  #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.  #GivingTuesday is an opportunity for everyone to join the movement and support their community nonprofits doing good work. You can help by making a charitable contribution, donating your time and skills, or doing the legwork of setting up a legacy gift to ensure consistency in the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors. Discover all the ways you can help through our website or one of the links below. Thank you for your time and consideration. We couldn't do it without you!  Meg Martin, MSW, MHP Program Director Contribute Essentials
Did you know we have a Community Care Center? 
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Two weeks... two beautiful lives lostOn August 11th we received word that Pixie//Melanie Curry passed away. We heard from friends who heard from family that it was likely a suicide. She was a mother, friend, artist, musician, comic book lover, and revolutionary. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- On August 25th we received word that one of our shelter guests found a long time member of the street family, Mike Abraham, in Sylvester Park, passed away. He was a father, friend, veteran, mentor and was involved in organizing around homeless issues in Olympia for nearly two decades including, the old Devoe Street shelter, Bread and Roses, Camp Quixote, and was a clerk at the Salvation Army. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two weeks... two beautiful lives lost. Below you will find tributes to both Pixie and Mike. This never gets easier. We must continue to share the reality of what life is like on the streets for people. We must not allow the world to make the lives of marginalized people on the streets invisible. We must honor the beauty and the ways our loved ones have added so much to the community in which we live, even in the face of constant oppression and struggle. We must continue to fight for the world to understand that there is no such thing as a "lost cause" or someone who is "too far gone". It is our collective responsibility as humans to care for each other -- this benefits us all -- in emotional, meta physical, spiritual and very functional ways in society. It is also our responsibility as people engulfed in the reality of suffering to maintain some thread of hope and energy even in the face of such extreme grief. <3 <3 Pixie Unicorn "I'm just a masterpiece tryna master peace"
Written by: Brian Wisniewski ... Well she has left us here, without her. No more 1130pm talks about comic books when you should of been in bed hours ago. No more spark. No more fire. Never again to have another crazy pick you up, and dust you off conversation. And how she left us was selfish maybe? And maybe not. We will never know. I wanted to put some flowery quotes in here, but I draw a blank. Cause there's no sunshine and lollipops when a loved one might of taken there life. It steals something from you. Like a thief in the night or a sickness infecting the marrow of one's own soul. So you feel hollow or broken. While at the same time you’re enraged and emboldened like a drunk. A death like this will do this to you, I am learning. The deed is done and the bodies in the ground. And Pixie has left us. We also know that Pixie will never feel the pain she felt again. We have all seen this sorrow. It was like a bottle swell or a person with an unquestionable thirst. She did not try and hide this. She even told us how it would go down. So the quote I came up with is an R. Crumb quote -- a comic book author. “Killing yourself is a major commitment, it takes a kind of courage. Most people just lead lives of cowardly desperation. It's a kinda half suicide where you just dull yourself with substances.” And she was not one to go quietly into the night. She did everything with a great sense of urgency and zeal. No matter what she's gone. And I know some of us can't help to think we played a role in it. You, not listening//the shelter throwing away her magazines and comic books//all of us turning away when she was screaming out for help. You fill in your own blank here. Hindsight is always 20/20, so I've been told. The most important thing I have learned through this is, if you see a brother who is sad, talk to them. If you see a sister depressed, console them. And if you see a fellow human, down and out help them back on their feet. Cause the only thing I know for certain is we all have to go there. And if we all go together, we will be so much stronger. And Pixie would have wanted it. Mike Abraham "Blink em' all to hell"
We won't be here." He looked at me so sternly and he said, "YES YOU WILL. I WILL SEE YOU TOMORROW." Of course I did see him the next day, and he carried on even though we were closed, like a boat through rough water. Mike used to stand on the corner sometimes and yell "BLINK!" at certain buildings, or people, or aimed at the sky. When you would ask him what he was doing he would say that he was "blinking em' all to hell". The more I got to know him, the more I realized that it was this profound survival technique -- like a shield. Mike has been experiencing homelessness for a very long time in our community. He has contributed in so many ways and provided guidance and protection for many on the streets. He has experienced, violence, chronic illness, chronic exhaustion, grief and great loss over the years. His shields were few, but mighty and he used them to create a sense of safety in a world that could never hold him. His killer sense of dry humor was another one of his mighty shields. He told Krista a few days before he died that he was holding out for a sports car. A Subaru sports car to be precise. We hope you are cruising, care free and out of pain, Mike. You are seriously loved. Below is an excerpt from Max, a former shelter staff and friend of Mike's. Max and Brittany and Angela stayed with Mike's body in the park while the detectives worked to clear the scene. <3 <3 <3 Written by: Max GoldsmithMike A. was a real friend to me. We sat around and told lies just like I would with a lot of comrades I've know, have known and have yet to know. My heart hurts today... ...I want us, the collective us, not you or me but WE to do better. No one deserves to die like Mike died today. Though through the inhumanity, he was surrounded by many that loved him; and I know that he loved us. He blinked em' all to hell alright. He blinked em' to hell with the best of em'. And even on the nights we had to turn him away, he knew that he was loved. We will host a memorial for Mike and will post the info on our Facebook
when we have the details figured out.
The workday will be broken down as follows: We are especially needing help for the morning shift. Providence Community Care Center Paint Day 225 State Avenue East, Downtown Olympia Saturday, August 26th (to be scheduled as 2- Hour Volunteer blocks): 6:00 am – 7:00 am Set-up crew (set tarps; put out rollers & brushes; position paint tubs; etc) 7:00am – Noon Painting (Broken into teams & flexible shifts) Noon – 1:00pm Lunch 1:00pm – 5:00pm Painting (Broken into teams & flexible shifts) 5:00 pm – 6:30pm Clean-up crew Please contact Anna to sign up for shifts and if you need more information. Thanks so much Oly! We couldn't do this without you! Anna Schlecht Volunteers in Paint (360) 402-0170 | annaschlecht@gmail.com Want to help? Here's how!Hey everyone! We are getting SO EXCITED for the third annual Up in Smoke BBQ extravaganza. Marvin has been busy networking with local businesses and we are still looking for donations of food, drinks, gift cards, raffle prizes, yard games to borrow for the day, etc. Please click our donation letter below, print it out and get in touch if you can help! As always... this is a family friendly event and we would love to see you there!! July 29, 2017 1pm-6pm First Christian Church NOT TO BE MISSED!  Third annual Up In Smoke BBQ party!Please join us for one of our favorite days of the year! Up In Smoke 3 is not to be missed. This is a street party at the shelter organized primarily by our guests and one particular former guest, Unkle Marvin! This party is free, fun, for all ages and truly a blast. This is a low budget event that is extremely DIY but this year we are looking for sponsors to cover the cost of printing a banner. We are also looking for donations of meat, buns, soda/juice/punch, fruit salads, sides, and goodies like gift cards, tshirts, etc. for the raffle prizes. our partners the Amahoro House will bring pies and we will be partying starting at 1pm and ending around 6pm or so. Please spread the word--this is a really fun neighborhood event and a great way to meet neighbors and get to know each other. Also, be sure to check out the video below to check out some of the highlights from last year's UIS2! Contact meg@iwshelter.org if you'd like to donate or have questions! << LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED >>  Want to help us get this banner printed?? Get in touch to be a sponsor! Highlights from Up In Smoke 2016
love when she was calm and would say that she knew how much we cared.... her love for a good, dirty joke and the belly laugh that would accompany it... her voice on the phone when she would call to check in. As one of our staff Jeanne put it, "I'll be damned if we all aren't better off for knowing Sandy", and it's so true. Sandy began staying with us on December 23rd, 2014. As one of our longest term guests, we have certainly seen her through a lot. Over the time we've been working with Sandy she's been housed twice and returned to us, struggled through major medical issues and infections that have resulted in significant hospitalizations, had all of her belongings stolen multiple times, been dropped by service providers and continued to struggle to find stability in a world that does not know how to hold her in all her light, love and complication. Most recently, Sandy had been staying in a local hotel trying to get her massive leg wound to heal after she was discharged from the hospital. Once, when her leg was really bad, the ER told her care advocate from Amahoro House, Angela, that she wouldn't be admitted to the hospital because she was homeless. Another time Sandy was (mistakenly) told her leg was going to get amputated when she was all alone in the hospital. These instances highlight the invisible battles that people experiencing homelessness are engaged in at every turn. Medical providers, first responders, law enforcement, social workers, case managers and other providers struggle deeply to meet people where they are at in all their complexities. Provider willingness to live up to their professional charge to care for every person equally, does not always extend to our guests. However, between Sadie, our amazing partners the Amahoro House team, Melinda and Jerry the hotel caretakers, and a few dedicated friends from her street family, she was supported nearly everyday with calls, food, appointment coordination, transportation, wound care and emotional support. Like I mentioned earlier, this never gets easier. Whenever we lose someone, we find ourselves experiencing an all at once shocking heartbreak, and a profoundly familiar grief. We don't know a lot about Sandy's family and when the coroner was bringing her out on the stretcher it was our team who was there. We hope that they find her family, but we may never know that outcome. We are the kind of family that the structured world doesn't know how to categorize. Sandy is the 7th shelter guest who passed away since we opened our doors. When we talk about the issue of homelessness -- so politicized and always seemingly up for debate -- as a life or death matter, it's because it truly is. Many of you may recognize Sandy. This was her home... her community. She frequented the Reef, the library, parks, the senior center and other downtown spots. When we talk about addressing homelessness as life and death it's not abstract for us. It's people we love deeply. We know their favorite ice cream flavor and what movies they love. We know just where they keep their teeth/socks/purse/umbrella/family keepsakes/etc., we know what kinds of shoes make their feet sore and what makes them laugh. We know their deep heartaches and struggles. We sit vigil by their bedsides and accompany them as their bodies are mounted to the gurney. We deeply mourn their deaths and our lives never feel the same when they are gone. I want to extend my deepest love and support to people who are currently or recently experiencing homelessness who stood by Sandy in all her beauty and her messiness. You all make life so much better for all of us and I am honored to share community with you everyday--whether up close or from afar, you are always in my heart and thoughts. Thank you to the hotel staff for working with us, thank you to the Amahoro House for stepping up so much for our people all the time. Thank you to the service providers who did go above and beyond for her over the years (Ty, PATH, SideWalk). Thank you to the many community members, restaurant servers and businesses who treated Sandy with respect and dignity and gave her a second chance when she wasn't at her best. Thank you to our staff (especially Sadie and former staff people Pete & Jiva, her navigators) for always inviting her back with love and patience even when it was challenging to maintain. Thank you to First Christian and for giving us a home, and particularly to Mary for letting Sandy use the bathrooms and warm up so often. Moments like these, the reality of what we are carrying with people in that 100 year old church basement feels enormous. It's a privilege and an honor that I will never fully understand. I am grateful that you are no longer in pain, Sandy. You made a serious impact on many lives and you will not be forgotten. <3 <3 <3  Sandy's shelter bed. "And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful the risk it took to blossom..." |
| The Interfaith Works Emergency Shelter team has been operating a Winter Warming Center every day for the past 4 months. After several initial weeks using the facilities of two generous downtown faith communities, on December 19th we took a big leap and relocated our program to 408 Olympia Ave. in the old Alpine Experience building. This is the first time we have operated emergency services for our neighbors experiencing homelessness in a commercial, non faith-based building. We are grateful for the unified support of Thurston County and the cities of Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater, who came to unusually quick consensus that the Warming Center was a critical public health and safety need. We are grateful to our landlord, the Hyer family for providing us with an affordable space to be, fighting stigma and believing in serving vulnerable people. We are grateful for the businesses and organizations surrounding the Warming Center for remaining communicative with us through this process which has not always been easy. |  Interfaith Works 2016/17 Winter Warming Center. Photo by: Brian, Shelter and Warming Center Support Staff |
So far this season we have served an average of 163 people per day at the Warming Center. We are protecting people living with significant medical, mental health and substance use challenges from the elements and death. We are able to provide a place for people to seek respite and a safe place for people without nightly shelter to rest during the day. People are safe here, receiving compassion, care and and have a stronger safety net for the moment.
Our resourceful and skilled guests popped up and operate their own bike repair shop in the old bike shop area of the former store, we have games and movies, coffee like it's nobody's business and basic first aid/hygiene supplies, gloves, hats and socks for whoever need them. Generous community members have donated lunches, blankets, hand warmers and so much more to help make this program function.
In this new location we are much better able to connect with support service providers to get people living on the streets more access to their programs. We partnered with iCount Thurston and served as the hub location for this year's Point in Time Count, the Olympia Free Clinic has been operating weekly on Mondays to provide primary care support to our guests and Tuesdays for a wound care clinic, this year's service portion of the annual HipHop4The Homeless event was hosted at the Warming Center, case workers from SideWalk and Behavioral Health Resources have been able to locate their clients easier, outreach services like PATH and the Downtown Ambassadors (operated through the Capitol Recovery Center) and Community Youth Services Outreach are better able to connect with folks and enroll them in services.
Our resourceful and skilled guests popped up and operate their own bike repair shop in the old bike shop area of the former store, we have games and movies, coffee like it's nobody's business and basic first aid/hygiene supplies, gloves, hats and socks for whoever need them. Generous community members have donated lunches, blankets, hand warmers and so much more to help make this program function.
In this new location we are much better able to connect with support service providers to get people living on the streets more access to their programs. We partnered with iCount Thurston and served as the hub location for this year's Point in Time Count, the Olympia Free Clinic has been operating weekly on Mondays to provide primary care support to our guests and Tuesdays for a wound care clinic, this year's service portion of the annual HipHop4The Homeless event was hosted at the Warming Center, case workers from SideWalk and Behavioral Health Resources have been able to locate their clients easier, outreach services like PATH and the Downtown Ambassadors (operated through the Capitol Recovery Center) and Community Youth Services Outreach are better able to connect with folks and enroll them in services.
| Anecdotally, we have been told that the Timberland Regional Library and many downtown businesses have reported that downtown is quieter, calmer and able to carry on with business as usual without having to deal with so many of the negative social occurrences that happen when people have nowhere to go and are struggling to meet their basic needs. | "I wanted to share how the Warming Center has impacted the library. We have seen a dramatic decrease in incidents as well as the general mood of the homeless community. Patrons have commented that the library is much quieter and everyone is able to enjoy the library. I believe that the Warming Center has dramatically improved the community especially for downtown businesses and the library. You are doing such great work. I hope that someday it could be year round." |
As I often say, this work is not easy. On day one of this season's Warming Center we saw significantly more guests than we did last year. This trend has accelerated since moving to the Alpine Experience site, with a current daily average of 163 sign-in's per day, and an all time daily high of 237 sign-in's on January 23rd. The majority of our daily guests are from here, they've grown up here and they are downtown everyday. They spend every cent they have at downtown businesses and are a strong part of the fabric of downtown. We have witnessed many serious medical emergencies at the Warming Center that could have easily resulted in death had we not been there to intervene. By providing a place to rest during the day we have reduced contacts with emergency services like law enforcement and emergency department trips for many people. We have performed two memorial services for guests who passed away this winter; one local man passed away surrounded by friends and caring community members in the Warming Center rather than alone in the woods.
This work is not easy. We have two bathrooms and two portable toilets at our current location. The flu rampaged through the Warming Center and also our nightly shelter causing serious hospitalizations and cases of pneumonia for many fragile people, including staff members. The building housing the Warming Center is dilapidated, the ceiling leaks and the plumbing is shot. There is nowhere outside for people to be without making it difficult for neighboring businesses. There is no good place for people to relieve their service animals and pets. There are not enough mats for people to rest on, and not enough services being provided. The large numbers showing up each day -- significantly exceeding what we experienced previously at our faith based locations -- set us back on our heels, and we had to incrementally scale up our staffing resources in response. It is obvious to us that this scrambling, emergency reaction without adequate resources or a clear plan from the community, cannot cut it any longer.
We are excited to be working with Providence Health Services to open the downtown Community Care Center later this year, but it has become abundantly clear that it will not fill the role of the Warming Center. We are happy to work with the City of Olympia and regional partners to create a plan for a permanent day center and expanded nightly sheltering/permanent supportive housing options for the continuously growing population of people in our community experiencing homelessness. One major blessing of the Warming Center is the opportunity it has provided to gather information, learn from the challenges and use the experience to inform planning for the good of everyone -- and I really mean everyone -- in our community.
We must incorporate a homeless housing strategy as part of any overall housing strategy and create real plans for maintaining and increasing the stock of affordable housing in our area or we will never get out of this vicious cycle of providing band-aid approaches to a gash that will not clot. We must also recognize the vitally important role that emergency services play and realize that we need to do both -- meet the immediate need and at the same time plan for permanent housing solutions. We cannot have one without the other. Please let your elected officials from the city level to the state know that funding affordable housing and emergencies services is crucial to the health and well being of our families, businesses, government and any progress that we hope to see in our community.
The costs of additional staffing and the reams of supplies serving hundreds of daily users means we have exceeded our budget. We gratefully accept monetary and supply donations to support the full range of costs of the Warming Center.
I am grateful for the exhaustion, stress, laughter, love and healing that the Warming Center has brought us all this season. I am grateful for the visibility the Warming Center brings to this vital issue, and appreciate the outpouring of support we have received from our neighbors and the community as a whole. This is going to take all of us and I'm honored to count the shelter family IN as part of the solution. <3 <3 <3
Warming Center stock room. Photo by: Colin, Warming Center Support Staff
December 21, 2016
| December 21, 2016 is National Homeless Persons Day of Remembrance. This day comes in the form of many unique events across the country that are organized by advocates and people experiencing homelessness in each city. It is typically held on or around the longest day of the year... the winter solstice. This Wednesday the Interfaith Works Warming Center will be hosting an open house memorial starting at 10am at our new location 408 Olympia St. Everyone is welcome to pay respects to those who have lost their lives to the violence incited by the experience of homelessness. |  |
Come by at any time Wednesday to honor those whose lives have been lost due to the failure of our safety net, the extreme deficit of affordable housing, the restriction of public space/public utilities, the lack of adequate and appropriate mental health, medical and substance use treatment availability, those who have starved, frozen and sweated to death. Join us to honor those whose lives were sacred and whose deaths preventable.
This year our community has lost the following neighbors who were experiencing homelessness;
Ariel, Brady, Liz, Monika, Shark and Rochelle.
This is not an exhaustive list and we know there are more that we are missing. Please share with us additional names and we will update this list. Many of these folks were born and raised here, attended school here and died here. These are our literal neighbors and we miss them everyday.
Want to get to know your neighbors better? Join us the second Saturday of every month and become a volunteer with the shelter or Warming Center and get to know the people that make up the beautiful fabric of our community. It has been deeply transformative for me over and I know it will be for you too.
<3 <3 <3 <3
This year our community has lost the following neighbors who were experiencing homelessness;
Ariel, Brady, Liz, Monika, Shark and Rochelle.
This is not an exhaustive list and we know there are more that we are missing. Please share with us additional names and we will update this list. Many of these folks were born and raised here, attended school here and died here. These are our literal neighbors and we miss them everyday.
Want to get to know your neighbors better? Join us the second Saturday of every month and become a volunteer with the shelter or Warming Center and get to know the people that make up the beautiful fabric of our community. It has been deeply transformative for me over and I know it will be for you too.
<3 <3 <3 <3
Starting THIS Monday December 19th!
We have been working for months to find a location to open the winter Warming Center 7 days a week for the remainder of the season and thanks to the owners of the old Alpine Experience building, that dream is coming to fruition! Starting Monday December 19th we will be open from 7am-5:30pm daily in one location! See our flyer below and please spread the word. Huge thanks to the wider community, Thurston County Board of Commissioners, the Cities of Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater and our closest neighbors for working with us to make this vitally important space possible for our city's neighbors with no where else to go in this weather. We are so grateful for our time at the United Churches of Olympia and First Christian Church and thank them dearly for supporting us.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Managed by IW shelter support staff, the Warming Center offers a welcoming and safe environment with basic respite from the elements, where people can warm up, socialize, catch some undisturbed sleep, and connect with a network of services. We are SO excited for this next chapter in our program and are honored to offer 24/7 services (between our two locations) to highly vulnerable people on the streets for the first time in our shelter history! Check out our informational flyer below and download our wish list to see how you can get involved. Much love to you Olympia!!
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Managed by IW shelter support staff, the Warming Center offers a welcoming and safe environment with basic respite from the elements, where people can warm up, socialize, catch some undisturbed sleep, and connect with a network of services. We are SO excited for this next chapter in our program and are honored to offer 24/7 services (between our two locations) to highly vulnerable people on the streets for the first time in our shelter history! Check out our informational flyer below and download our wish list to see how you can get involved. Much love to you Olympia!!
Join us for Giving Tuesday!
"#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving."
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Please consider donating to the Interfaith Works Emergency Shelter this year for Giving Tuesday! Or better yet, buy your ticket to our Second Annual Eye-2-Eye Fundraising Dinner! We couldn't do this without you and are so, so grateful for our community!
Author
Meg Martin, MSW, MHP, is the Shelter Program Director for The Interfaith Works Emergency Overnight Shelter.
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