For the past year and a half, Chaplains on the Harbor, has ministered on the streets of Aberdeen. The Rev Sarah Monroe began this ministry walking the streets with a backpack of sandwiches, building relationships on the streets and in homeless camps. Over the past week, the largest of these semi-permanent camps along the Chehalis River running through town – in the ruins of old mills and pilings – has been issued eviction notices. People had been given until March 31 to clear out, with no options for where they can go next. “In Aberdeen, if you are really down and out, if you have lost everything, if you get kicked out of your parents’ or your friend’s place, if you need to save money to pay for a hotel during the winter, this is the last place to go,” Monroe explains.
Every year or two, according to residents, the camps are evicted. One year, residents say that the city moved in and burned everything. In the months following, people always come back. Because it truly is the last place for Aberdeen’s poorest. Up to 70 people camp along this stretch of river. The steep rise in homelessness is a visible sign of increasing desperation, in a town with a 25% poverty rate and in a county where 46% of the population access social services to survive.
Monroe, who has been accompanying campers through this time, says, “It is in times like these that the church is called to take a stand. Our brothers and sisters along the river have asked us to stand with them. We are only just beginning, listening to people on the ground, asking the community how we can support them.” Monroe addressed the Aberdeen city council on March 25, requesting that the city either suspend eviction or provide alternatives for people with nowhere to go. “We’re all responsible for each other,” Monroe said. “We’re all responsible for the common good. And I know that most of us love this place and most of us want to see this town thrive.” Videos of all the speakers at the city council meeting are posted on the groups Facebook page.
Monroe is also building a broad coalition of churches, social service providers, and people experiencing homelessness to demand that Aberdeen confront its growing poverty crisis.
As in many small towns and cities, efforts to redevelop and attract tourist dollars in declining economies has led to policies that marginalize and criminalize people in poverty or experiencing homelessness. This time, the city hopes that this is a permanent eviction. According to Monroe, there are hopes for a waterfront park instead. Monroe suggested that a better long term solution would be to prioritize the common good and squarely address growing poverty.
One person said in a Bible study run by Monroe; “In this city, the poor are of no importance. We are just a nuisance in the way of redevelopment.”
Author: the Rev. Sarah Monroe, founder, Chaplains on the Harbor
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