volunteers help us ensure no child sleeps outside!
For the last 25 years, Mary’s Place has provided wrap around services to women and families experiencing homelessness with the help of compassionate, dedicated, LOVING, volunteers! During National Volunteer Week, we’re reflecting on the hard work of our volunteers and the impact they have for the families we serve. “Volunteer service not only provides support for families and our staff, but also allows our community to come together in this work to end family homelessness,” shares Javin Smith, Volunteer Engagement Director. “Our volunteers bring their expertise and compassion to work in partnership with us in a way that uplifts us all!”
Kids Helping Kids
Gaura drops off blankets made by Youth4Us volunteers at our Bellevue Family Shelter
Gaura, founder of kid-run nonprofit Youth4Us, organizes 200 volunteers as young as 4 and up to 17 years old completing projects that help their community. Gaura and the Youth4Us volunteers have made blankets, assembled and donated kits of essentials, and shared lots of love with kids at Mary’s Place! “When I learned that Mary’s Place helps families who don’t have homes, it just felt right to get involved and raise awareness among other kids,” shares Gaura, “Mary’s Place opened my eyes to the fact that homelessness affects so many different types of people, including kids like me!” Gaura reminds everyone that you don’t necessarily need a big wallet to help, just a big heart! “I encourage everyone to get involved with volunteering,” she shares, “It’s really nice knowing something you do as a volunteer can bring a little warmth into someone else’s family! Through volunteering, you will learn kindness and empathy and see a lot of resilience.”
Providing Confidence and Normalcy
Nancy organizes donated clothing in Mary’s Marketplace for guests to shop!
Nancy Johnson has volunteered in every capacity at Mary’s Place from serving meals to playing with kids after school! Today, she volunteers several times per week in the Mary’s Marketplace where families can shop for clothes, shoes, makeup and hygiene items, and baby essentials. Nancy keeps the racks organized and stocked with “something for everyone” and helps families shop for items. “It’s fun to see the joy on someone’s face when they find a perfect coat for their child or a shirt that makes them feel confident for an interview,” shares Nancy, “I especially love seeing the kids running to the school bus excited to wear their new outfits! The shopping experience I get to help provide gives people a sense of normalcy that’s really important.” Nancy’s involvement with Mary’s Place began in 2014 when a friend brought her to the Mary’s Place luncheon. “When I learned that Mary’s Place offers the full package to families experiencing homelessness - emergency shelter, support in finding housing, programming for kids, and providing the tools to remain stably and safely housed - I was really inspired to get involved,” she shares, “over the last ten years, I’ve paid it forward by inviting more friends to share in the joy of volunteering. It’s so rewarding knowing you were part of a bright spot in someone’s day.”
Helping Kids Achieve
Brandt and his fellow volunteers smile at a March Madness event for kids at our Burien Family Shelter!
"I can’t imagine not volunteering - I really enjoy it, and it’s a big part of my life," shares Mary's Place volunteer Brandt Wong. Brandt has taken on many volunteer roles at Mary's Place, most recently tutoring elementary and middle school kids after school. "My favorite part is interacting with the kids. It feels good when I can help a kid understand a topic they’re struggling with! It’s great to see their confidence boost when it clicks for them!" Brandt encourages everyone to volunteer at Mary's Place because "we have a lot of pre-conceived notions about what people and families experiencing homelessness look like and it allows us to create distance in our minds between ourselves and our own families, and people experiencing homelessness. When you interact with these families yourself, you see how similar they are to you! Most of us don't realize how easy it is to lose your housing or how hard it can be for someone experiencing homelessness to regain housing."
Giving Back as a Team
Kyle and Brie prep lots of green beans for Thanksgiving dinner!
The team at James King Roofing is bonded over their love of giving back! Sarah Bakken, Business Account Manager, shares that while growing up a member of her family experienced homelessness, opening her eyes to just how challenging overcoming barriers to housing can be and how easily homelessness can impact a family. “A lot of people don’t know just how many families are living in cars and tents and are still going to work, caring for their kids, and trying to make ends meet. The work Mary’s Place does to bridge the gap and help families find housing is so special,” she shares. After volunteering at several Mary’s Place events, Sarah presented the opportunity to volunteer as a team to her co-workers, Kyle and Brie, who also hold serving the community close to their hearts. Quickly, volunteering as a team became a favorite team-building activity for the James King crew! Together, they've sorted and wrapped gifts for the holidays, prepped holiday meals, and helped us make delicious cider for the fall! “A day volunteering at Mary’s Place really impacts you,” shares Kyle King, President of James King Roofing, “the momentum it’s created within our company and the excitement about giving back is cool to watch.”
making a house a home
Rannay and her children are all smiles in her new work-from-home space with Alicia and her fellow volunteers!
"Real estate isn’t just about selling houses, it’s about helping people find home, enriching lives and fostering communities," says Alicia Terry, Agent with Windermere Real Estate Capitol Hill. Alicia and a group of her collegues recently furnished a home for Rannay, a single mother of three children, who moved from our Family Shelter to a new apartment with very few belongings. This is the second Mary's Place Make-a-Home project that Alicia and her real estate colleagues were involved with, sharing they "really encourage real estate agents and firms to leverage the unique knowledge and connections they have to give back to the community through Make-a-Home." Alicia took the lead on a very special room in the apartment, a space for Rannay to nurture her in-home nail business! "It was special to know I was setting up a space where her side hustle could thrive! The parents are Mary's Place are so hard working and resilient, I love knowing she can use that space to create stability for her family," shares Alicia, "seeing the looks on the family's faces when they see their space transformmed into a HOME is so rewarding, I encourage everyone who can to get involved!"
Our volunteers play an integral role in sharing joy with families, providing staff support, and allowing Mary’s Place to serve thousands of women, children, and families every year! THANK YOU, volunteers!