A year ago, I was asked to sit in on county meetings intended to develop policy for dealing with homelessness in Marin County. I've lived on the streets here for six years. I've enjoyed the civility, intelligence and compassion displayed in these meetings, and I've devoted a lot of my time to working on various committees. I notice that no matter what ideas have been discussed, funding is always an issue.

I believe that an open shelter is needed in Marin County. Nationally, I read about communities that have dealt with homelessness responsibly and enjoyed great success ~ success measured not only in providing adequate care but also saving literally millions of tax dollars otherwise spent on jails, emergency services and public works. Locally, civic improvements over the last year have eliminated camping spots and left those who live outside with few options. The result is more people sleeping out in the open. Friends are regularly cited by the police for doing so ~ a ticket and a fine, basically, for sleeping. If individuals aren't able to keep their court appearance, they run the risk of being arrested on a warrant and jailed . . . for sleeping. This situation is a terrible stress on people who live on the street.

While everyone works on their part of the puzzle, my role seems clear to me. My community has no funding plan for a shelter. I am a musician and a songwriter who believes that music can bring us together and motivate us with the right message. I feel that I can give back to my community by creating a shelter fund and facilitating it with integrity. Any funding that this project receives will leverage funding from other sources and make an open shelter a viable solution right away.

As a member of the Marin County workgroup on Community Engagement(re:homelessness), I am helping establish community education regarding homelessness that stresses the values we want in Marin County, gemstones of civilization like compassion and mercy. I believe that if values are not exercised in society we will lose them. I ask for every Marin County resident to support the goal of putting these important values to work right here at home to provide for the most basic needs. I feel that it goes against these values to wait any longer. The street community needs help immediately. This is the only plan that I know of to fund an open shelter in Marin County now.

Stephen "Walker" Bonspille
Peer Liaison to the Chaplain, Marin Interfaith Street Chaplaincy
Vice-President, Sidewalk Sideshow Productions