“Sometimes it’s a choice between does my kid get shoes or do I pay the electric bill.” Sandy has been unable to work due to medical issues and is currently living in subsidized housing with her 11-year-old son. Her income is limited to government assistance of about $1,000 per month and an additional $130 for [...]
"My monthly income barely pays for my rent. Without MSC's energy assistance program I don't know if I'd make it in the winter." Khadija is in her early sixties and worked up until 2006 when she developed medical issues that made it difficult for her to use her hands. She is now receiving Social Security [...]
In early 2014, MSC completed the initial funding phase for a new Veterans Housing Project to serve low-income and homeless veterans. MSC expects to break ground on the project in early 2015 and anticipates the building will be ready for occupancy by the end of 2015. This project was set in motion after MSC began [...]
When health issues prevented AJ from working, she started to look for something meaningful to do with her time. She found that meaning in tutoring adults through MSC’s Adult Basic Education program. For the last year and a half, AJ has met twice a week with Emmett, a 71-year-old gentleman, to help him learn how [...]
When his uncle passed away suddenly, Vernell found himself without a place to live and without a job. Vernell had both lived with his uncle and worked for his uncle’s company. He moved in with a friend and started going to a local food bank. There, he met one of MSC’s employment counselors who he [...]
"Everything was going fine until the checks stopped coming, and then a friend told me about MSC's Energy Assistance Program," shares Helen. Helen, a 72-year-old retiree living on Vashon Island with her dogs and birds, called MSC for the first time last year. Living off her social security and supplementing her income with a small [...]
"To be a part of opening the door for someone is so rewarding," says Nikki Snyder. Nikki loves grammar and enjoys teaching, so volunteering with MSC to teach English was a great way to combine these two passions. While in college, Nikki was a writing tutor and worked with a lot of students who were [...]
The elderly have always held a special place in Joanne Chan's heart. She's put this compassion to good use by volunteering for the Washington State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) operated through Multi-Service Center. For the last three years, Joanne has visited two local long-term care facilities on a weekly basis. She talks with residents [...]
Kaleigh’s first visit to the food bank at MSC was when she was 16 years old. At that time, she was living with her aunt who became injured and unable to work. “It’s hard to come to the food bank, but you have to do what you have to do to survive,” says Kaleigh. Kaleigh [...]
“I’m a budgeter, my husband is not,”says Shamika with a playful smile.Shamika and her husband, Aaron, live in an apartment with their five children, Samuel (17),Darius (16), Zephenia (14) Olyvya (9), and Sebastian(6). They were making ends meet until her husband lost his job. While receiving temporary assistance through Multi-Service Center’s rental assistance program, Shamika [...]
