Reporter staff
Thanks to a United Way and City of Seattle grant of $34,500, there will be fewer women sleeping outdoors in Kent.
The grant will pay for staff and operating costs to boost KentHOPE shelter capacity by 3,300 bed nights in the next year, an increase from 20 to 30 each night the shelter is open from April to October, according to KentHOPE.
In addition, Catholic Community Services (CCS) will open two additional months at the Holy Spirit Parish in Kent, resulting in 1,800 more bed nights.
“We greatly value and appreciate the coordination and collaboration with CCS resulting in a combined total of 5,100 additional shelter bed nights for women in Kent,” said Pat Gray, chairperson of the KentHOPE executive board.
“What a blessing. There will be fewer women sleeping outside in Kent this year. And we continue to offer them meals, laundry, showers, clothing and resources for housing and jobs though the KentHOPE Women and Children’s Day Center,” Gray said. “We do this thanks to the hard work and dedication of KentHOPE staff and volunteers, Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, our community partners, churches, service organizations and businesses and the many individual donors and volunteers who keep our shelters, day center and meal program running.”
The shelter rotates among six local churches – each taking a month – that welcome the women to sleep in a part of their building. The participating churches are: First Evangelical Presbyterian; Kent United Methodist; Kent Presbyterian; Lutheran Church of the Cross; New Beginnings Christian Fellowship; and Kent Covenant Church.
To learn more, visit kenthope.org.
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