FAQs • Everett, WA • CivicEngage

Beth: Beth is a young woman Lauren encountered near the Everett Gospel Mission (EGM) who stuck out like a sore thumb – she “clearly had no business being down there,” Lauren remembers. Lauren approached her to see what her story was. She informed Lauren that she was previously homeless and had a few months of sobriety under her belt. Lauren also found out that Beth was enrolled in Everett Community College and had been staying with her sister. She reported that she was near the Mission “looking for some friends.” After talking for a while, they both agreed that Smith Street was not a healthy choice of places for Beth to hang out early in recovery. Lauren met with Beth in her office and helped her adjust her FASFA student loan amounts so that she could afford an apartment while attending school; she did not know that she could take out loans to cover living expenses. Beth continues to touch base with Lauren. Beth is doing well in her classes and attends NA meetings regularly. (November 2015)

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Streets Initiative - Social Worker

1. Andrew*: Andrew* is a young man Lauren helped get into detox. He left treatment after 30 days, and made his way back to Everett, where he has been staying with his cousin and working in landscaping. Andrew calls Lauren every day to check in, and has come by her office numerous times to update her on his progress. He is attending at least one Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting per day and has been going to church on Sundays, which he reports is very helpful to him. Andrew has remained sober since leaving treatment. He and Lauren have made plans for him to help him update his resume and start applying for Everett-area jobs requiring a Commercial Driver License.
Andrew recently asked Lauren to accompany him on a tour of a sober living house, to get her input on whether or not she thought it would be a positive environment for him. Lauren also arranged for Andrew to get a chemical dependency (CD) assessment, and escorted him to the facility for the assessment. He started intensive outpatient treatment soon after his CD assessment. Andrew is doing great, and Lauren plans to continue to support him. (November 2015)

2. Angela: Angela is Andrew’s fiancée and is currently in Snohomish County Jail until early December. Lauren has met with her almost weekly while she has been incarcerated to form a solid discharge plan. Upon release, Angela plans to go to FareStart, a job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals in Seattle, a plan which Lauren fully supports. Lauren has committed to escort her down there for the orientation so that Lauren can meet the staff and introduce Everett’s program. “I will help her with the entry process however I am able to,” Lauren said.
During the 4-month FareStart program, Angela will be housed and receive culinary training. She has also received a 12-step meeting list for the downtown Seattle area, which will allow her to start planning her support schedule. Both Andrew and Angela are supportive of each other in recovery, and both acknowledge that they each need to work on themselves before they can join again in sobriety. Lauren is looking forward to the next step of Angela’s progress when she is released and can begin her journey through FareStart and beyond. (November 2015)

3. Beth: Beth is a young woman Lauren encountered near the Everett Gospel Mission (EGM) who stuck out like a sore thumb – she “clearly had no business being down there,” Lauren remembers. Lauren approached her to see what her story was. She informed Lauren that she was previously homeless and had a few months of sobriety under her belt. Lauren also found out that Beth was enrolled in Everett Community College and had been staying with her sister. She reported that she was near the Mission “looking for some friends.” After talking for a while, they both agreed that Smith Street was not a healthy choice of places for Beth to hang out early in recovery. Lauren met with Beth in her office and helped her adjust her FASFA student loan amounts so that she could afford an apartment while attending school; she did not know that she could take out loans to cover living expenses. Beth continues to touch base with Lauren. Beth is doing well in her classes and attends NA meetings regularly. (November 2015)

4. Clint: Clint was about to run out of his 90-day stay at the Everett Gospel Mission. Lauren was able to arrange an extension of his stay until they could figure out a good housing option. Clint has just moved into an apartment and has been updating Lauren daily to keep her informed of his progress. He has requested for Lauren to go see his new living arrangement to see if she thinks it is a positive environment, and Lauren and one of her police partners have plans to visit soon. (November 2015)

5. Devin: Devin is a veteran Officer Jessup and Lauren encountered while at Clark Park. Devin was sleeping in a bush and is well known to the Police Department’s bicycle crew. Lauren secured Devin a bed for 90 days at the Everett Gospel Mission, and contacted the Veterans Administration to inquire about VA benefits, but unfortunately, there were none available to him. She is now working with a veterans housing program in Seattle and is hopeful that she’ll be able to locate a longer-term housing option for him shortly. (November 2015)

6. Eric: Eric is a 52-year-old man who is currently staying at the EGM, while his 14-year-old dog is staying in his car (parked outside of the Mission). Eric was fired from his roofing job and then lost his housing. He wants to go back to work, but says his knees can’t handle roofing anymore. Lauren met with him and offered support as he is realizing that he needs to relinquish his dog to the shelter. He is understandably heartbroken about this. Lauren has been working on finding a long-term housing option for him, but has encountered difficulties. She had Eric call 211 to get into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and will continue to work with him. (November 2015)