What is No Child Sleeps Outside?
No Child Sleeps Outside is a yearlong campaign to engage businesses and employers
of all sizes in our effort to shelter and serve every homeless family in Seattle and King
County. The campaign culminates in a year-end social media driven crowdfunding
campaign. Mary’s Place is building on two successful years of raising awareness and
resources for homeless families through this innovative strategy.
Mary’s Place understands that businesses and employers want to engage with the
community and be a part of solving some of our most pressing issues. This campaign
provides you with many ways to engage with our mission.
Amazon donated a shelter, and founder & CEO Jeff Bezos donated
$1mm. How much more money do you need?
400 families are still waiting to get into shelter and access all the services Mary’s Place
provides. Jeff Bezos responded to Mayor Ed Murray’s state of emergency on
homelessness, heeding the call to action for community, civic and business leaders to
do what they can to bring every family inside. By supporting No Child Sleeps Outside,
your organization can make a similar impact on family homelessness. Our goal is to add
750 beds in three years, we will need many more partnerships to make this goal a
reality.
What is different about Mary’s Place?
Mary’s Place shelters nearly 50% of homeless families in our community. We keep
families together – moms, dads, kids, extended family members, even pets. Homeless
children are connected with their schools, we throw birthday parties, send kids to
summer camp, provide homework tutors – and try to provide a normal life for families.
Our families live together in community where they provide support and hope to each
other.
Like leading companies in Seattle, we focus on the individuals and families we serve,
our clients if you will. Our model is tailoring services to meet the needs of our families.
Importantly, we provide services and resources in the same building as our shelters.
Our families, together with their assigned Housing & Wellness Advocates, are focused
on overcoming barriers, finding employment and permanent housing.
Mary’s Place relies on individuals, foundations and corporations for approximately 90%
of our funding. Our creative partnerships allow anyone to offer whatever they can to
help the issue of family homelessness. Amazon, PEMCO, and Vulcan donate buildings
for shelters; Starbucks provides coffee; the Fairmont Hotel donated furniture for our
Guest Rooms shelter; employees from over 150 local companies volunteer in countless
ways. We will partner with anyone and everyone, in any way.
What causes homelessness?
There are a variety of different circumstances that cause a family to become homeless.
So many families in our community are living on the edge, paycheck to paycheck. A job
loss, divorce, sickness or injury could be all it takes to tip a family over into
homelessness. The high cost of housing and increasing rents in our city are dislocating
families at alarming rates.
What will the money pay for?
Our 2016 No Child Sleeps Outside campaign goal is to raise $500,000 to open another
crisis response family shelter to bring another 100 family members inside. If we meet
our goal, the funds will pay for site renovations, supplies, and staff to keep the shelter
open for at least one year.
What’s in it for me?
Family Homelessness is solvable. We know how many families are outside, sleeping in
cars, under bridges, even in Port-a-Potties. Places unfit for human habitation. You can a
part of the solution to our community’s most pressing issue by supporting Mary's Place,
a leading provider with a track record of success.
Your support will not go unnoticed. Not by your employees, not by us, not by the
community. We hold our partners up and cheer them on. We have an active social
media following, and are very effective earning media coverage for our innovative work
and that of our partners.