Skookum is a perfect fit for Central Washington

Central Washington is the perfect place for a volunteer-centric emergency shelter for kids entering foster care and I will tell you why. The middle of Washington State is home to hay fields and hop farms, rolling hills and long stretches of highways between cities; but most importantly, it is home to people rich with hospitality, love for their community, and a heart for kids.

The rural middle of Washington State has been a vacuum for services that help the kids hurting most. But I have seen communities across Central Washington full of people ready to do better—to get organized behind something meaningful.

A furniture maker, and foster parent, who wants to make beds for Skookum House. A community health nurse ready to go to bat for foster kids to ensure they get the best healthcare while at Skookum House. I have met people from every walk of life that are bound together by their new common goal to provide a soft landing for kids entering foster care.

The people of Central Washington are what makes this place the perfect spot for Skookum House.

This perfect fit with Central Washington has meant that the work of Skookum Kids is met with warm reception like, "that is great news, how can I help?” It has allowed the team in Central Washington to focus on the hardest part of opening Skookum House: telling more people about it.

Securing a house in Ellensburg made the job of sharing that news more concrete and exciting. From there, we received a wave of donations that carried us to the end of 2020, which equipped us with much of the supplies we will need to care for kids. While there are still items we need to check off the list, the generosity that we have experienced was encouraging to everyone involved.

Since the new year, the CW Advisory Group and I have focused on volunteer recruitment. This has meant two very full volunteer interest meetings, two more on the horizon, and countless calls and emails. Along with recruiting a passionate team of volunteers we turned in our licensing application!

All this to say, soon, the people of Central Washington will provide a soft landing to the kids of Central Washington entering foster care.