This is Part 2 of a three-part series about the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office of Neighborhoods. Read Part 1 here. Part 3 will be released soon.

Before patients can take any of the steps toward recovery, the Office of Neighborhoods must build a trusting relationship with them. That can take time – and McDonald’s gift cards. More than 40 have been given out or used by the Office of Neighborhoods so far.

When the Office of Neighborhoods enters a homeless encampment for the first time, they introduce themselves and ask what the people in the camp might need. They always have a couple of $5 McDonald’s gift cards in their pocket, but are willing to do a little something extra if they can.

On one Wednesday in mid-February, McCurry remembered a man at a camp in Monroe who was walking around in old muddy slippers. He wore a size 16 and what he really needed was some shoes.

While making his rounds, McCurry stopped at the Everett Gospel Mission Men’s Shelter. He had taken a tour of the shelter earlier in the year, so everyone there knows what the Office of Neighborhoods is up to.

In the mission’s basement is a large room full of shelves packed with donated clothes, equipment and shoes for men in need. McCurry found a size 15 that he thought would work and took them with him. Later that day, the mission called McCurry because someone had just donated a brand new pair of size 16s. McCurry gladly went back to switch out the shoes he selected for the larger pair before heading to the camp in Monroe.

It’s clear that McCurry and other group members are determined to make a difference. And sometimes that even means paying for items and services out of pocket. So far, the Office of Neighborhoods has provided about $130 to get ID cards for people and $125 worth of bedding, toiletries, a wallet, an alarm clock and other items for a man who was coming out of treatment. Before Human Services began providing funds for McDonald’s gift cards, Huri and the two deputies paid for the gift cards themselves.

“We have also given out clothes from our own closets, as well as clothing that people donated directly to us,” Huri said.

One of the deputy’s sons did a clothing drive specifically for the Office of Neighborhoods. He came back with two large bags of winter coats for them to distribute to their clients.

A few days after visiting a camp for the first time, the four know its residents by name.

One afternoon in mid-February, they walked into a large camp they had been visiting regularly since September 2015. At one point, there had been more than 20 people living inside but during this visit the number of residents was down to about six.

Most of the tents were empty, either because residents were going about their business or possibly they were abandoned altogether. Residents knew that the landowners – who had given the Office of Neighborhoods a chance to help the homeless get sober and into housing — would be kicking them out soon.

The Office of Neighborhoods posted “Private Property” signs with a deadline to move out as they approached the encampment. After that point, anyone living there would be arrested.

But the day’s work didn’t end with posting the signs. The Office of Neighborhoods crew trudged through mud and trash to reach the tents in the encampment. The deputies knocked on tent poles, shouting first names and asking if anyone was home.

A man, Bo, stepped outside his tent to greet the group. He and his long-time partner, Jill, said they want to get sober and had been trying to use methadone to get off heroin. But Bo said he thinks the methadone is not working for them and he wants to follow the plan outlined by the Office of Neighborhoods. Jill, who eventually stepped outside, agrees.

However, they would have to be housed separately during treatment, as treatment centers don’t allow couples to be together while they get clean. After that, they would need to move into separate housing until something else could be arranged. Jill and Bo would also enter treatment at different times because of when beds are available – most likely Jill would go first and Bo would go about a week later.

Jill and Bo don’t want to be apart. Just the thought of it sends a crying Jill back into their tent. Bo said he was able to talk Jill into being housed separately for treatment, but didn’t realize they would need to be housed separately afterward.

“I’m not going to lie to you guys,” Calliham said, explaining that the kind of housing that is typically available for someone straight out of treatment is single gender. “But my job won’t be finished until I get you two in housing together.”

It’s a trend within the Office of Neighborhoods: Their work doesn’t end when someone leaves treatment, or even when someone safely enters housing. Calliham remains their case worker beyond that. He is often seen using his speaker phone while walking around encampments so he can take notes with his now-free hands, arranging for housing and meetings and services for clients while en route to see other clients in person.

“We don’t just dump them and leave,” McCurry said. “We get them what they need. We help them with job searching.”

–Story and photos by Natalie Covate

Part 3 of this series will be released soon.