The Tacoma Avenue Shelter is the largest emergency homeless shelter in Pierce County, serving up to 105 men and 35 women seven nights a week, 365 nights a year. The shelter is a program of Catholic Community Services, a 501(c) (3) non-profit social services organization.

The mission of the Shelter is to provide a welcoming, respectful, compassionate and safe place where men and women experiencing homelessness can get a hot shower, a good night’s sleep, develop empowering relationships with staff, and begin a realistic process of finding work and stable housing.

The shelter facility, located at 1143 Tacoma Avenue South Court E in Tacoma, is cramped for space. We would like to convert an attached 3-bay garage into a space where we can set up tables and chairs so that volunteer groups can bring in light evening meals for our shelter guests. We will apply for a Home Depot grant to cover material costs.

Our most urgent need is to build a floating floor in the garage. We need:
• A volunteer with contracting expertise to draw up a plan and materials list (ASAP)
• Volunteers to help build the floor (later this summer or fall)

If you are able to help with this project or you know someone who might help, please contact Jane McKittrick, grant writer for the Tacoma Avenue Shelter, at 253-502-2614 or email her at janem@ccsww.org. (Jane is the wife of EWWG member Michael Dresdner) You may also visit our website at www.ccsww.org . Click on “Shelters and Homeless Services,” go to “Southwest Washington” and click on Tacoma Avenue Shelter.

I hope you’ll consider joining Michael and me in this volunteer project!