at last month’s Highland Park Action Committee meeting (WSB coverage here).

Aman January 1, 2012 (10:26 pm)

Good Works by the Vietnamese Cultural Center Members and Many other independent volunteers on behalf of the residents of “Nickelsville.” Thank you & Happy New Year to all!

add January 1, 2012 (11:28 pm)

I don’t know why but the haircut photo really touched me. What a wonderful service to offer.

csj January 2, 2012 (12:40 am)

Thanks to all of the volunteers! I like to think I do my part, but I’m inspired by these two acts of kindness to do more. Awesome!!

Fiwa Jcccb January 2, 2012 (5:39 pm)

Greg did seem unusually interested in making the real estate uphill of the viaduct nicer for wealthy people, but in a more big-picture sense of the heart-hardening and national selfishness that has led so many to live that way, this encampment would be far more appropriately named “Reaganville”.

LyndaB January 2, 2012 (11:47 pm)

While I had heard my dad mention there being haircuts, it didn’t click in my head until I saw the smiles it brought. It was a simple skill that not everyone has but the act can easily give a much brighter day to someone. I saw locks snipped and beards trimmed. It really touched me. We were blessed with the presence of the sun. Children ran around in their glee teasing each other. From young to old, they selected from the pile of clothes that were donated. For a moment in time, we were also acting as personal shoppers. I heard “This jacket should fit you” to “I think that will look good on you”. It was a good experience and it touched my life.

I was happy to meet the second group of coworkers from a oil tank removing/bioremediation company. What a great thing they did bringing in the BBQ! Might I add also homemade peanut butter cookies. Thanks for sharing!

Silly Goose January 3, 2012 (2:23 pm)

This is fantastic news! I love that the community is reaching out to help. I have dontated hundreds of dollars worth of tarps, tents, blankets, tent stakes, hand warmers, hammers, nails, gloves etc. These people may be homeless but they are still American human beings as well! I am so happy so many are reaching out to make their life a little more comfortable.

lashanna January 4, 2012 (7:06 pm)

we drop off food weekly too. when we have events at work, it’s nice to order a wee bit extra so i can make sure we have extra to bring down :) books were requested from some TC peeps as well

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