Students involved through awareness and service for homeless population

Greta Rainbow, Staff Reporter
Originally published January 15, 2015

While Tent City 3 continues to shelter up to 100 homeless residents at Seattle Pacific University, a new club at Ballard strives to help.

Junior club president Casey Cooper formed the organization after witnessing the development of Tent City 3, and talking to her aunt, the TC3 director at SPU.

After the two original (and illegal) tent cities of the 1990s were shut down by the City of Seattle, Seattle Housing and Resource Effort and Women’s Housing Equality and Enhancement League (SHARE/WHEEL) fought for TC3’s creation. SPU sees hosting TC3 through March 7 as a manifestation of its cultural mission as a school.

TC3 Club aims to inform high school students of the local tent city’s existence as well as help its residents. “We’re trying to get Ballard more aware of what TC3 is,” Cooper said.

The club plans to hold a book drive and bake sale to raise money for bus tickets for the homeless, to donate warm clothing and office supplies and to organize a computer training session for TC3 residents.

Earlier this winter, club members visited TC3 on the SPU campus and helped assemble tents. “It feels nice to give back to people that don’t have as much as we do,” Cooper said.

The club meets on Mondays after school in SW 215.