Monroe Gospel Mission serves local women, hosts June 26 yard sale

The Monroe Gospel Women's Mission (450 S. Lewis St.) has been dedicated to providing safe, temporary lodging to the homeless women of East Snohomish County for a decade.-á

The mission was founded by Monroe resident Dorothy Stima, mother of Monroe Baptist Church pastor and former Monroe City Councilmember John Stima. Established in 2005, the mission provides women in need with temporary housing, spiritual guidance, counseling and access to additional resources. Funded through grants, private donations and an annual fundraiser auction, the nonprofit organization seeks to provide services to women in a caring and nondiscriminatory manner.

John helps run the mission, along with his daughter, Elizabeth, who interns there during the summers.

Currently, the mission is working to spread the word about its upcoming yard sale, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 26. Proceeds from the event will be used to provide the women with meals, clothing, toiletries and additional resources.

"We're going to have so many different things here,GÇ¥ Elizabeth said. "We just really want it to be huge.GÇ¥

Community members who want to contribute are invited to donate items that can be sold at the event. Donated items can be dropped off at the mission between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. during the week leading up to the yard sale, and all are invited to attend the event.

The Monroe Gospel Women's Mission serves approximately 100 women per year, who are allowed to remain at the mission for a period of 90 days or longer. Clients are routed to the mission via 2-1-1, a county-wide resource hotline that is operated by Volunteers of America Western Washington. The mission can serve up to 16 women at any given time and typically operates at close to 100-percent capacity with a waiting list.

John explained that the clientele is widely varied because homelessness does not discriminate. Women ages 18 to 80 have stayed at the mission, some chronically homeless, some just down on their luck. The mission strives to help women who suffer from addiction and mental health issues along with those who have endured mental and physical abuse.

"Each of them is at a little different spot in their journey,GÇ¥ Elizabeth said. "Wherever they are, we take them and try to help them.GÇ¥

After an intake process, mission clients are assessed and assigned a case manager. Although they don't need to be drug free when they first arrive, drug and alcohol use is prohibited in the home, and residents must be willing to be screened as needed.-á

The mission employs three part-time staff members, along with numerous volunteers who serve in various ways, and is able to operate on a $90,000 annual budget. While staying at the mission, residents are required to attend dinner at Take the Next Step every Tuesday and attend the life skills classes that follow the dinners. The goal of the mission is to help the women work toward self-sufficiency so that they are able to obtain employment and live on their own.

"About 40 to 50 percent of the women make significant progress in their journey, whatever that may be,GÇ¥ John said.

Other classes are available to the residents, including money management and goal-setting. While a religious affiliation is not required to stay at the mission, spiritual guidance is offered to the woman as an option.

"It's encouraged, but it's not required,GÇ¥ John said. "We have devotions every morning, which is voluntary.GÇ¥ -á -á

Women are able to stay at the mission rent-free if necessary, but if they do obtain employment or some other means of financial support, they are asked to give $100 per month, providing they can accommodate that amount. Once a resident is working and achieves a degree of financial stability, they can seek to move to the Stimas' transitional house, which is a separate residence near EvergreenHealth Monroe.

The mission is supported through contributions from local organizations including the Monroe Rotary Club, the Sky Valley Food Bank, the local faith community, Take the Next Step and various private donors.

As of this year, the mission will have helped 1,000 women since it opened in 1995.

For more information on the Monroe Gospel Women's Mission, visit-ámonroegospelmission.org/Home_Page.html.-á