Interfaith Family Shelter is rolling out a new brand, including a fresh logo!
We hope you agree that it helps to convey what Interfaith Family Shelter has come to stand for since its inception more than 30 years ago: sheltering families and strengthening community. The new look is effective both in print and digital formats and will be an important tool to help expand awareness and visibility of our mission and impact.
You can expect to see the new logo appear on Interfaith Family Shelter’s email and newsletter mailings, social media platforms (do you follow “Interfaith Family Shelter” on Facebook?), and on the website. All of the print materials and official documents are getting upgraded with the new look, as well.
This new look also marks a new phase of growth and enrichment for Interfaith Family Shelter. In fact, this is just the first of many exciting updates underway. Did you know that the number of families coming through the shelter and transitioning to a stable home is growing?
Rest assured that while the outward image is refreshed, the core services and commitment to families remains the same. We hope you take pride in your connection to Interfaith Family Shelter and look forward to new ways to be support and be involved. Stay tuned for more soon!
Interfaith made the news, not once, but twice this week!
Interfaith Family Shelter has partnered with the city of Everett and Everett Faith in Action to work on a pilot program for safe family parking spots at local churches. This program will ultimately be an extension of the current Family Shelter services and case management, but it will be carried out on-site at the parking locations. In keeping with Interfaith’s mission, this specific project will only include families (with children) experiencing vehicular homelessness in Snohomish County. The families will only be entitled to a limited stay, and the case management services will include access to our current rehousing programs.
Interfaith Family Shelter is still working to solidify the actual location, and we appreciate the ongoing support of our community. We are not yet accepting families into the program.
If you would like to learn more, you can check out these articles by both the Everett Herald and Q13 FOX
A couple of weeks ago, a generous donor from the Marysville United Methodist Church notified the Interfaith Family Shelter of a van they wanted to donate to a family. Immediately, everyone from the Shelter and Marysville United Methodist agreed that the family whose story is featured in Interfaith’s music video was the ideal recipient of such a donation. The family has two adults and six children, including one newborn baby. This van is a great addition to the apartment they just moved into.
Marysville United Methodist released the following statement:
“A grin was plastered on my face yesterday afternoon as several of us watched the family get dropped off in a Lyft ride and see their new van for the first time. The father shouted, ‘No more bus!’ His kids played in the front seat and honked the horn.”
The Interfaith Family Shelter is thankful for the generosity of our community partners, Marysville United Methodist, as well as the individual who formerly owned the van.
For donation inquiries, please contact our Development Director at (425) 252-6672.
In case you missed the front page of October’s Herald, it features a story about the lack of affordable housing in Snohomish County. Our own Executive Director, Jim Dean, is quoted in the piece.
A former resident shares their experience. Did you know that nearly 1 in 9 households spends at least half their income on rent? We encourage you to read the full article.
Keynote speaker Rev. Terry Kyllo delivering a powerful message of the importance of neighbors in our community
THANK YOU! ‘There’s No Place Like Home’ Dinner was a huge success!
This year, we doubled our attendance and fundraising from last year’s dinner event. Nearly 160 friends of the Interfaith Family Shelter gathered at the Rosehill Community Center to learn about homelessness in our community and to celebrate our service and achievements this past year. The Interfaith Family Shelter unveiled their new “Sheltering Families Fund” that supports immediate funding needs of Shelter operations.
Highlights from the evening:
The inaugural Service Award was presented to Comcast Everett Team for this Comcast Cares Day at the Family Shelter.
Delicious food was catered by high school students from the Lake Stevens High School Culinary program.
Keynote speaker, Terry Kyllo, delivered a powerful message of the importance of neighbors in our community.
Local music producer, Kyle Olthoff, debuted his new video filmed at the Family Shelter.
Many thanks to our donors, sponsors, table captains, speakers, and attendees of this special event. We are working together in unity to serve families experiencing homelessness in Snohomish County!
We also want to send thoughts and prayers to our Jewish community neighbors and friends who are mourning the recent attack in Pittsburgh.
If you missed it, be sure to check out front page of The Daily Herald from Wednesday, September 26 for an inspiring article! Christa Johnson and her family are challenging the stigma of homelessness while expanding The Family Shelter’s capacity through a unique partnership.
We are so grateful to Christa and her family for creating and providing another space where Interfaith can place families experiencing homelessness.
Excerpts
Sitting in a cozy living room as sunlight streamed in from a picture window, Johnson recalled thinking about all the unused bedrooms and spaces in the county.
“What if people who have a mother-in-law unit or a daylight basement hosted families?” Johnson said. “But I knew I couldn’t ask others to do that if I haven’t done it myself.”
Johnson said each family brings their own story — one was sleeping under a church’s stairs, another was living with two teenagers in a truck. For many, living in the apartment, just steps away from the Johnson’s back door, has allowed them to save for their own place. The Johnsons have hosted nine families in the last three years. They have stayed anywhere between two weeks and eight months.
Families are vetted and placed in the home by Interfaith. The group also provides case management services.
Christa hopes this story will inspire
In a three-month period this summer, more than 2,000 messages were left on the call line for the Interfaith Family Shelter from those looking for housing. If you’re inspired by Christa and are interested in helping expand Interfaith’s reach, contact us!
Team of 30 volunteers from Washington Everett Mission on the mulch!
A big thank you to the Washington Everett Mission. Their team of 30 members donated their time and energy to weed and mulch the gardens, as well as sanitize the children’s play area at The Family Shelter in early August.
The outdoor areas at the shelter are now welcoming, weed free, and clean!
Members traveled from areas spanning Seattle to Bellingham to volunteer for the day.
The group was led by Elder Wilding from the Everett Mission and the team members traveled from areas spanning Seattle to Bellingham to volunteer for the day.
We are thankful for their support and hope to work with them again!
If you have a group interested in volunteering for maintenance projects at The Family Shelter, please contact us!
Gardens at The Family Shelter are now ready for fall thanks to volunteers from the Washington Everett Mission.
Binet* came to the US legally from Gambia in 2013. She couch-surfed until she was literally thrown out onto the streets with her infant son.
It was at that low point that she found The Family Shelter and was welcomed as a resident. It was at the Shelter where she and her son established a stable base and routine for several months. She also embraced the available connections to services that are vital to moving beyond homelessness.
During her stay at the shelter, she attended all the Housing Hope’s College of Hope classes that were offered and never missed her weekly case management meeting.
Binet also enrolled in a property management program at Everett Community College. Upon graduation, she was offered a job, moved into an apartment, and now works as a property manager helping homeless families.
“Setting goals with my case manager was very helpful,” she says.
One of her recent goals was to buy a car and learn to drive, as she was taking three different buses to get her child to day care and then to work. In June of this year she bought that car and taught herself to drive. Last month she drove to The Family Shelter to volunteer.
“I really want to give back, the Interfaith Family Shelter has given me so much,” she said.
She recently came to a house meeting and talked with residents about being kind to each other and about how important it is to set goals and reach for the stars.
Congratulations and thank you to Binet for her focus, persistence and hard work. You inspire us all!
*Names are changed to protect privacy. Interfaith Association of NW Washington features the stories of former residents of The Family Shelter with their permission.
“I’m grateful for friends, family and a roof over my head.” – resident of The Family Shelter
Whether temporary or permanent, a safe and healthy place to call home is important to all of us.
In that spirit, it’s the season for maintenance at The Family Shelter! We are inspecting and assessing the facility to prepare for winter to make sure things are running efficiently.
“A network of people kept me sane,” said a single mom of a six-year-old living at The Family Shelter.
I felt like a failure. Here I am a single mother being evicted after trying so hard. I didn’t know what was next. The first night we were homeless we slept at a friend’s house. We tried calling 2-1-1 and emergency shelters. We had to move out of our friend’s house, but they let us some back for showers, cooking and laundry. My child continued to go to school and took the bus.
I became depressed and it was almost unbearable. I had to swallow the pill of failure before I could move on. Usually I am a loner and stick to myself.
Upon coming to Interfaith (Family Shelter) everybody was open and welcoming. We made new friends.
This family now has now moved out of The Family Shelter into its own place. Though all worries haven’t gone away, Mom knows she and her child are safe, have food and continue to utilize resources to help along the way.
We offer families non-discriminatory low-barrier access to shelter and resources, regardless of age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, income, or faith affiliation.
Whether temporary or permanent, a safe and healthy place to call home is important to all of us.
“A network of people kept me sane,” said a single mom of a six-year-old living at The Family Shelter.