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CONTINUING COVERAGE: STREET PEOPLE WE hosts monthly community meal Grassroots group trying to help with homeless, travelers situation Comment By Julie Akins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Feb. 26, 2016 at 8:00 PM Updated Feb 26, 2016 at 8:24 PM By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Feb. 26, 2016 at 8:00 PM Updated Feb 26, 2016 at 8:24 PM » Social News Jeremiah Christensen, balancing his paper plate, munched on his last bit of his pasta as he stood at Railroad Park in Ashland on Thursday at a community meal. Wearing a tweed sport coat and jeans tied up with a string, he was dressed for dinner at 4 p.m. Bright blue eyes contrasted with his tanned and weathered skin as he said he is more than 60 and a grandfather. “I’m a happy camper," Christensen said. "I look for campsites. But when they’re 40 bucks a night and several hours of walking, it’s hard. If we created affordable campsites close to town, this whole thing could be fixed.” He is talking about the number of homeless people in Ashland and other cities across the country. Christensen has been travelling for “a while now” and says the reason for increased homelessness is a lack of affordable options. “The real estate market is unsustainable and unaffordable," Christensen said. "It’s just a matter of time before the housing bubble pops again.” Christensen tells me he’s a retired social worker. He says he took early retirement and has been looking around for a community where he can fit ever since. “Not all who wander are lost," Christensen advises. "We should unpack that a little bit.” He says he is at the community meal to dispel the negativity toward travelers and homeless people. “We need to create loving solutions. Lumping everyone into a negative category of alcoholics, addicts, thieves and free loaders doesn’t get us anywhere.” Jason Houk, one of the organizers of this meal, which is the third one since November, agrees. “There was a lot of negativity," Houk said. "We wanted to do something positive.” Houk says it began with wanting to provide a Thanksgiving meal. They started at the Ashland Community Center and did their first two meals there but, he says, the rates were raised and it got too expensive, so they had to find a public place where they could gather. Houk also says the contract for the warming shelter on the coldest nights at the Community Center was also cancelled. “We’re going to have to find community and private options now.” But Houk is not deterred, saying “We recognize there are hungry people that need food.” He says they had so many volunteers willing to step up when they no longer had access to a kitchen and stable place that he believes the will exists to pull together. The community meal on Thursday was their first effort at organizing outside in a park. Roughly 50 people attended. Warm pasta, salad, bread and dessert made its rounds on paper plates while people posted up on grass and playground structures talking with each other. Browdie Rush, a self-described nomad, was among them. “There’s so many meshes of people, it can get hairy sometimes,” he said. But he went on to say of Ashland, “It’s peaceful here as long as everyone respects each other.” The group putting on monthly community meals, of which Houk is a part, is called “WE Ashland.” It means, according to Houk, wellness for everyone. It’s their intention to continue providing these monthly events of food and socialization, but they are hoping someone will step up and provide space and assistance. Some day he hopes to provide community meals as a weekly part of Ashland life. Meantime, Christensen believes the long-term solution is affordable housing. “If you can’t afford a house, you’re turned into an outlaw,” he said. He also believes creating storytelling sessions would help people from different walks of life and backgrounds to understand each other. “We got to mix this up a little and hear what we all have to say. That’s how loving solutions will be found. Someone just has to take the lead on that.” It’s not yet known where the next community meal will be held, but WE Ashland says it will happen and they’ll put the word out through social media and word of mouth. It’s tentatively scheduled for the second or third week of March. Email Ashland freelance writer Julie Akins at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ @julieakins. By Julie Akins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Feb. 26, 2016 at 8:00 PM Updated Feb 26, 2016 at 8:24 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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