Homelessness CEO Spends 24 Hours Unsheltered in Seattle
In this episode of Restorations, Caitlyn McKenney is joined by Kim Cook the CEO of Bread of Life Mission in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square. Caitlyn and Kim react to conversations Kim had during a 24 hour livestream outside in from of the Mission. Together, they discuss cancel culture, harm reduction, accountability and the power of dialogue with advocates from all ends of the political and ideological spectrum.
- Guest Spotlight: Kim Cook, CEO of Bread of Life Mission in Seattle, spent 24 hours on a bench in Pioneer Square livestreaming conversations as part of a Citygate Network project with 15 missions across the country.
- Eight S’s Framework: Bread of Life uses “Safe, Sober, Stable, Schooled, Skilled, Secure, Settled, Serving” to guide individuals from crisis to self-sufficiency.
- Key Conversations:
- Mission educator: Not everyone needs all eight steps; it’s personalized.
- Jonathan Choe (Discovery Institute): Seattle’s past culture stifled collaboration, but dialogue is improving.
- Karen Salinas (Reach Seattle): Struggles to align harm reduction ideals with real-life violence, raising questions about accountability.
- Joe Barsana (King County Drug Diversion Court): Accountability from peers or courts empowered his recovery, showing expectations drive fulfillment.
- Core Themes:
- Relationships are vital—between service providers, communities, and those experiencing homelessness—to find solutions.
- High expectations (e.g., sobriety, stability) can inspire people to rise above their current state, countering approaches that don’t place any expectations on a person.
- Disagreement is okay; collaboration across diverse views is key to progress.