Seattle, WA. According to LifeWire, a nonprofit that offers support to victims of domestic violence, there has been an uptick in domestic abuse that correlates with the need to stay home during the pandemic. “Quarantining at home with an abusive partner is very dangerous,” explained Rachel Krinsky, Executive Director of LifeWire. “Domestic abuse is based in power and control; and when people are trapped at home together, power and control are just much more intense. And so, survivors are more isolated, they are more controlled, they are more vulnerable to coercion– all of those mechanisms of abuse are much more intense, and so there is more frequency and severity of abuse of all kinds.” The opportunities survivors used to have to get some distance from their abusive partners have slimmed as many individuals are not going into work right now.
LifeWire offers emotional and logistical support to families that suffer from domestic abuse.
LifeWire is a Seattle-based nonprofit that offers a variety of services to both men and women who are in an abusive relationship. Professionals listen to individual survivors and help them identify resources and develop a plan to build a safer life for themselves. LifeWire provides temporary housing for victims believing that “no survivor should have to choose between staying in an abusive relationship and becoming homeless.” Staffers also provide therapy and facilitate support groups for victims to recover from past traumas. The emotional and logistical support that the nonprofit provides to help victims break free from abuse is in high demand right now. Rachel Krinsky explained: “We have folks coming back to us who hadn’t needed services in a long time– yet on the flip-side, we have people who have not been reaching out to us because they have not been able to find windows to do that.”
Temporary housing provides refuge to survivors of domestic abuse and their children.
Furthermore, the economic struggles brought on by this pandemic especially impact victims who financially depend on their abusive partner, making it increasingly difficult to become independent. LifeWire has experienced an overwhelming increase in demand for emergency funding, rental assistance, food assistance, and other kinds of services. The nonprofit has shifted all services online, with the exception of temporary housing. It continues to provide therapy, support groups, individual advocacy, legal advocacy, and financial support amidst the challenges of this pandemic. LifeWire provides temporary housing that offers people their own bedrooms and shared communal living space. With safety precautions put in place to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, there have not been any outbreaks in temporary housing units thus far.
LifeWire also works to prevent domestic abuse by giving educational presentations on healthy relationships to high school students and college students in the Bellevue area. These presentations help students identify toxic relationships and open up a conversation about domestic abuse. LifeWire continues to give these presentations via video conference. “I think it’s just really important for all people, and for young people, to understand that healthy relationships don’t involve cohesion and control,” said Rachel Krinsky, Executive Director of LifeWire. “They involve people getting to care for each other, but they don’t involve intense jealousy and they don’t involve harm. There’s a lot of complexity there and that’s why we need to have those conversations– with each other, and in families, and in friend groups– and that’s why we encourage people to talk about these issues.”
Andrea and her newborn baby moved into LifeWire’s shelter during the pandemic.
From LifeWire:
If you find yourself suffering from domestic violence, do not hesitate to call LifeWire’s 24-hour helpline. If you would like to support LifeWire as they strive to meet the increasing demands of their services during this time, you can do so here.
LifeWire’s missing statement: “Our mission is to end domestic violence by changing individual, institutional, and societal beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that perpetuate it. Domestic violence is a human rights issue. LifeWire envisions a world in which every person lives in a safe environment, free from oppression and with the opportunity to thrive.”
Seattle, WA. Despite the added challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, Jubilee Women’s Center continues to offer refuge and hope for women experiencing poverty and homelessness in Seattle (photo of masked volunteers from the Rainier Ravens group, working in Jubilee’s garden). Established in 1983 as Seattle’s first transitional home for women, the non-profit’s guiding mission is to “support women experiencing poverty to build stable and fulfilling futures, one extraordinary woman at a time.” Each year, Jubilee provides affordable community housing and individualized support to approximately 60 women struggling with home insecurity and aids an additional 2000 low-income women with free referrals, job/life skills classes, and more; services that are especially needed now as the economic weight of the pandemic bears down heavily on vulnerable communities.
The inspiration behind Jubilee came from three sisters of St. Joseph of Peace who realized that to break the cycle of homelessness, women needed much more than the 90-day stay typically offered by local shelters. In response, they created Jubilee Women’s Center and a uniquely holistic service model to give women experiencing personal and financial hardships “the stability and time they need to heal, grow, and rebuild their lives” (jwcenter.org). Today, Jubilee Women’s Center carries on the sister’s legacy with its two-year transitional housing program that includes “holistic support services, on-site care managers, and a focus on employment preparation to advance each woman on her path out of poverty with a living-wage and a home of her own” (jwcenter.org).
Communications and Marketing Manager, Jen Zug shared that when the COVID-19 virus first became an issue earlier this year, Jubilee immediately began taking precautions to protect clients, staff, and volunteers from the virus. Mask wearing, physical distancing, and sanitizing protocols were introduced across each of Jubilee’s four residential sites. Fundraising efforts were reshaped for safety as well, she said, with the annual Fall Benefit event “expanded to a month of smaller in-person and virtual gatherings and peer to peer fundraising” throughout October instead.
Initially, the organization also closed its clothing boutique, which provides free clothing, accessories, and personal items to residents and women in the community. But more recently, Zug explained “we’ve adjusted to begin providing Boutique Care Packages. Women who call for shopping appointments can now place an order for the items she’s looking for, and a boutique volunteer will gather her items together into a custom care package she can pick up” (photo below of Jubilee’s Boutique, stocked with donations from the community).
Jubilee’s free clothing boutique.
While they look forward to reopening the boutique and other offerings to the public sometime soon, Zug and other organization leaders say they are simply glad that they have found ways of staying on mission in the meantime, continuing to serve and empower women in need. Those who wish to contribute to Jubilee Women’s Center can donate through the organization’s website, or volunteer as shoppers in the clothing boutique, assembling care packages for women in the community. Visit jwcenter.org for more information.
From Jubilee Women’s Center:
Jubilee Women’s Center supports women experiencing poverty to build stable and fulfilling futures, one extraordinary woman at a time.
Led by the guiding principle that women of all races and cultures are to be treated with respect and dignity, Jubilee provides programs and services that empower women to make positive life changes.
We believe women experiencing homelessness and economic crisis need time and space to heal while addressing the complex circumstances leading to their housing instability. Jubilee provides safe, affordable housing and holistic services to support women as they heal from their past and work toward self-sufficiency.
Seattle, WA. Hopelink is continuing to provide food services in a safe way for its clients, staff, and volunteers. The nonprofit is providing people with prepackaged boxes of food rather than having clients select food within its facilities. The prepackaged boxes of food contain shelf-stable items, like pasta and beans, as well as meat, dairy, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Each household can pick up enough food for 21 meals per person. All people have to do is go to the table at Hopelink’s building entrance, get their box of food, and leave. Director of Communications Todd Langton says that this process is “all done in an appropriately social distanced” fashion. Since Hopelink began offering prepackaged boxed of food, the organization has distributed the equivalent of over one million meals to community members. Click here to find hours at each of Hopelink’s food banks. More information about Hopelink’s health and safety practices are on the COVID-19 response page of its website.
The contents of a prepackaged box of food from Hopelink
Another significant change made to Hopelink’s food services is where the food is sourced. Before COVID-19, Langton says that “80% of food collected for distribution came from food donations and food rescue programs.” When COVID-19 arrived, Hopelink had to stop accepting its regular food donations and began purchasing its food on the wholesale market. Currently, Hopelink is only accepting donations of produce and face masks, in addition to monetary contributions.
Food being prepared for distribution at Hopelink
Hopelink has also trained many staff members to assist with its eviction prevention program, which exists to help provide at-risk families with funds to prevent eviction. Langton shares that from March 15 to June 30, Hopelink has spent $690,000 on its eviction prevention program and aided 550 households. This is a significant increase from 2019, in which Hopelink spent $110,000 and aided 115 households during the same three-month time period.
On the organization’s website, there are many success stories from people whose lives have been improved by Hopelink’s services. One of these stories is that of Michelle Chappon, a mother who found herself struggling to make ends meet as she juggled caring for her autistic son and working to provide for her family. Michelle says that when she came to Hopelink “things totally changed” for her. Hopelink’s Redmond food bank provided Michelle with both “food and moral support.” She shares that she “wouldn’t be able to live independently” without Hopelink’s services.
Due to COVID-19, Hopelink shut down public access to its Centers and asked its volunteers to stay home earlier this year. In addition to adapting its food services, Hopelink is also conducting its adult education, employment, financial assistance, and energy services online or through phone appointments. Transportation DART services provided by Hopelink are still operational and will continue while abiding my Metro safety guidelines. Non-emergency medical transportation services for Medicaid recipients in King and Snohomish county are also still operational. The flyer below explains which Hopelink programs are available and how people may access them.
Information about Hopelink’s programming during COVID-19
Since 1971, Hopelink has served homeless and low-income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities in King and Snohomish counties; providing stability and helping people gain the skills and knowledge they need to exit poverty for good.
Hopelink’s mission is to promote self-sufficiency for all members of our community; we help people make lasting change.
Seattle, WA. Mary’s Place is offering the same services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as it did before the virus. These services include emergency family shelter, meals, clothing, medical services, housing specialists, and many more programs and resources. Nevertheless, COVID-19 has shifted how many of these offerings are administered. Specifically, protocols have been put in place to protect guests, staff, and volunteers from the virus. Chief Communications Officer Linda Mitchell says that Mary’s Place is still “making changes every day.” Health and safety protocols include requiring all staff, guests, and visitors to wear masks in common areas and regularly wash hands. Mary’s Place is also conducting daily health assessments of guests and staff, increasing cleaning schedules and protocols, and identifying isolation areas should someone exhibit COVID-19 symptoms. For more information about Mary’s Place’s commitment to health and safety, people may visit the organization’s COVID-19 page on its website.
Watch the video below to learn about Mary’s Place’s goal of giving children, and their families, a place to stay while they work on getting housing.
Another significant change Mary’s Place has made is how its food programming is carried out. According to Mitchell, “a lot more people have been in [Mary’s Place shelters] and eating meals” which has led to a need to “increase food supply.” Before the pandemic, Mary’s Place relied on food recovery services to provide meals for guests, but these services have been hit hard due to COVID-19. To remedy this, Mitchell shares that Mary’s Place has “gotten creative with corporate partners” and “partnered with local restaurants” to obtain food for the influx of guests. Since local restaurants shut down earlier this year in light of the virus, many have turned to local organizations like Mary’s Place to provide meals for those in need. Some corporations are also buying food from local restaurants to deliver to Mary’s Place.
As far as volunteers go, Mitchell reports that Mary’s Place has paused its in-person volunteer program as a result of COVID-19. Thus, Mary’s Place has adapted how volunteers assist with programs at the organization, particularly those related to children and education. Groups of students at Mary’s Place receive virtual tutoring through Zoom, and some engage in “talk time” in which they work with volunteers to improve their English skills. Since school is starting up again, Mary’s Place is also working to keep children connected to educational resources, get their necessary equipment set up, and provide general support for students as they begin online schoolwork. Click here to see the ways you may safely volunteer and support Mary’s Place.
Children at Mary’s Place preparing to go to school. Through Mary’s Place’s services, children receive all kinds of school-related support from staff and volunteers.
Since 1999, Mary’s Place has aided hundreds of women and families in moving out of homelessness and into more secure living situations. Mary’s Place currently has six family centers across King County, as well as a Women’s Day Center in downtown Seattle. Across its shelters, Mary’s Place provides 680 beds for those in need of shelter. On average, Mary’s Place helps families move into stable housing in just 90 days.
In addition to food, shelter, clothing, and medical services, Mary’s Place possesses additional resources. The Baby’s Best Start program allows moms with newborns to recover and bond with children in a private and nurturing environment. Popsicle Place provides care for medically fragile children and their families. Housing specialists work with families to create and achieve housing and financial goals. And while parents work with housing specialists, the Kids Club provides children with age-appropriate activities, homework assistance, and more. People may learn more about these programs and others on Mary’s Place’s website.
Children reading at Mary’s Place. Through the Kids Club, children receive age-appropriate activities and homework assistance.
Looking ahead, a big event coming up at Mary’s Place is its SHINE Virtual Gala on October 23. The gala will feature a live singing competition, live and silent auction, and the opportunity to order meal packages from local restaurants. Registration for the SHINE Virtual Gala is available now, click here to learn more.
From Mary’s Place:
To support Mary’s Place, people can make financial donations, donate items off of its Amazon Charity List, or make face masks to donate. Mary’s Place also accepts donations of medical supplies and clothing, particularly underwear at the moment. While volunteer opportunities are currently limited, people may volunteer by creating inspirational cards or setting up Zoom meetings with guests. People can learn more about volunteer opportunities here.
Mary’s Place provides safe, inclusive shelter and services that support women, children, and families on their journey out of homelessness.
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