In This Together

We want to thank you again for your support of TR. Your kindness has helped us provide services to those in our community living with serious mental illness. Over the years, we have been able to provide hundreds of thousands of days of safety and dignity to people in need, and even expand our behavioral health services and housing to reach more people.  Our work has become increasingly critical in the past several years as the issues of behavioral health, healthcare, and housing become more prevalent, and the COVID-19 crisis we are facing now is no exception.

The uncertainty swiftly brought by the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many lives in a short amount of time. The potential gaps in services and funding are a very real threat for many nonprofits, and like many others right now, we have been doing our best to cope with the uncertainty of the future while continuing to serve our clients without disruption.

This situation has also brought major concerns to our own community—people who have experienced homelessness are at especially high risk of developing severe illnesses and health complications throughout their lives. The vast majority of the people we serve are formerly homeless individuals. Many of our clients live on a fixed income or assistance, making it difficult for them to prepare for an emergency and a stay at home order like the one we are currently experiencing. We are now facing what could be our greatest challenge in years.

• Interruption of our funding. With funds across the state being diverted to emergency services as well as our fundraising events being postponed, we are looking at a potential gap in our funds that we rely on to provide our services and fund any additional needs that may come up during this time.
• Additional costs for our agency. Additional cleaning protocols, increased staffing costs, and extra medical and hygiene supplies are just some of the increasing costs we have right now.
• The health and well-being of our clients. Our clients are medically and financially vulnerable to this disease. Many are in high-risk groups for this virus, either because of underlying health conditions or because they are working in essential service industry jobs. All are financially limited. The uncertainty and stress brought by these circumstances as well as isolation and limited social support can exacerbate symptoms of mental illness.
• Our upcoming Yancy Street Project is scheduled to begin this spring. These new units will still need furnishings and additional costs for cleaning, maintenance, and utilities, so we can continue to get more people off the streets and access to essential health services.

So, how can you help?

There are several critical things you can do to help us get through this unprecedented time.

• Help us raise critical funds through GiveBIG, happening April 15 – May 6. This annual community giving day has become a major part of our annual fundraising, and we need your support more than ever this year. We also have a $4,500 matching fund (and counting!) this year from our Board of Directors and our friends at Verity Credit Union so your impact can go further!
• Make a virtual toast to TR! Our 3rd annual Toast to TR is moving online, and we invite you to record a video (see our kick off toast from our CEO below!) or write a social media post and raise a glass of the beverage of your choice and tell us what you love about TR. We are looking for videos and post to feature on our own website, so if you are interested in being featured, contact our Development Coordinator at kristenj@transitionalresources.org
• Make an in-kind gift from our Amazon wishlist. We are stocking our list with supplies for the agency, as well as practical and recreational items to help our clients stay healthy and practice social distancing. These items, along with financial support, can help us overcome the costs of additional health and sanitation practices, increased staffing, and other unexpected costs to the agency.

Please continue to take care of yourself and those around you. We know that times are tough for everyone right now, and we want to remind everyone of the importance of community. We see it each and every day at TR, and it is true now more than ever–we are in this together.

Here are the toasts we have so far…

Previous Updates:

Update regarding our Spring Event and COVID-19:

We at Transitional Resources take the health and well-being of our clients, staff, and community very seriously. We have been monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19, or coronavirus, in the region closely and are following guidelines and updates as released by King County Department of Public Health, the Governor’s Office, and the CDC.

After much discussion, we have cancelled our planned April 29 spring event and fundraiser at Fran’s Chocolates. In the face of this outbreak, we will need the support of our local community more than ever, and our goal is to create a safe environment for those who wish to support TR during this time.

In lieu of an in-person gathering, we have decided to shift to an online fundraising event and will host A Virtual Toast to TR. Please continue to check this page for further updates and announcements regarding this new structure, as well as more details on how you can participate.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Development Coordinator at kristenj@transitionalresources.org.

We thank you for your patience, understanding, and support during this time.

Transitional Resources