community comes together to help families dream BIG about the future

On May 13, hundreds of community members came together for Mary’s Place annual dream BIG luncheon to support families with children experiencing homelessness and housing instability. 

The afternoon was all about hope, resilience, and what’s possible when a community comes together around families facing crisis. 

click the video to hear from Bob Ferguson

Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson opened the luncheon by sharing a heartfelt reflection on what home has meant to his own family and children. He also shared that the number one issue he’s hearing from people across Washington, no matter where they live or their political views, is the lack of affordable housing. 

Again and again, people are saying the same thing: there simply isn’t enough housing people can afford. 

Governor Ferguson spoke about the important role organizations like Mary’s Place play in helping families access shelter, stability, and long-term housing opportunities. He also highlighted Mary’s Place partnership with Mercy Housing Northwest to create a new family shelter campus co-located with affordable housing, calling it an innovative approach to addressing both immediate family homelessness and the long-term housing shortage in our region.  

Mary’s Place CEO Dominique Alex also shared the story of Joshua, a seven year old boy whose family recently came to Mary’s Place. At just seven years old, Joshua already knows what it feels like to miss a birthday celebration, carry all his belongings in a backpack, and not know where he’ll sleep at night. 

click the video to hear from Dominique

Dominique reminded guests that while family homelessness can sometimes feel overwhelming in scale, it’s ultimately about children like Joshua and families trying to hold onto hope during incredibly difficult moments. 

“When Mary’s Place opens its doors and its arms to families like Joshua’s,” Dominique shared, “kids can be kids again, parents can breathe, and families can start to heal. That's what Mary's Place does. That's what your support makes possible.” 

Dominique also spoke about the urgency of the crisis facing local families and children. 

“More than 6,500 families experienced homelessness in King County last year,” she shared. “That’s not just a number. It represents moms, dads, and babies living in instability right here in our community.” 

“But we also know that when families are wrapped in real support, everything can change.”  

click the video to hear Nikita’s story

Guests also heard from Nikita, a resilient young mother whose life changed overnight after the father of her children was tragically killed in a car accident during a family trip to Washington. Suddenly grieving, far from home, and running out of options, Nikita found herself fighting to keep her family together while navigating homelessness. 

When Nikita arrived at Mary’s Place, she was exhausted from living in survival mode. But with support from Mary’s Place shelter, housing, and employment programs, she slowly began rebuilding her life. 

After eight months in shelter, Nikita secured stable housing for her family. Today, she’s thriving in her preschool teaching career, recently moved into a larger home closer to family support, and was even able to take her children on their first vacation since losing their father. 

Her story was a powerful reminder that homelessness can happen to any family after tragedy, loss, or unexpected crisis, and that healing and stability become possible when families are surrounded by support and community. 

click the video to hear Tia’s original piece, “Building Love”

The luncheon also featured a moving performance of “Stand Up for Love” by Josephine Howell and powerful spoken word from Tia Naché. 

During the program, Mary’s Place Board Chair Lisa Caputo shared details about our new Building Love community campaign, which will help fund an innovative new campus in Burien that co-locates a Mary’s Place emergency family shelter with family-sized affordable apartments developed by our partners at Mercy Housing Northwest. 

The goal is to keep families rooted in their schools, jobs, and community connections while creating a direct pathway from crisis to long-term stability. The campus is also designed to serve as a national model for communities responding to family homelessness and the affordable housing crisis. 

Lisa reminded guests that support for the dream BIG campaign will not only help families calling Mary’s Place tonight, but will also help build a future where more families can access lasting stability and opportunity. 

Thanks to the generosity of the community, all gifts made through May 31 will be doubled through the $1.25 million dream BIG Community Challenge Match, helping even more families move from crisis to stability.