After escaping domestic violence and losing their home, Justine and her children, Luna and Alex, were living in their car. When she connected with the Mary’s Place outreach team at the Allen Family Center, Justine received essential supplies and support, while her children found space to play and just be kids—leaving her with renewed hope and a community by her side. 

For Ruby, supporting families at Mary’s Place has been part of her life for as long as she can remember. With a mom who works at Mary’s Place, Ruby grew up volunteering at events and seeing firsthand the impact the organization has on families experiencing homelessness. So when she learned about the Youth Action Program (YAP), she knew it was something she wanted to be part of.

The earliest years of a child’s life lay the foundation for everything that follows—but for hundreds of thousands of young children experiencing homelessness, that foundation is shaped by instability, stress, and limited access to critical supports. A recent article in Beyond Housing Magazine delves into what happens when young children experiencing homelessness don’t have access to early childhood education and what Mary’s Place is doing to serve children during critical developmental years.

We’re grateful to Stephannie Stokes and The Seattle Times for helping shine a much-needed light on family homelessness in King County in a recent story.

For Darius and his daughter Aliyah, the barriers to housing stability weren’t just logistical—they felt insurmountable. But everything changed when they walked through the doors of the Allen Family Center.

Our Building Love campaign, and new campus in Burien, are about building stability, opportunity, and a future where families don’t just survive homelessness — they move beyond it, together!

Once a week, you’ll find Amirah Casey at Mary’s Place, serving meals and swapping stories with families staying at The Glen shelter in Seattle. For Amirah, sharing a meal and serving others is about so much more than food—it’s about care, dignity, and community.

Yousri Omar was recognized as a Hero of the Deep at a recent Seattle Kraken hockey game for his pro bono legal work with Mary’s Place families!

Tara, a dedicated single mom, was working hard to provide for herself and her family, but after the birth of her youngest, her minimum-wage job could no longer keep up with the cost of caring for two kids. With support from our Outreach team, she and her kids are rebuilding stability with help from a supportive housing community.

Research is unequivocal: Childhood homelessness creates trauma that echoes across lifetimes, affecting educational outcomes, physical and mental health, and future economic stability. Every night a child spends without stable housing multiplies these impacts.