Tent City 3 residents packed up their shelters and belongings last Saturday, ending a two-month stay in Ballard that brought out the generosity of the community.

The homeless camp, run by the Seattle Housing and Resource Effort/Women's Housing Equality and Enhancement League (SHARE/WHEEL), moves on to St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral on Capital Hill, where it has stayed eight times previously.

The roving homeless camp could call Ballard home again sometime in the future.

"Yes, we would welcome them back," said Steve Grumm, pastor at Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church, which hosted Tent City 3. The church's congregation and the Ballard community have provided positive feedback on the camp.

From the beginning, the community has been generous with donations and food.

"A lot of people have been involved, which is nice. People have come up and donated things. We got a lot of thank you's for the opportunity to help and live out our mission in this way," said Rebecca Butler, Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church communications director.

Karen Wilson called pizza restaurants in the area to solicit donations one evening. Madame K's, Romio's Pizza and Pasta, Stacia's Gourmet Pizza and Pasta and Snoose Junction Pizzeria responded.

"We picked up 20 pizzas from vendors in an hour. It was not a fancy meal, but it was something," said Wilson.

Then Windermere's Ballard office hosted a welcoming dinner for the 90 plus residents. Thirty real estate agents participated in the dinner and Goretex jackets and other supplies were handed out.

Some complaints about homeless people in the general area were not linked to Tent City 3. Ballard has many homeless who live on the street or in motor homes who are not connected to Tent City 3 in any way.

A strict code of conduct ensures that the camp is drug, alcohol and violence free. A five-member executive committee runs Tent City 3.

There were minor problems. Several people who broke the camp rules were removed.

When a neighbor complained about the behavior of one resident, he was asked to leave immediately. They were escorted to the bus stop.

Grumm spoke to some of the evicted residents. "Every resident who was kicked out say they deserved it. They did not follow the rules....' he said.

The presence of Tent City 3 was a lesson learned for Ballard children.

Some families told Grumm they wanted their kids to meet people who were going through tough times.

Loyal Heights and North Beach Elementary school families organized separate dinners.

Thirty-five kids and their parents from Loyal Heights Elementary visited Tent City 3 on April 18, walking there from their school nearby.

Wilson said the children wanted to know how the Tent City residents lived and eat. They were surprised and intrigued at how large the camp was.

A portable restroom is on site. A tent serves as a kitchen with a microwave for heating meals. Shelves are lined with canned food.

Couples live in their own tents. Some individuals have personal tents, others share. Some tents are decorated to reflect an individual's own personality.

"They were very responsive and curious. Some kids were nervous and uncomfortable, but were OK after the tour. It was good for the kids," said Wilson.

The residents who served as tour leaders, told the students to make good choices in life and not to follow the wrong people.

"The message was life can lead you to certain paths, make good decisions," said Wilson.

Butler said the kids had a chance to think about what it all means.

"We love having kids in camp. They are our future and we have to have a positive impact on them," said Tent City 3 resident Vicki Stancil.

Wilson's sons Bryce and Nic collected over 1,300 batteries for the camp's residents.

The local fishing community also donated D-size batteries, along with residents of Blue Ridge who dropped off batteries and bus passes.

Our Redeemer's often sends out mailings trying to get the surrounding community involved in the church. It was Tent City 3 that really brought people out.

"More people got involved than two years worth of mailers. We created connections that were not there before. We now know our neighbors and are in conversation with them," said Grumm.

A neighbor who owns Blue Plate, a catering service, lived adjacent to Tent City 3 and provided a meal for the residents. This was a thank you gesture for the camp being good neighbors.

This coming together broadens the definition of who we are as a community, said Grumm.

While the Tent City 3 residents may too be busy thinking about survival, they don't realize the gift they bring to the community who hosts them, said Grumm.

"Ballard is beautiful. It was wonderful meeting different people," said a resident named Shellie.

"It has been a wonderful partnership," said Grumm.

Seattle Housing and Resource Effort/Women's Housing Equality and Enhancement League operates 15 shelters and two Tent City locations that move around Seattle and the eastside.

Dean Wong may be reached at deanw@robinsonnews.com.