BELLEVUE, Wash. — Seattle nonprofit Mary’s Place is activating its latest of five emergency shelters in King County to keep more families together and inside when they have no place else to go.
The emergency shelter opened in Bellevue this week and is already home to several guests as volunteers work to setup the 90-plus rooms with new beds.
Mary’s Place has been providing safe, inclusive shelter and services that support women, children and families on their journey out of homelessness for more than two decades.
Mary’s Place Executive Director Marty Hartman said they lost approximately 300 shelter beds during the pandemic closures. The new Bellevue shelter helps them to immediately provide bed and warmth for people in need.
“For those pregnant moms, those families fleeing domestic violence," Hartman said. "Last night, there was a child with a brain disorder sleeping outside in the car. We now have the capacity to bring them inside.”
Hartman said the emergency shelter is a true community effort and the city made it possible for them to quickly take advantage of a suitable vacancy.
“Mary’s Place has taken buildings that were slated for demolition and turned them into home for now, and this is the 26th time doing that,” Hartman said.
The volunteers are busy assembling rooms in the former Bellevue Hotel. Hartman said there are 300 children who are identified in the Bellevue School District are experiencing homelessness and Mary’s Place is eager to help bring more families inside.
“This is also the most important time of the year for us because it’s our ‘No Child Sleeps Outside’ campaign and it’s a community effort. So we need all the support we can get.”
The shelter is open, but there’s still plenty of setup to be done. Mary’s Place is accepting donations of bedding, linens and items like diapers and snacks for children. To make a donation, see the need list, or to volunteer your time you can find more information on their website.
For families looking for immediate shelter call 206-245-1026.