Westside Neighbors Shelter

03/12/2025

Many, many thanks to the Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province, for their support for the shelter! Every Tuesday, Sister Bea and fellow Sisters come to the shelter to make and serve hot breakfast for our clients. And now, through the Emilie Gamelin Mission Fund, the Sisters of Providence have given us a generous donation in support of our work with the unhoused and those in need in West Seattle. Thank you so much!
https://www.facebook.com/sistersofprovidencemjp/

We are Catholic women religious who serve and advocate for our neighbors in need in the Western U.S., El Salvador and the Philippines.

03/10/2025

BREAKING NEWS: The cold weather is returning for a while, so Keith has decided to re-open the Cold Weather Overnight Shelter from Wednesday, March 12, to Saturday, March 22.

As before, the overnight shelter will open at 5 pm, with dinner at 6:30 pm. Morning warm up center opens at 7 am, with breakfast at 8:45 am. At 11 am, all clients leave the building, and the shelter closes until the evening schedule starts again at 5 pm.

Are you interested in preparing and serving dinner to a large group of people who will really appreciate it? Please comment below--a shelter volunteer will reach out to you with more details!

03/06/2025

Now that the weather has changed, we've returned to being open as a morning warm-up center for people who have spent the night outside. We've updated the list of supplies we need to continue providing hot drinks, breakfast, dry clothes, and minor medical help each morning. Thank you!

The Morning Warm Up Center is open from 7 to 11 am, with breakfast and shower available. Our current needs to sustain the Warm Up Center are listed below. Please drop off donations at the American Legion Hall between 7 and 11 am. You can also view items on the shelter’s Amazon wish list, and eith...

02/23/2025

Wrapping up the Seattle Home Show for 2025! Keith and super-volunteer Sola have spent all weekend connecting with people about how we’re helping our neighbors. They’re at the Lumen Field Event Center until 6:00 tonight.

A reminder that this is the last night for overnight stays until October or November—but the need for donations continues with the daily Warm Up Center.

02/22/2025

UPDATE: The last overnight stay for the season will be this Sunday, February 23. Here's a statement from shelter operator Keith Hughes:

"The time has come for me to embrace reality that the "Cold Weather" is over, and it is time to close the Cold Weather Overnight Shelter. We have been open since the first week of November 2024, and in that time have provided 5,800 beds, over 11,000 meals, and over 9,000 items of clothing.

Sunday, February 23, will be the last night of overnight stays at the Westside Neighbors Shelter, unless the weather takes a drastic turn.
We will continue to operate the Morning Warm Up Center from 7 am till 11 am every day, including a healthy hot breakfast every morning at 8:30 am.

My sincere thanks to the citizens of West Seattle for generously supporting this effort, and giving me the peace of mind to know that when I ask they will answer."

As Keith notes, the shelter will still be open every morning from 7 to 11:00, to serve people with hot breakfast, hot beverages, an opportunity to get cold-weather clothing, and a place to shower. The shelter will open again for regular overnight stays in late fall 2025, when the temperatures are consistently under 40 degrees.

Donations of food, clothing, and money are still appreciated and very much needed. Thank you!
Monetary donations: https://donorbox.org/support-westside-neighbors-shelter
Wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2M8BX6UMZBG4H?ref_=wl_share

Westside Neighbors Network Shelter3620 SW Alaska St, Seattle WA 98126206-932-9696https://westsideneighborsshelter.org/In 2019, Keith Hughes, Commander of American Legion Post 160 and president of West Seattle Veterans Service Center, began opening...

02/21/2025

Here’s a project Keith is always eager to talk about: his plans to expand the shelter in the future. He envisions a multi-story building that would allow the shelter to provide much-needed services to clients, such as health care and counseling. Want to know more? Stop by Booth 1030 at Lumen Field Event Center! 😀

You can help Keith make his dream a reality by donating at our website, www.westsideneighborsshelter.org.

02/21/2025

The Seattle Home and Garden Show has generously donated booth space again this year. We're having great conversations about our work, and we have a few donations on the way! If you're at the show this weekend, please stop by Booth 1030 and say hello!

If you can't make it to Lumen Event Center this weekend, you can always donate at https://donorbox.org/support-westside-neighbors-shelter.

02/20/2025

What is 211? A free confidential community service and one-stop connection to local services such as food, housing, health and mental health care, crisis intervention, and much more.

2-1-1 is a free confidential community service and your one-stop connection to the local services you need, from utility assistance, food, housing...

02/14/2025

Happy Valentine's Day!

Now more than ever, the shelter needs your love. Please consider donating to https://donorbox.org/support-westside-neighbors-shelter. Donations like yours keep this emergency shelter open and saving lives in freezing weather.

To find out more about the shelter and what we do to help, visit www.westsideneighborsshelter.org.

Thank you!

02/11/2025

The National Weather Service posted a message about the people most vulnerable to extreme cold weather. Right now at the shelter we could use sweatpants and long underwear in all sizes, mens' medium boxer briefs, womens' underpants in all sizes. (Please donate new underpants only.) Thick winter jackets, hats, scarves and gloves are always greatly needed as well.

The best times to bring donations to the shelter are 7-11 am and 5-9 pm. Or, see our Amazon wish list if you'd like to have items delivered right to the shelter: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2M8BX6UMZBG4H?ref_=list_d_wl_lfu_nav_2

02/06/2025

Here at the shelter, we serve breakfast and dinner every day to anyone in need. And there's a LOT of need right now! Chef Tim, who manages the kitchen, just made a list of things we're running low on:

Sugar
Powdered coffee creamer
Powdered hot chocolate mix
Pancake syrup
Jam (squeeze bottles are good)
Bread
Cheese
Milk
Butter
Eggs
Potatoes
Frozen or fresh veggies and fruit

You can help get the meals on the table in several ways!

1. Purchase some of these items and bring them to the shelter between 7-11 am and 5-9 pm

2. Send an e-gift card for the QFC up the street to keith @ wsnshelter . org:
https://giftcards.kroger.com/kroger-only-egift

3. Select items from our Wish List and have them delivered to the shelter: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2M8BX6UMZBG4H?ref_=wl_share

And, of course, monetary donations are always welcome: https://donorbox.org/support-westside-neighbors-shelter

Thanks to all of you in our West Seattle community for your compassion and assistance!

02/01/2025

FOX13's Alejandra Guzman interviewed Keith today about preparations for the coming colder weather.

As winter temperatures drop, Washington is facing an overwhelming surge in demand for shelter.

01/31/2025

Happy Friday! Here's our top five needs this week:

- Ketchup (20 oz. bottle or smaller)
- Sugar in five- or ten-pound bags
- Small or travel-sized toothpaste
- Squeeze bottles of jam
- Instant oatmeal

(We ran this exact list through an AI illustration program, and this is how AI interpreted it. 😆 We do not recommend the ketchup toothpaste.)

You can always find the latest donation needs on our website: https://westsideneighborsshelter.org/whats-needed-right-now-spring/.

Other ways to help:
Donate: https://donorbox.org/support-westside-neighbors-shelter
Volunteer:
https://westsideneighborsshelter.org/westside-neighbors-shelter/how-to-volunteer/

01/30/2025

Last month, KUOW's Kim Malcolm spoke with Seattle Times reporter Anna Patrick about the reality for people experiencing homelessness in the Seattle area who want shelter. (Just FYI, Westside Neighbors Shelter has exceeded capacity ever since it opened for overnight stays in November.)

Seattle Times reporter Anna Patrick has been exploring the reality people in the Seattle area experiencing homelessness face when they want shelter.

01/22/2025

With the colder weather, we have more overnight clients than ever--up to 50 in recent nights. Of course, this means the shelter is going through supplies at a rapid rate. Keith has made a list of what we've been using to keep everyone fed:

Regular cheap bread that fits in a toaster, 4 loaves per day
Milk, 3 gallons per day
Eggs, 7 to 9 dozen per day
Butter, 4 pounds per day
Regular oatmeal (not instant), 6 to 8 cups per day
Potatoes, 5 to 7 pounds per day
Toilet paper, 4 rolls per day (a Costco 24-roll pack per week)
Paper towels, 2 rolls per day (a Costco 12-roll pack per week)
10-inch paper plates, 100 per day
20 oz paper bowls, 100 per day
12 oz hot cups, 100 per day

If you're able to donate any of these items, the need right now is greater than ever. Some of these items are on our Amazon wish list, so you can just order them to be delivered. Or, you can drop donations by the shelter between 7 and 11 am, or between 5 and 9 pm. Also, please feel free to share this list in your own networks!

We'll all get through this winter together! Thank you so much for anything you can do to support your unhoused neighbors!

01/16/2025

Here’s our table in the lobby where we give out donated hats, gloves, socks, toothbrushes, and many other necessities. Unfortunately, we’ve run out of gloves! Can you spare a pair?

The best times to drop off donations are between 7-11 am and 5-9 pm. Check out our list of what’s needed this winter at our website, https://westsideneighborsshelter.org/whats-needed-right-now-spring. Our clients are extremely grateful for your help!

01/08/2025

Many thanks to Sister Bea, who has committed to making breakfast at the shelter once a week. Volunteers are what keep the shelter going! If you'd like to volunteer with us, click the link to find out how!

https://westsideneighborsshelter.org/westside-neighbors-shelter/how-to-volunteer/

01/02/2025

Happy 2025 from Westside Neighbors Shelter! Here's a short video retrospective of 2024. Thank you to everyone who volunteered or donated this year! You've helped a lot of people!

A look back at 2024 from Westside Neighbors Shelter, West Seattle, WA