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>>> WELCOME BACK TO 12 YEARS AGO KRISTINE MORELAND HAD A NAGGING
FEELING THAT SHE SHOULD BE
DOING SOMETHING MORE TO HELP
OTHER PEOPLE.
OTHER PEOPLE. THAT LED HER TO START A COAT
DRIVE FOR THE HOMELESS.
IT WAS ON THE VERY COLD STREETS
OF SEATTLE WHERE HER LIFE WAS
CHANGED.
CHANGED.
CHANGED. SHE FOUNDED THE MORELOVE PROJECT
, ORGANIZING VOLUNTEERS TO
SHARE WHAT THEY HAVE IN
ABUNDANCE, LOVE.
ABUNDANCE, LOVE. SHE JOINS US ALONG WITH RHONDA
WHO HAD A SICK IS THAT
SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS A POLICE
OFFICER.
OFFICER.
OFFICER. AND LISA.
AND LISA.
AND LISA. WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.
THIS IS SUCH A GREAT THING.
I THINK LOTS OF WOMEN AND PEOPLE
THINK ABOUT WHAT SHOULD I BE
DOING.
DOING.
DOING. THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO
DO.
DO.
DO. YOU
DO. YOU JUST STARTED.
TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOU GOT GOING
.
.
. >>
. >> FIRST, LET ME SAY THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
ESPECIALLY BEING ON GIVING
TUESDAY.
TUESDAY.
TUESDAY. WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE THIS.
I STARTED WITH A SIMPLE COAT
DRIVE.
DRIVE.
DRIVE. I
DRIVE. I HAD A NAGGING FEELING THAT
THERE WAS SOMETHING MORE I
COULD DO BECAUSE I WAS ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF HOMELESSNESS.
MY FATHER HAS BEEN HOMELESS MY
ENTIRE LIFE.
ENTIRE LIFE. IT SHAPED ME.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THOSE
EXPERIENCES.
EXPERIENCES. I ACTUALLY STARTED VOLUNTEERING
AT THE GOSPEL MISSION.
THEN I STARTED GOING ON SEARCH
AND RESCUE.
AND RESCUE. FROM THAT, I WAS TOUCHED.
I SAW HUMANS, I DIDN'T SEE
HOMELESSNESS IF YOU WILL, I SAW
HUMANS.
HUMANS.
HUMANS. AND THEIR STORIES WERE
ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING.
ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING. I FELT HONORED TO BE PART OF
THOSE STORIES.
THOSE STORIES. IT'S JUST KIND OF SPIRALED OUT
OF CONTROL, IF YOU WILL.
I'M A REALLY PASSIONATE HUMAN.
SO WHEN SOMEONE IS TUGGING AT
ME, I WILL GO TO WHEREVER I
NEED TO GO TO HELP HUMANS.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN CLOSE OUR
EYES.
EYES.
EYES. WE
EYES. WE NEED MORE LOVE TO GIVE AND
CONNECT THE COMMUNITY.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN THE
GREATEST NEED, THAT IS OUR
GREATEST PREMISE.
GREATEST PREMISE. >> WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE
>> I KNOW YOU POPPED UP ONE OF
MY FAVORITES, HIS NAME IS
FRANK.
FRANK.
FRANK. HE
FRANK. HE IS HOMELESS.
I APPROACHED HIM FOR ABOUT SIX
MONTHS BEFORE HE WOULD DEAL
WITH ME.
WITH ME.
WITH ME. HE'S A HOMELESS VETERAN.
I WAS PERSISTENT AND CONSTANT.
SO HE SAW MY FACE ALL THE TIME.
HE KNEW THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO
GIVE UP.
GIVE UP.
GIVE UP. EVENTUALLY WE WERE UP TO GET
HIM INTO HOUSING.
>> YOU HAVE A SAYING, BE
SOMEBODY'S CONSTANT.
SOMEBODY'S CONSTANT. THAT'S WHAT THAT MEANS.
RHONDA, YOU WORKED IN
TELEVISION AND AS A POLICE
OFFICER.
OFFICER.
OFFICER. SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT YOU
CAN'T RECOVER FROM.
AND THEN YOU NEVER THINK IT
WOULD HAPPEN.
WOULD HAPPEN. >> I NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT
THAT IN MY WILDEST DREAMS THAT
I WOULD EVER BE LIVING IN MY
CAR.
CAR.
CAR. IT
CAR. IT IS NOT A BIG CAR.
[ LAUGHTER ] SO IT WAS VERY
CHALLENGING.
CHALLENGING. A COMBINATION OF THINGS HAPPENED
AND I ENDED UP RAISING A CHILD
WITH NO CHILD SUPPORT. I WAS
NOT AWARDED CHILD SUPPORT BY
THE COURT.
THE COURT. I HAD TO USE MY POLICE PENSION
TO RAISE MY CHILD.
I WAS DISABLED BY CHEMOTHERAPY
THAT I WAS GIVEN TO CURE MY
RARE AND AGGRESSIVE CANCER.
I WAS NOT ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY
GO BACK TO WORK AFTER THAT.
SO I WAS WAITING ON SOCIAL
SECURITY.
SECURITY.
SECURITY. >> I THINK WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT
ABOUT WHAT SHE IS SAYING IS
THAT PEOPLE MAKE SUCH JUDGMENTS
AND ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHY
PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN THEIR
CARS.
CARS.
CARS. IT
CARS. IT IS JUST DRUGS OR SOMETHING.
>> THIS IS IT, YOU HAVE DONE IT
TO YOURSELF.
TO YOURSELF. YOU DESERVE IT.
I LOOK AT A WOMAN LIKE RHONDA
AND I THINK THIS IS THE
STRONGEST HUMAN I KNOW.
I COULD NOT BE MORE GRATEFUL
THAT SHE HAS ALLOWED US TO KNOW
HER.
HER.
HER. >>
HER. >> PEOPLE NEED TO OPEN UP THEIR
MINDS AND LISTEN TO THESE
STORIES.
STORIES.
STORIES. SHE HAD LIVED IN A CAR IN A
CHURCH PARKING LOT.
>> IT IS COLD OUT THERE.
SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE
CHALLENGES THAT I HAVE BEEN
FACING FOR THE LAST 60 MONTHS.
SO WHERE YOU KEEP YOUR WORK
CLOTHES?
CLOTHES?
CLOTHES? IN THE LAUNDRY BASKET WITH
EVERYTHING ELSE.
EVERYTHING ELSE. WHERE YOU KEEP YOUR IRONING
BOARD?
BOARD?
BOARD? YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU GET READY
FOR AN APPOINTMENT.
>> SO TODAY, YOU USED GAS FROM
THAT CARD TO GET READY TO COME
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. >>
HERE. >> PEOPLE REQUEST GAS MONEY AND
THEN ALL THE WAY UP TO SOMEONE
ASKING FOR HELPING A WOMAN WHO
WAS RAPED.
WAS RAPED. >> WE ALL LIVE AS INDIVIDUALS
AND WE ALL WANT TO BE
INDIVIDUALS.
INDIVIDUALS. SO WE JUDGE PEOPLE AS GROUPS.
OR SOMEBODY CAUSE THAT
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES. SO YOU THINK, THAT WILL NEVER
HAPPEN TO ME.
BUT THAT'S NOT HOW ANY OF THIS
HAPPENS.
HAPPENS.
HAPPENS. >> THE SAFETY THAT PEOPLE LIVE
IN THEIR HOMES, IT IS A THIN
VEIL BETWEEN WHERE I AM AND
WHERE SOMEONE ELSE IS INSIDE
THEIR BEAUTIFUL HOME.
>> PEOPLE HAVE TO LEARN NOT TO
BE FRIGHTENED.
BE FRIGHTENED. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. THE FIRST NIGHT THAT I ENDED UP
WHERE I PARKED MY CAR, AND LIVE,
I WAS ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED.
I AM UP FORMER POLICE OFFICER
WITH ONLY THAT THIN WINDOW
BETWEEN ME AND ANYONE ELSE THAT
MIGHT WANT TO HARM ME.
IT TOOK A LOT TO FEEL SOMEWHAT
SECURE BUT IT HAS TO DEAL WITH
TRYING TO COVER UP THE WINDOW,
DO WHAT YOU CAN DO BUT YOU ARE
NOW LIVING, NOW THAT YOU DON'T
HAVE A HOME, YOU ARE LIVING BY
OTHER PEOPLE'S SCHEDULES.
YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS.
>> PEOPLE SAY, RHONDA, WHAT YOU
ASK FOR SERVICES.
THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS NOT
THAT WE HAVE A LACK OF
RESOURCES, THEY ARE OVERWHELMED.
SOME RESOURCES DON'T FIT FOR
EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY. SO WE GET A POINT TO GET TO
KNOW TO EVERYONE AND UNDERSTAND
THEIR STORY.
THEIR STORY. AND HELP THEM NAVIGATE TO THE
RIGHT PLACE FOR THEM.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE SEND PEOPLE
BACK TO THEIR FAMILIES.
WE DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND
MAKE SURE.
MAKE SURE. >> BUT YOU TREAT EVERYONE
INDIVIDUALLY.
INDIVIDUALLY. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> $100,000 LOAN IS THE SAME
THING AS A $1 MILLION LOAN.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR DIGNITY
RESTORED.
RESTORED.
RESTORED. SO WE HAVE A MOBILE SHOWER
TRUCK.
TRUCK.
TRUCK. I
TRUCK. I REMEMBER SEEING A WOMAN
COMING OUT SAYING THAT I FEEL
HUMAN AGAIN.
HUMAN AGAIN. SHE SAID IT HAD BEEN OVER TWO
MONTHS SINCE SHE HAD HAD A
SHOWER.
SHOWER.
SHOWER. MY HEART JUST FELT THAT
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. >> YOU CAN HELP WITH THE COAT
DRIVE ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7.
THERE'S AN E SIDE OF BELLEVUE
DROP OFF AND ONE ON THE WEST
SIDE OF SEATTLE.
WE HAVE MORE