Kirkland Place for Families and Women Announces its Grand Opening
Published on August 19, 2020
Temporary rotating winter shelters for families with children and women find a permanent 24/7/365 home
KIRKLAND, Wash. – All are invited to attend the virtual grand opening of the Kirkland Place for Families and Women on Wednesday, August 19 at 10 a.m.
The City of Kirkland, New Bethlehem Place, The Sophia Way, and Salt House will be hosting a livestream event to celebrate the community working together to make this new eastside shelter a reality. The shelter celebration is a culmination of efforts dating back to 2012 to provide permanent 24/7 emergency shelters to replace the temporary winter shelter for families and women.
“The opening of Kirkland Place for Families and Women will enable Eastside families and women who are struggling with homelessness to live in a safe, nurturing place while they search for housing and connect with the community resources which can help stabilize their lives and end their homelessness,” said Bill Hallerman of Catholic Community Services. “Instead of traveling each day from program to program, the 24/7 shelter will provide a consistent anchor, support and integrated services for its residents in a facility located in their home on the eastside.”
The virtual ribbon cutting event will include:
• A virtual tour of the shelter
• Blessing of the new space by Pastor Sara Wolbrecht, Father Kurt Nagel, Father Gary Zender and Pastor Lisa Horst Clark
• Statements from Kirkland Mayor, Penny Sweet and King County Council Chair, Claudia Balducci
• Messages of gratitude by staff of New Bethlehem Place and The Sophia Way
If you are unable to attend the event, you will be able to watch the footage online at a time convenient for you.
The Kirkland Place for Families and Women will be open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to provide a warm and safe place to rest, heal, and regroup – all under one roof. It will offer singular cubicle beds for adult women in a communal space and private spaces for families. Housing and supportive case management services will also be available to keep guests safe and supported as they work to rebuild their lives and re-establish their housing.
“This has been a long-awaited day and a much-needed safety net for women without homes. We are eternally grateful for the support of the state, county and cities, foundations, corporations and individuals that made this a reality. Knowing that we can provide around-the-clock shelter, keeping women safe and healthy is truly a gift,” says Alisa Chatinsky, Executive Director of The Sophia Way.
Funding for shelter construction and operations came from a variety of sources including the City of Kirkland, King County, Washington State Housing Trust, ARCH, East King County CDBG Cities, and private donors from the community, particularly Holy Family Church in Kirkland, St. Louise Church in Bellevue, and The Sophia Way donors.
“This project would not have been possible without significant support from a multitude of public and private partners,” said Mayor Penny Sweet. “However, we must remind ourselves that our work is not done yet. We need to make sure that ongoing support is provided to ensure that robust services are available 24/7 to ensure that the guests at this facility have the safety and security they need to move forward on the pathway to housing and healing.”
If you are interested in supporting the ongoing operations of the Kirkland Place for Families and Women, please visit nbpshelter.org or sophiaway.org.
Links to watch the livestream of the event can be found at: https://www.salthousechurch.org/eventsupdate/2020/8/12/shelter-ribbon-cutting-event.
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