A couple times a month, usually on Sunday mornings, you can find Lisa Ratty distributing bowls of cereal on the corner of Third Avenue and Pike Street in downtown Seattle. She serves dozens of people and often runs out of whole boxes of cereal and jugs of milk, which she purchases with her own money.
Ratty, who used to be homeless, said that it’s important for her to do mutual aid because of her own experience of homelessness and the camaraderie she built with others in the same situation.
“When I lost everything myself and ended up in their positions … we could all just talk about things and not feel like we had to hold back on anything or feel judged,” she said.
Raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Ratty said that she was part of a wealthy family and enjoyed a “really wonderful upbringing.” However, things went downhill once the family lost its business. She ended up marrying a man who she said turned out to be abusive and misused alcohol.
Ratty became homeless and bounced from one domestic violence shelter to another until she made it to Seattle. Despite all the turmoil, she found comfort in helping others who were also having a tough time and in making new friendships.
“Even though I had nothing, I would find ways to bring people food,” Ratty said. “I volunteered for countless shelters where, even though I was living in one, I was still bringing leftovers and any extra food and drinks to people I knew that were starving. I was making friends with a lot of people; I knew their stories, and they knew mine.”
With the help of other people in the mutual aid community, Ratty was able to secure an apartment of her own earlier this summer. After getting housing, she started distributing breakfast with more regularity.
However, the positive reception of her mutual aid was cut short on the morning of Sunday, Aug. 7. While distributing cereal outside the Walgreens at Third and Pike, Ratty said that a police officer approached and accused her of selling drugs. The police officer told her to move because she was taking up the sidewalk.
Ratty recalled a conversation with the officer:
“As I was packing up my food, he said, ‘You know what’s funny?’ and I said, ‘What’s funny about this?’ and he said, ‘People out here are saying you are the kingpin, and that you’re the one that’s distributing the drugs.’ And I said, ‘Really, I’ve never done drugs in my life, and I wouldn’t have a clue how to distribute anything like that.’ He laughed and walked off.”
Ratty said that the cop’s comments shook her to her core.
“I had never been so insulted in my life,” she said. Ratty said that she was so upset that it caused her to pause her cereal distribution program for a couple of weeks.
This incident came amid part of a larger discourse on public safety in downtown Seattle. In March, newly elected Mayor Bruce Harrell and Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison announced “Operation New Day,” an effort to increase police presence on the Third Avenue and Westlake corridors.
The increased police presence has not come without cost. Some advocates say that the effort has led to an increase in the criminalization of poor and unhoused people. Using the Twitter account Seattle Municipal Court Watch, @CourtWatchSMC, the King County Department of Public Defense has documented a number of instances where people arrested near Third and Pike have been charged with minor crimes, such as stealing goods valued at $6.99 from Target.
Ratty’s mutual aid breakfast distribution was caught in the crossfire.
If you would like to learn more about Ratty’s work or how to support it, contact her at [email protected].
Guy Oron is the staff reporter for Real Change. Find them on Twitter, @GuyOron.
Read more of the Sept. 21-27, 2022 issue.