Mary's Place

When we invite you to #dreamBIG about the future for families, we’re dreaming of moments like these: families finding permanent housing after unimaginable loss, parents finally able to take a deep breath, children falling asleep in a warm bed that’s truly theirs, and families like Nikita’s moving from crisis to stability, with the chance to pursue their dreams again. Nikita’s story is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a community wraps its arms around a family with compassion, support, and hope. Now through May 31, every gift to our #dreamBIG campaign will be DOUBLED thanks to our $1.25 million Community Challenge Match—helping us build a path toward safety, stability, and a brighter future for even more families! Make your gift today: https://bit.ly/4nCUJh9

What a day! Hundreds of community members joined us yesterday at our annual #dreamBIG luncheon to help build pathways to stability for families experiencing homelessness and housing instability. 🧡 Governor Bob Ferguson opened the event with a heartfelt message about what home has meant for his own family and children, setting the tone for an afternoon centered on hope, community, and action. Our guests also heard from Nikita, a resilient young mother who lost her home and stability after the father of her children was tragically killed in a car accident. When Nikita first came to Mary's Place, she was grieving, overwhelmed, and running out of options while trying to stay strong for her children. After eight months in shelter and support from Mary’s Place housing and employment programs, Nikita found stable housing and rebuilt her future. Today, she and her children have moved into a larger home closer to family, she’s thriving in her preschool teaching career, and the family recently took their first vacation since her partner’s passing. Mary's Place CEO, Dominique Alex, reminded guests that more than 6,500 families experienced homelessness in King County last year. “That’s not just a number,” she shared. “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. Kids can just be kids again, parents can breathe, and families can begin to heal.” The afternoon also featured a powerful performance of “Stand Up for Love” by Josephine Howell, a moving spoken word by Tia Nachè, and inspiring messages from Mary’s Place Board Members Lisa Caputo and Tisha Held. Funds raised through May 31 will be DOUBLED thanks to our $1.25 million #dreamBIG Community Challenge Match, helping families move from crisis to stability through our three-pronged approach of emergency shelter, mobile outreach, eviction prevention, and the construction of our new family shelter co-located with affordable housing developed by Mercy Housing . You can help families dream BIG about their future by making a gift today: https://lnkd.in/gZmKz24Z Special THANK YOU to the incredible Dana Frank for serving as our luncheon emcee, filling the room with energy and excitement!

Hey, it’s Megan, Donor Communications Director at Mary’s Place. I’ve been watching your gifts come in all day, and I’m so moved by the generosity of this community! I wanted to pop on with a quick reminder that there are just a few hours left to #GiveBIG! If you’ve been thinking about making a gift, now is the moment! Through midnight tonight, every donation will be matched, doubling the impact of your support for families experiencing homelessness. Your generosity helps make sure families have safe shelter, meals, and the support they need to move toward stability. And while we’ve seen so much incredible generosity today, there are still so many families in our community who need our support. Every gift helps us show up for parents working hard to rebuild stability and for kids who deserve a safe place to sleep. Thank you for being part of this community and for showing up for families 🧡 Let’s finish GiveBIG strong!! 💪 Give now: https://lnkd.in/gDvnu-UG

For Shree, volunteering is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: “In life I've come to realize, we all need a helping hand at times. Reaching out for help takes bravery and trust that good people will reach back. It feels good to be that hand that reaches back.” 🫶 For the past year, Shree has been a dedicated volunteer at Mary’s Place, supporting both meal service and Mary’s Marketplace. But for Shree, this work is deeply personal. “I grew up in a community that relied on programs like this. It was organizations like Mary’s Place that reached out a helping hand and made a difference in my life,” she shares. That lived experience is what draws her back, time and time again, even traveling a long distance to show up and give back. “Everything Mary’s Place provides truly resonates with me. The care, the planning, the intention behind every detail, it all says, you matter and you are safe. Mary’s Place truly cares and I love being a small part of this work.” While volunteering in dining services, Shree finds joy in the small but powerful moments: hearing laughter from children, seeing parents relax, and witnessing families treated with dignity and respect. “I know firsthand what homelessness feels like. I also know what it means to have people support you and help you believe in yourself.” Though Shree volunteers for many organizations, Mary’s Place stands out. “If I think back to the groups and people who shaped my future by offering support, Mary’s Place embodies all of that. Everything families need is here, in one place. And each person’s needs and experiences are treated with the utmost importance and care.” Thank you, Shree, for all of the LOVE, support, and compassion you share with families at Mary’s Place! As #NationalVolunteerWeek comes to a close, join us in celebrating folks like Shree by sharing some love for our Mary’s Place volunteers in the comments ⬇️ 🧡 #volunteerappreciation #nationalvolunteermonth

As #NationalVolunteerWeek continues, we’re sending a HUGE shoutout to Aram! With over 275 hours of meal service at Mary’s Place, plus time spent supporting holiday events and jumping into Kids Club, Aram shows what it means to truly be part of a community! “Dinner shifts have been especially rewarding because you get face time with families,” he shares. “I also hear about the impact from staff, volunteering to serve meals allows them to focus on the families and their needs.” One of Aram’s favorite moments was stepping into Kids Club to help out during one of his volunteer shifts. “It was a heartwarming experience helping the kids when they were at play and seeing them want to show off their toys to me because they recognized me from dinner service.” Aram reminds us that the only difference between any of us and the families at Mary’s Place is circumstance. “Homelessness has many faces and drastically different needs for the different people experiencing it,” he shares. “Mary's Place fills an important need of making sure families can comfortably stay together until they can find permanent housing. The kids and families are no different from me or my nephews in how they play and want to live and enjoy life,” he says. “At the end of the day, we are all just neighbors, and if we have the ability to help even a little bit, it matters, and it reminds these families that they aren’t alone.” Thinking about volunteering? Take it from Aram: “You won’t regret it! It feels good to know members of your community and to share a smile, and not just be strangers. I see these families around Seattle during my day-to-day, and it makes the city feel like home.” Thank you, Aram, for showing up with heart, consistency, and compassion. You’re helping build a community where everyone feels seen! #VolunteerAppreciation #CommunityMatters #NationalVolunteerMonth #VolunteerAppreciationMonth

We love Kai's story...take a listen. Thank you for sharing these stories, Schultz Family Foundation!

For the past 18 months, Norah has been a dedicated volunteer at Mary’s Place. She’s served meals, supported families in Mary’s Marketplace alongside her husband, Paul, and now she’s leading something truly special! After noticing that some families were navigating language barriers, Norah stepped up to create a weekly conversational English time—offering families a space to practice, build confidence, and connect. “I’m so impressed by how committed everyone is to improving their English, and beyond that, how dedicated every parent is to providing a stable life for themselves and their children,” she shares. Through her time at Mary’s Place, Norah has seen just how critical safe, stable housing is, especially for families with children, and how resilient and hopeful those families are, even in the face of challenges. “Mary's Place provides such a welcoming, safe place for families,” shares Norah. “I see all of these families with small children and am saddened to think about the alternative if Mary's Place did not exist. I’m so grateful to be able to help these families in any way I can. I have also learned that there are a lot of families on the waiting list to get access to Mary's Place or other safe shelters, and that, as a community, we need to do more to help our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness and housing instability. I truly believe that children are the future. Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, and that starts with a stable home.” This #NationalVolunteerWeek, join us in celebrating Norah and the compassion, connection, and care she brings to our community at Mary’s Place! #VolunteerAppreciation #NationalVolunteerMonth #SeattleVolunteering #VolunteerSpotlight

Thank you to Nebiat and her wonderful team at Moran for providing regular deep cleans at our family shelter! Nebiat and her team help ensure families have clean, safe, welcoming spaces to gather, do homework, enjoy meals, and meet with staff! “During my time volunteering at Mary’s Place, I’ve learned that family homelessness is a complex issue and families come to Mary’s Place seeking safety after sudden financial loss, health crises, domestic violence, or other unexpected life-altering events,” shares Nebiat. “Many of these families are now facing overwhelming barriers to stability, which is why it’s so important that Mary's Place is so much more than just an emergency shelter. I’ve seen that Mary’s Place is committed to preventing family homelessness and also provides mobile outreach, rental support, and stability services. They actively address the systemic and racial inequities within housing and employment.” Join us in celebrating volunteers like Nebiat and her team during #NationalVolunteerWeek Moran Towing Corporation

We’re happy to celebrate a volunteer who shows up with joy and compassion week after week—meet Paul! 🧡 After more than 40 years as a biology professor, Paul wasn’t interested in a quiet retirement, he wanted to stay engaged and make a difference. Today, you’ll find him volunteering each week in Mary’s Marketplace at our family shelter in downtown Seattle. Whether he’s bagging up diapering kits for new parents, stocking shelves with shoes and clothes, or helping a dad find an outfit for a job interview, Paul shows up with consistency and care. “Even the small tasks feel meaningful,” he shares. “Especially when you know it’s helping someone.” Through volunteering, Paul has gained a deeper understanding of the magnitude of the family homelessness crisis and how quickly a single life event can push a family living paycheck to paycheck into homelessness. “Solving family homelessness will require attention from policy makers and community members at local, state, and federal levels. While that feels daunting, I would remind folks that small differences and small actions are not meaningless,” says Paul. “Enough small differences can add up to something much bigger.” Thank you, Paul, for sharing so much love and care with families at Mary’s Place! Join us in celebrating Paul and all the volunteers who are making a difference, one small act at a time. 🫶 #VolunteerAppreciation #NationalVolunteerMonth #SeattleVolunteering #VolunteerSpotlight

As #NationalVolunteerWeek continues, we’re excited to spotlight Myriam, a local artist who brings creativity and care to her volunteer work at Mary’s Place! 🎨 Myriam leads art sessions for children, using watercolor and crayons to help them explore their emotions and express themselves in a supportive space. “One of my favorite parts is seeing how excited kids get when they discover new painting techniques,” she shares. “Their happiness is contagious and I love watching them express themselves so freely.” For Myriam, this work is about more than art. It’s about helping children build confidence, nurturing their creativity, and creating space for joy during challenging times. She also hopes more people understand that the families at Mary’s Place are resilient, hardworking, and full of hope—and deserving of support and opportunity. ✨ “Even small contributions can make a big difference. It’s incredibly meaningful to be part of something that supports families and children in need.” Join us in celebrating Myriam and all the volunteers making an impact this National Volunteer Week! 🧡 Pictured: an original piece by Myriam #VolunteerAppreciation #NationalVolunteerMonth #SeattleVolunteering #VolunteerSpotlight