“The phone will not quit ringing.”
That’s what Keith Hughes told us – between phone calls – when we stopped by American Legion Post 160 (3618 SW Alaska) this afternoon to see what he needs to keep running West Seattle’s only cold-weather shelter.
12 people slept there last night, and he was expecting more tonight. So he needs more cots, and blankets for the people who will sleep on them. Socks and gloves, too – those go fast, dozens of pairs so far.
And of course, he still needs more volunteers to help keep the doors open, as a daytime warming center – some people drop in for a cup of coffee, maybe a pair of socks, and then go back out – and overnight shelter.
He is serving two meals a day, as the whiteboard outside says:
But he says they have plenty of food – including six 5-pound pans of frozen lasagna – so they don’t need more food right now. And please don’t bring clothing – that takes more volunteers to sort and wash, and that’s more than he can handle. Socks and gloves, he can just keep on a table by the door to Pershing Hall, the event room that’s doubling as a shelter.
Running the shelter is more than a matter of just keeping the doors open. Hughes has also been kept busy handling logistics for the people who show up, or who are brought there; some of the phone calls he took while we were there had to do with someone dropped off there who really needed to be in a hospital instead.
Since the last time we talked with him, the city has started including Post 160 on its resource list of emergency shelters. And the new King County Regional Homelessness Authority has someone calling twice a day to check in. But the only government help he’s getting, says Hughes, is a city promise to cover the utility bills for December – running two furnaces, doing laundry, and providing showers adds up.
If you have questions, or are interested in volunteering, call Post 160 any time between 8 am and 6 pm at 206-932-9696, or call Hughes directly at 206-941-6654.
WEDNESDAY NOTE: Please see the comment discussion below for updates. In short – volunteers still needed, everything else is good for now, thanks to some fast-acting generous people!
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