Modupe, a past client housed in 2017
You have helped us place 118 women into Housing in 2017!

When people's lives stabilize, the whole community does better.
As we are stepping up to take on the homelessness crisis,
we need your financial support.
 
Your year-end donation today will help us get more women into their own homes and empower them with dignity and respect. 

Help us reach our year end goal to raise the funds to get a woman, off the streets, and into safe, affordable housing.

Message from our Board Chair
One cannot remain unchanged when surrounded by individuals who dedicate so much of their lives – and souls – to our clients and the well being of strangers. The two years I have served for The Sophia Way have notably transformed my heart and, as I sat to write this, I felt this space could be most wisely used to express some gratitude – to our supporters, our volunteers, our donors and our staff. 
Our staff.  You work the tough shifts. Overnight. On holidays. And then you go home to take care of your own families. Many of our staff have served others at a high level while at the same time experiencing their own heartaches and struggles. Thank you for your selflessness in the enormously difficult work you do.

Our Executive Director, who has gone out late at night buying up extra blankets when the storm came unexpectedly. I know you work tirelessly days, nights and weekends, in an effort to further our mission in the community and serve more of the women experiencing homelessness. Thank you, Angela, for taking on the needs of our clients as your own.

Our Director of Emergency Services, who takes on every challenge. Challenges I’ve never even considered. Who hits the streets for full days, seeking out women to serve. You have even proactively sought out and helped women avoid becoming homeless in the first place. You have this indescribable mix of love and accountability. I not so secretly call you our “compassionate butt kicker.” Thank you, Cynthia, for your ingenuity and inspiration.

Our Case Managers, who creatively navigate all the hoops and processes to help our clients attain much-needed help and, ultimately, permanent housing. You are dogged in your determination, unwavering in your pursuit, and joyous in our clients’ victories. Thank you for your creativity and persistence.

Our Director of Donor Relations – there is a certain sunshine you carry with you, which makes everyone else smile. Kavya, you are a wonderful representation of The Sophia Way.

Our volunteers, who show up every single time you’re asked. You arrive early and stay late, working behind the scenes to make sure everyone has what they need. To make sure everything goes as planned. You are always smiling and joyful and encouraging! Thank you for being here. Thank you for making the work fun.

Finally, our donors and financial supporters.  Humbling. Because of your support, we’ve been able to place 118 women in permanent housing this year. One hundred and eighteen. Really stop and consider that number. Each number represents a life. I can think of 118 individuals who hold a tremendous amount of gratitude for you. To me, it is a much-needed reminder of the goodness that exists in humanity.
The Sophia Way has been effective this year and, in many ways, we’re just getting started. Thank you, all of you, for your earnestness and your investment in the lives of others. You are changing the world for many, and the hearts of many more.

Finally, a sneak peek at next year… 2018 is projected to be TSW’s greatest year of growth to date, setting the stage for us to have significantly more impact than ever before. Because the need is so great, our response and efforts must be greater. And so, in 2018, The Sophia Way will embark on a joint venture with Catholic Community Services, New Bethlehem Day Center and Eastside cities to build the Eastside’s first permanent shelter for women, as well as families with children, experiencing homelessness. This effort will vastly increase our presence, capabilities and efficacy. The investments we make over the next 12 months will sow directly into the lives of thousands of women in our communities for many years to come. 2018 is calling us to a greater level of effort, compassion and focus. Driven by the support of our donors, volunteers and intrepid staff, we embark on this New Year with confidence and excitement. It’s going to be a good one! 

Aaron Hager, Board Chair
Microsoft Giving Tree
We were thrilled to have been a part of the Microsoft Giving Tree campaign this year!

On Wednesday, Dec 13th, volunteers and staff visited Microsoft Corp. in Redmond to collect gifts donated by the tech company's employees. Each gift correspond with a tag that we provided them earlier, listing an item that we need for our clients.

The gifts we received are for women in all of our programs and include sleeping bags, luggage, neck pillows, electronics, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, jackets and more.

The generous donations of Microsoft employees, along with the matching gifts provided by Microsoft, help us to provide women experiencing homelessness their essential supplies and a little extra joy. This is a win-win for the community, the women in our shelter, and Microsoft employees who want to make a positive impact in their community. We are also proud to have many Microsoft employees serve as volunteers, giving of their time and talent. 

Thank you for being such generous neighbors and always caring about the community.

Click here to view the photos from The Giving Tree pick up day.
Updates from the Day Center
I love the holiday season. it's a time for reflection, for spending it with friends and family, and a time to express gratitude for blessings in your life. The holidays are also filled with emotions and memories, and the nostalgia runs deep. Given that it's a time to spend with others, it can be quite difficult on those experiencing homelessness. Many of the women that we serve at The Sophia Way experience complex and conflicting emotions this time of year, especially regarding loved ones. It is up to us to help our clients feel welcomed and cared for, to try to ease some of the pain that can accompany the holidays. 

The support of the community has been overwhelming and so touching. Each day, I have spoken with people who want to bring cozy clothes, food, and holiday cheer to the Day Center. The generosity has been amazing, and the thoughtful touches, like Christmas cookies, letters from children, and warm scarves on the first day of snow, have brought genuine smiles to our women. 

I have been consistently surprised by the gratitude expressed by our clients. They are friendly and gracious, affectionate and kind to each other, sharing memories and talking about traditions from holidays past. Even though some are waiting for housing programs throughout the region to have availability, or to hear back from a case manager who's been out sick, most of the women I've spoken with are hopeful and looking forward to working on their goals. 

I'm so proud to say that we've housed 50 women this year. It warms my heart to see someone who came in feeling lost and without support get embraced by our sisterhood and find out that there are people and programs who are able and willing to help. It takes creativity and attention to find solutions for each individual's situation, and when we demonstrate that things can be done, our clients start to believe in the possibilities. It might take time, but our successes this year prove that we can help and make a difference for each woman who reaches out.

To everyone in our Sophia Way community, thank you. We could not do what we do without your support and encouragement. Happy New Year!

Gretchen Phillips-Bond, Assistant Day Center Manager
Kathy Godwin's companion experience
I became involved in the Sophia Way Companion program over a year ago and can say it has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. In this short span of time, I have met women from all walks of life - two of which I have had the honor to companion and share their journey side by side.  

As Companions, we provide a monthly potluck dinner and Bingo night for clients of Sophia Way's shelter where we gather socially to share food, conversation and a some fun. These gatherings also serve as an opportunity for clients of Sophia Way to meet the companion volunteers who are available to partner with them while at the shelter as well as on their journey toward securing permanent housing. The Sophia Way Companions offer accompaniment, a listening ear, and sisterhood to their shelter partners. We are available to our partners for activities such as coffee meet ups, walks, and helping with errands or getting to appointments.  

Recently, I was given the opportunity to assist in a move for one of Sophia Way's longest clients, Zandra. Two other companions (Debbie and Patricia) and I worked together to help Zandra pack her things for the move on a rainy Saturday, and I returned a couple of days later to help with the remaining items. It was a pleasure to meet Zandra and learn how she was able to secure housing through the help of Sophia Way.  

It has been such an honor to be a Sophia Way companion, and I look forward to continuing my involvement in the new year. 

Kathy Goodwin, Companion at The Sophia Way

Kalos Church volunteering at the shelter
As part of the overwhelming community response to our Holiday Initiative, 30+ volunteers (our largest group ever!) from Kalos Church deep cleaned and decorated our shelter earlier this month.

Each volunteer was hard-working, self-sufficient, and very enthusiastic about their tasks. The volunteers completely cleaned and reorganized our kitchen, including the pantry and refrigerators, dusted every surface, including inside the ceiling lights, touched up paint on the walls, swept, mopped, scrubbed, and more. The whole place was sparkling when they were done!

To top it all off, after the cleaning was complete, they decorated for the holidays, hanging garlands, lights, and setting up a tree. The shelter residents who came in later that night were so impressed and so grateful to have their temporary home made a little more beautiful and cheerful for the holidays.

Thank you to the wonderful team from Kalos for this amazing gift! 
The Biella Foundation
Kirkland-based The Biella Foundation has supported many important causes since their inception in 1982. The founder of the Biella Foundation, Mart Bert, had a simple philanthropic philosophy: help those in need. True to those words, their financial support to The Sophia Way assists women in need.

“The Biella Foundation is delighted to partner with The Sophia Way, which is making a significant impact in the lives of homeless women. We have been very impressed by The Sophia Way’s staff and volunteers who are dedicated to walking alongside women on their journey out of homelessness by providing quality programs, resources and encouragement to help gain sustainable independence. Just as important is the organization’s priority to maintain each woman’s respect and dignity all along the way. We are looking forward to seeing The Sophia Way impact our community for many years to come and stand with them in their goal ‘to end homelessness for single adult women in King County.'” – Joni Wolfe, Grants Administrator, The Biella Foundation

Our Office
The Sophia Way
11061 NE 2nd Street, Suite 223
Bellevue, WA 98004
Ph: 425-463-6285
Fax: 425-455-8607
Our Shelter
Sophia’s Place
3032 Bellevue Way NE
Bellevue, WA 98004
Ph: 425-896-7385
Bus Route: 249
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