Almost 15 years back, I got a call from a guy who had a construction business specializing in building materials for interior and architectural design. He was located in downtown Tacoma off of 25th St, near Tacoma Storage of all places. Located in one of those old converted brick factories that littered the Tacoma landscape.
Rich Ridout, owned and operated Custom Architectural Products for a time.
I was hired to create a logo, a brochure and a sophisticated website to showcase the many projects he had been involved in. His warehouse / office space was filled with large entry way doors, large double pane windows, spiral staircases, crown-moulding, trim and more. He had display cases for every facet of the interior of a home. You could browse catalogs of products that were special ordered if it was not in stock—and you worked with either Rich or the many staff he had employed with your interior design needs.
A few years later…
I learned Rich had branched out creating stained glass windows.
He was no longer in the interior products business, having moved to Seattle from his cabin located on a lake south of Tacoma. A true artistic talent, working tireless hours creating unique pieces for the many residents in and around the communities of the greater Seattle area. I had come to learn that this passion was something he had been doing for years—and he wanted to teach others the craft of stain glass at a studio he created in Seattle.
He was successful for a time.
Time gets a away from just about everyone—we are so into what we have going on in our own world, that we fail to keep up with the many people we meet along the way and rarely do we know someone is in trouble until it is too late. Sure, you could say it is pride, and Rich did not reach out, but I was business colleague. Most business owners can not afford to let it be known they have fallen in ill without the risk of losing their business. Rich had many friends and family at his side, but it still wasn’t enough.
Rich became mysteriously ill and doctors could not find a solution.
No one could tell him what was going on—and while he was laid up his business was not able to keep up with demand; orders were not completed and classes were not fulfilled. Years of hard work and dedication, gone in just a matter of weeks. Rich finally recovered once doctors were able to find the cause—but it was too late—his business was in shambles.
Today, Rich lives in a van
He lives among the many other homeless that find refuge in archways, parks and benches throughout the Lake City community east of Seattle. If you were to look at Rich today, you would see a weathered man with silver hair and a rough exterior. You would wonder where did it all go wrong. You would wonder, how does one lose it all and end up where he is today.
How did a person like Rich, who seemed to have it all; a successful business in the early 2000’s, dealing with thousands of dollars in products and inventory, paying employees, building leases, insurance and hiring a firm to rebrand his company—to end up homeless just 15 years later. The story is not far from the truth for many. Many on the streets today could tell you a similar story.
In today’s politics and climate, and especially as we end 2020 with the pandemic no closer to being behind us, more and more people are finding themselves on the streets and scattered without a roof over their heads, trying to get through another winter.
Today, Rich helps his fellow homeless
You would think that a 70+ year old homeless man would have lost all hope. Not Rich. Rich tirelessly helps the homeless in his community and starts Bounceback Seattle.
I received a call about two years ago and it is Rich. It was a stranger on the phone as far as I knew, as I hadn’t heard from Rich in several years. I thought he was still doing stain glass in Seattle but I learn he is part of the homeless community of Lake City and has started a non-profit to help the people of his community. Rich’s ideals and methods written down on notepads, scrap paper and the like are vast and my thoughts initially is where is he going to get the money, where is he going to get the volunteers, where is he going to get the corporate help.
Rich has first hand knowledge of the struggles of what it means to be homeless.. I listen to his story, and how he ended up where he is today—but that has not stopped him.
Rich’s ideas have brought together several volunteers, business leaders, the mayor of the city and while his ideas seem big and far reaching, he tirelessly helps where he can and finds comfort and solace in the weekly dinners he creates with his community for over 150 people and their families.
My wish is that Rich’s vision to have a community center that is fully dedicated to help the people of the homeless community and move his idea behind the message of Bounceback Seattle which is to create a bed, a job and a home for each individual that is in need.