A displaced truck driver, James Arhill listens to the rain pound on his tent on a recent afternoon.

Other residents at the Tent City 4 homeless encampment at the Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Kirkland enjoy lunch and chatter in one of the recreation tents. But Arhill shakes his head.

“I need to get to Kent tomorrow for a job interview,” he said, noting that the encampment’s Metro bus tickets had run out. “Many people here work in Seattle and need to get to job interviews and doctor’s appointments – bus tickets are our life blood.”

What’s worse, Arhill said a woman at the encampment has cancer.

“To get back and forth to the doctor is really a chore because we don’t have bus tickets and live way out here in Kirkland. It’s really tough on us right now,” he said.

The City of Seattle allotted $300,000 to SHARE, a nonprofit group for the homeless, for 2009. But since the Metro bus fare went up, the group is now short about 16,000 free bus tickets.

Last Monday, Metro closed its bus doors to homeless trying to get back to several shelters – including Kirkland’s Tent City. Several homeless, including Arhill, protested in front of Mayor Greg Nickels’ home.

Urging the greater community to set up camp in front of Nickels and other Seattle Councilmember’s homes, the SHARE Web site states: “The SHARE Bus Ticket Direct Action Sleepout Has Begun!”

Arhill hopes the issue will be resolved somehow. In the meantime, the encampment is asking the Kirkland community for monetary help to offset bus costs.

Residents also need warm winter coats, razors, batteries, socks, scarves, twine and other items. For information on how to donate, call Tent City at 206-618-3901.