Changing to Meet Changing Needs
COVID-19 continues to change the faces of homelessness. Tragically, more women with children are losing their homes due to job loss and economic hardship. The Mission is addressing this new need through our LINK and Bridge Programs at KentHOPE.
LINK offers women with children a safe, temporary home while they work with case managers for retraining and job searches.
The Bridge program helps women with children who need a bridge to recovery from addiction, homelessness, and other trauma.
The Mission’s SonRise House, located behind the KentHOPE Day Center, is currently being updated to emergency overnight sheltering and temporary housing for both programs. As part of this change, we will increase our capacity to house homeless guests from 30 to 48. As these changes take place, our staffing needs are also changing. If you feel led to serve, please take a look at our current available positions.
We’re so thankful for the faithful partnership of area churches, who have sheltered our guests nightly for the past six years. We’ll miss our interaction with them, as well as with our wonderful volunteer van drivers, who have faithfully transported our guests to and from the churches.
If your family or church or organization would like to help the women and children we serve, please consider donating women's and children's bedding sets, or children's toys or learning materials. We also need help stocking kitchens at the SonRise House. For these and other opportunities to serve, please check out our current needs.
Also, if you’d like to help provide a meal for our guests, and their children, please sign up HERE.
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Overcoming Setbacks
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Last winter, Michelle spent several weeks at KentHOPE, the Women’s Emergency Shelter at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. She started getting help with her depression and beginning her road to addiction recovery. Eventually, she moved into her own apartment, but then struggled with old habits, before getting back on track. I met with her recently and she shared how the relationships she built at KentHOPE and the lifestyle tools she learned, helped her overcome her setbacks. She is thankful to once again be living a healthy lifestyle and plans to begin training with the intent of starting her own pet grooming business.
Michelle is also thankful for one of our faithful volunteers, Meghan Lee, who along with her father Robert, has consistently provided meals for KentHOPE guests. When Meghan decided to replace her car, she offered to donate it to KentHOPE. Staff connected her with Michelle, who is now thrilled to have her own transportation.
~ as shared by Lisa Mauga*, Director of Women's Emergency Shelters
*Who is Lisa Mauga? Many of you might know her by her maiden name, Lisa Candler! |
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Thank You to Recent Supporters
- Redeeming Soles Executive Director Scott Sowle donated new shoes to support efforts for healthy lifestyles. Many of our guests had never had a new pair of athletic shoes and were thrilled to pick their favorite colors.
- Cheryl Farmer has been providing pizza once a month, but the last two times she tried to pay Domino's, they said they "want to help." Thank you, Cheryl, and thank you, Domino's!
- Dale Culver and other approved volunteer drivers support Day Center services by driving guests to shopping trips, medical and housing appointments, and outdoor walks. These volunteers provide our staff additional time to work with guests on their efforts to leave homelessness.
- Tony Schulling and the Mission facilities team helped get SonRise Apartments ready for increased services and beds for KentHOPE guests.
- The Mission’s Men’s Recovery Program at Riverton Place sent volunteers who removed aging furniture from 12 SonRise apartments on Aug. 28th to make way for increased program services. KentHOPE Board and steering committee volunteers, organized by Pam Culver, provided and served them lunch.
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Thank You for Your Vote!
Thank you for voting for KentHOPE as The Kent Reporter's Best Nonprofit for 2020! Your support helps homeless women and children know that they are loved and cared for, by us, and by God, no matter their circumstances.
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Your Gift Transforms Lives
KentHOPE is uniquely positioned to love and care for our local homeless neighbors. We had 21 new guests in July. 84% had addresses in South King County before they became homeless. Seven women found housing In July: two in the Hope Place recovery program, three in transitional housing, and two in stable housing.
It costs $1,409 per month for one woman to receive the love, care and practical help to meet her urgent needs through our program. With the changes in programming, remodeling of SonRise Apartments to increase our capacity to provide more shelter and the additional staff required, your donation is needed now more than ever.
Through your generosity, 661 women have transitioned out of homelessness through KentHOPE in the past six and a half years. 263 women have found new employment.
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If you prefer, mail your check written to Seattle's Union Gospel Mission with KentHOPE on the memo line, to KentHOPE c/o UGM, P. O. Box 202, Seattle, WA 98111.
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