Whatcom’s homeless youths soon will have a safe place to stay out of the weather
An overnight shelter for up to 35 youths who are homeless is set to open Dec. 16 in a Bellingham church basement.
Set to run through the end of February, with a possible extension to mid-March, it is believed to be the first winter shelter specifically for youths in Whatcom County.
First Congregational Church of Bellingham is providing space for the shelter, which will be run by Northwest Youth Services to help homeless youths who are 13 to 24 years old.
It’s not the first time the two have worked together.
First Congregational is the church that raised a little more than $1 million to renovate a nearly 3,500-square-foot space in the basement of its church at 2401 Cornwall Ave., then offered it to Northwest Youth Services.
In turn, the nonprofit Northwest Youth Services opened a day center at the end of January for youths who are homeless and at-risk.
Called The Ground Floor, the day center gives those who are 24 years and younger a place to get out of the weather, do laundry, shower, cook meals, use computers, store their belongings, pick up mail and access services that include case management, employment services and education.
The winter shelter will open across the hall from The Ground Floor.
Rev. David Weasley, pastor for Youth, Young Adults and Mission, said his church was excited about partnering with Northwest Youth Services to open the winter shelter.
The shelter isn’t a religious program, Weasley said, but it is part of the church congregation’s mission to “host this kind of transformative, life-saving work.”
Bellingham and Whatcom County government are helping to pay for The Ground Floor and the winter shelter, according to Jenn Daly, director of Development and Communications for Northwest Youth Services.
Homeless youth shelter
The winter shelter will operate from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily.
The Ground Floor is now open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Friday. Starting on Dec. 16, it will open an hour earlier.
Here’s how the funding breaks down and how the winter shelter came about:
▪ The city has been the primary funder of The Ground Floor, committing $127,500 — that covers 18 months — for staffing and supplies.
▪ ”The city was looking for partners for a daily winter shelter and approached us about a shelter dedicated to young people,” Daly said, adding that Bellingham provided $70,000 for overnight staffing and basic supplies for 12 weeks of operation.
▪ Whatcom County government is providing $125,000 for The Ground Floor, which will allow Northwest Youth Services to expand the hours the day center is open in 2020. The county also is giving up to $30,000 for the winter shelter.
Daly didn’t know how many homeless youths will stay at the winter shelter.
An average of 30 to 40 come to The Ground Floor per day, but not all of them might be sleeping at the shelter. For example, some are homeless but might be couch surfing or staying with relatives, Daly explained.
Each year, more than 4.2 million people who are 13 to 25 years old find themselves homeless in the U.S. — many of them people of color and LGBTQ youths — according to Seattle-based Raikes Foundation, which provides grants to organizations that help youths, especially those who have been marginalized.
As for why a shelter is needed specifically for youths, Daly said it’s partly because Northwest Youth Services has staff who are trained to help keep them safe and who understand the unique situations they face.
“Youths are much more susceptible to sex trafficking, much more susceptible to using sex as payment for things, and they’re just more vulnerable,” Daly said.
“You’re a little less street-savvy and maybe a little more trusting,” she said. “Youth just seem to kind of be preyed on and they don’t feel safe.”
Need shelter?
Homeless youths who need overnight shelter at the winter shelter in Bellingham can contact Northwest Youth Services at nwys.org or 360-734-9862.
