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WEST SEATTLE GIVING SPIRIT: One-of-a-kind Westside Neighbors Shelter

Another cold night begins … and the West Seattle Giving Spirit sustains the Westside Neighbors Shelter, our next spotlighted organization in our holiday-season series. Three times a week through year’s end, WSB is bringing you this special holiday-season opportunity to learn more about, and support, some of our area’s hardworking nonprofits, in partnership with the Learning Communities Foundation. Tonight – consider this one-of-a-kind shelter:

On a freezing night in 2019, Keith Hughes opened the doors of the American Legion Hall to a handful of people with nowhere to sleep safely and stay warm. As Commander of American Legion Post 160, he was used to assisting veterans; however, he knew he also had to respond to the emergency needs of the men and women huddled outside his door.

Since then, Westside Neighbors Shelter has expanded to act as a morning warmup center year-round, with hot drinks and breakfast. From November into March, the hall becomes a sleeping room filled with cots, giving unhoused adults a place to stay warm and dry when the outside temperatures fall to dangerous levels. Hot dinners and breakfast are provided by the local community. People experiencing homelessness can shower and get clean clothing. All adults are welcome, regardless of gender, whether or not they’re a veteran.

Westside Neighbors Shelter is a volunteer-operated emergency shelter; it currently receives no funding from government sources. The shelter has only one paid employee: a security professional who watches the hall when it’s occupied overnight. Community donations of money, labor, and supplies help provide food, heat, and basic sanitation for the increasing number of people unable to find a place to live in West Seattle and Burien.

As word of this place grew, so did the number of men and women hoping for a hot meal, a shower and clean clothes, and a place to shelter from a freezing night. The number of people seeking shelter here has risen dramatically–from up to 20 per night in 2019 to up to 40 per night in 2023. “I don’t see that stopping or even leveling off,” says Keith.

Keith estimates that last winter the shelter handed out 1,300 pairs of socks, 800 stocking caps, 800 pairs of gloves, 500 sets of clothing, and 400 winter coats. “We take care of a lot of people here. I am sure it’s 500 or 600 individuals over the winter,” he says.

“We’re providing temporary emergency sheltering. Most of the people who come here are on a journey to find permanent housing solutions, and this is a stopover on the journey.”

“We don’t get a lot of feedback from people who are here for one or two nights and move on. But out of the core of longer-term clients, we have had our successes with those who have been able to find interim housing solutions, and those who have come to their own realization that they need professional help for mental-health issues, alcohol and drug overuse issues, and we have sometimes been able to help them find resources to meet their needs. Those resources are outside of this facility, because we can’t provide those resources directly here at this time,” says Keith.

Your support can keep dozens of people safe and warm every night this time of year.

DONATE HERE
VOLUNTEER HERE
WHAT’S NEEDED MOST
LEARN MORE ABOUT WESTSIDE NEIGHBORS SHELTER

Scroll through our archive of West Seattle Giving Spirit spotlights here, and watch for the next one on Monday!

7 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE GIVING SPIRIT: One-of-a-kind Westside Neighbors Shelter"

  • alkiannie November 29, 2024 (7:40 pm)

    One word: incredible.

  • E. November 29, 2024 (9:06 pm)

    Amazing work. And fyi, there is an Amazon wishlist in their “what’s needed most” page with priority and quality. Super easy to select and send them help. 

  • Sen. Dz November 30, 2024 (1:28 pm)

    How does this place receive no funding from the city or county?  Dow and Saka, Figure it out.  Serving 40 people with only one paid security guard.  The rest is done by volunteers or Keith himself!!!!  Get the man some funds for food and supplies!  This seems like an organization that is focused on the comfort and survival of our areas most needy.  Not about growing political capital or influence.  This is exactly who should be getting funding. 

  • West seattle resident November 30, 2024 (11:12 pm)

    Does anyone know the donation hours to drop off winter clothes? 

    • Luckie December 1, 2024 (9:56 am)

      The best time to drop off donations is between 7 and 11 am.

    • Jim December 2, 2024 (12:30 am)

      As he said in the video, the only clothes they need are socks, gloves, and hats. The rest goes to a charity shop. This man is an angel. I feel ashamed that I complain about my life when so many people have nowhere to turn to for help. I need to get up off my butt and help and not just sit around felling sad for those without. And in many cases, it’s not their fault. In an instant any of our lives can implode and we end up broke and homeless.

      • Luckie (WSNS volunteer) December 2, 2024 (8:46 am)

        Thank you, Jim! The video is a couple years old, but most of what Keith says in the video about the shelter is still current. The people of West Seattle are incredibly generous, and we appreciate donations of clothing. We still need winter jackets, warm pants, and other items. We have VERY little space to store clothing donations before we give them out, so we are able to keep only clothing that will be useful for people living outdoors who need it immediately. The things that we have to spend time to sort out and take away are children’s clothes, office attire, dresses, fancy sweaters, dress shoes, shorts/bathing suits donated in winter, etc. Single shoes/socks/gloves, used underpants, and clothing so tattered as to be unusable, we must put in the trash.  You can always find the latest on the “What’s Needed” website page here to find out what’s at the top of the list, or visit our Amazon wish list. We also have a Facebook page you can follow for updates about the shelter. If you want to volunteer, we have a page for that too! Thank you, neighbors, for your caring compassion!

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