Olympia recognizes Interfaith Works' 50 years of community service 

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, the Olympia City Council recognized and celebrated Interfaith Works for its 50 years of dedication to promoting human dignity and peace through interfaith understanding and collaboration.  

The city council issued a proclamation, highlighting the organization's legacy of "promoting interfaith understanding and collaboration in the community through social justice, community support, and educational endeavors." 

"For half a century, Interfaith Works has been a pillar of compassion, justice, and collaboration in the Olympia community and Thurston County, tirelessly advocating for the dignity of all people regardless of faith, background, or circumstance," stated the proclamation.  

Interfaith Works provides critical services to Olympia's most vulnerable residents, including shelter, advocacy, and essential resources for individuals experiencing homelessness, poverty, and social isolation. 

Interfaith Works is a coalition of over 30 faith and spiritual communities. It operates a 24/7 shelter at Unity Commons, Sergio's – a daytime resource center open six days a week, and Sandy's Flats – a newly opened supportive housing program in the old Olympia Inn.  

Meg Martin, Interfaith Works' executive director, expressed gratitude for the city's recognition. She thanked the faith and spiritual communities, 84 employees who work 24/7 to make services available, and hundreds of volunteers and donors who give time, money, and support to their work.  

Martin recounted the challenges the organization has faced over the years, including strong community opposition to transitioning its volunteer-run women's shelter into an all-gender facility year-round. This came after the city council had adopted the camping ban ordinance in January 2013.

"Our community was steeped in the belief that while some people experiencing homelessness deserved help, most of them were being spoken about at that time as dangerous drug addicts, sex offenders, and felons who were coming into our community from the outside to make everything less safe, especially for children."  

She emphasized, however, Interfaith Works' commitment to addressing divisive topics and advocating for humane, dignified options for those experiencing homelessness.  

Martin also mentioned a friend, Derrick "Dudeman" McDougal, who took his own life in 2013 after being excluded from resources due to an exclusion order. Martin used this tragic example to highlight the impact of isolation on mental health and the importance of implementing compassionate policies. 

Martin noted that in 2013, the point-in-time (PIT) count recorded 230 unsheltered individuals and 664 total people experiencing homelessness.  

Over the past 11 years, Martin said the community has seen changes in terms of investment in solutions to reduce homelessness. But the total homeless population has continued to rise, reaching 417 unsheltered and 864 total in January 2024.  

Martin cautioned against restrictive policies, arguing that a more humane, solutions-focused approach is needed to address the complex issue of homelessness.  

"What metric will you use to determine whether the further restriction of movement and criminalization of homelessness will increase the likelihood of positive outcomes for our shared goal, that people will be safely housed and cared for, and that our community as a whole will be better off?" Martin concluded.  

Interfaith Works will be celebrating its 50th anniversary at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 4 p.m.