Volunteers bring BBQ to MLK Way, providing some hope as Bremerton encampment seeks solutions

BREMERTON — Along MLK Way on Monday, the sweet, smoky smell of barbeque chicken was in the air. Bailey Tupai and his family had closed down their restaurant, Island Hut, for the day to cook for the people living on the block that has drawn the community's attention this summer.

In addition to their signature dish, Channa Tupai carefully watched her son, Monk, cook up platter after platter of hot dogs, kalua pork, cabbage rice and chicken wings.

It won't solve all of the issues surrounding MLK Way, which has drawn criticism from neighbors and business owners as well as critics of the city for not doing more to help. But, at least for an afternoon, there were smiles.

“We don’t have all the answers, but we can serve up a nice plate of lunch,” said Bailey Tupai.

The community barbeque was envisioned as the first “Rock the Block” event, which organizers plan to continue hosting every Monday to feed people on MLK Way. Though the Bremerton City Council has continued to hear from constituents about possible solutions to clear the encampment, establish a safe site at another location or create a new temporary shelter, no formal action has been taken since the issue arose several weeks ago.

The Tupai family is familiar with making the extra effort to care for their community. At the entrance to the Island Hut, located on Sixth Street in West Bremerton, is a rack of canned foods for anyone to take. During the pandemic, when food pantries closed, Bailey Tupai estimates that they cooked about 30,000 free meals for students. And in the winter months, they partner with restaurants like Pepa’s Lumpia and Ray & Dee’s Chamorro to bring meals to people experiencing homelessness in Bremerton daily.

By cooking Hawaiian food for people, the family is able to show their love and express their Pacific Islander heritage, Bailey Tupai said.

“Everybody has bad days, you know. You just got to embrace it. And move on. With some Aloha… and some shoyu sauce.”

More than food, the Tupais got involved with Monday's event to show that anyone can help. No government agencies attended the event (according to a Salvation Army representative, an official event is planned for Aug. 3), but various nonprofits leaders spoke about being able to target individual needs.

“I have so much resources accessible that you usually would get through a big program, but I have full autonomy and I do it for free," said Bailey Tupai, "Like if you need to get to a detox center in Yakima, I’m gonna fill up my tank, me and my kids are gonna drive you out there. You’re struggling and you’re in a domestic violence situation, I will immediately get you to a DV shelter.”

What motivates Bailey Tupai to do the work is his background as a former drug addict and a person who was once homeless. “A trauma never goes away, a childhood trauma. But for me, this is my healing, and my humbleness for my kids, too, to realize that sometimes we have it better than we even think, right?”

Kimmy Siebens, who helped organize the event, called the Tupai family community leaders who are also protectors of people living at the encampment.

“They get that power, those men do, from having experienced that themselves,” said Siebens.

Siebens said that the goal of the “Rock the Block” events was to bridge the gap between small nonprofits or even individuals, who are most frequently on the block, with larger providers who are kept informed on the latest plans of the government.

“This is like the old days, where you have a small town and there’s only so many of you, you help each other.”

Siebens brought up the lack of communication from the government about plans for a new shelter, which Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler has spoken about but has yet to announce formally. One way Siebens has helped is to dispose of sanitary waste she collects from containers or RV septic tanks from people living on MLK Way, where the only public restroom is at the nearby Salvation Army. Siebens said she removes at least 36 gallons each week to dump at the city's wastewater treatment plant.

“None of us that are on the street with people actually holding their hands while they cry, you know, are being told anything," Siebens said. "So what are we going to do? We’re not going to sit there and let the person just cry and keep overdosing. We’re going to come together with as much love and light as we can. And we’re going to bring hope back to people so that they can get through this time hopefully with the least amount of damage to their mind, their soul, their emotions, their physical body.”

Several other community leaders showed up Monday. Rev. David Stewart of New Day Ministry preached from the microphone, coaxing people out of their tents to get some food. Dawn Michele from Sox Box rushed off when she heard about a person in crisis, but later connected a homeless man with resources provided by Eagles Wings Coordinated Care. Marwan Cameron from the nonprofit Gather Together Grow Together was another who spoke to the Kitsap Sun about how showing up regularly can help providers connect with one another.

“Even though we all have the same goal, there’s not a lot of communication,” said Michele. “We come down here, all of us, at different times to do our thing. But Kimmy spearheaded and called me and said, ‘Dawn Michele, we need to roundup the troops. We need to take the street back.”

Another goal is to protect the people living on MLK Way by being a watchful presence against illegal activity, like drug dealing. Siebens said that the encampment has become an ideal place for criminals, because they often blend in and often people don't care about the homeless community enough to intervene.

“This, this is awesome. I like the idea, these guys came to feed us,” said a woman who simply goes by Mama Sharon, and has been living out of her RV at the encampment.

Mama Sharon’s husband had just returned from jail, and said younger people on the block have begun calling him "Pops."

The couple is eager to leave MLK Way, as Mama Sharon hinted at the prevalence of drug use on the block, though a balky engine on their RV has been an obstacle to driving it away.

“It’s time. It’s time... It’s time,” Mama Sharon said.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Bremerton homeless encampment event aims to provide hope