SEQUIM – In Sequim, the acronym ORCA stands for Our Resilient Community Alliance, a non-profit group that recently opened Summit House for women and children who are experiencing homelessness, crisis or trauma.
Summit House, in the heart of Sequim on Spruce Street, is a 7-bedroom home donated by a local family from the estate of a deceased parent. Managing Director Manny Aybar says the beautiful home has a full house of 7 women and five children in residence, made possible primarily through private donations and the overwhelming generosity of local residents who have stopped by to donate items such as clothes, furniture and canned goods.
“The Sequim community has welcomed us. They have been very very generous, very supporting in what we’re doing and very supporting and assisting us in providing these services. Folks have stepped up. They bring donations to the door. they do donations to our website. They’ve committed to doing ongoing support. We have volunteers. So in just a short amount of time that we’ve been here, we have found that the community has been really welcoming, really supportive and just really attentive to meeting the need of individuals experiencing homelessness.”
Participants also get assistance with training in Job Skills, Renting 101, Budgeting & Finance, Healthy Parenting and other life skills.
On Sunday, July 21, Summit House is hosting a free ice cream social and open house at 405 West Spruce Street from 2:00-4:00, and all are invited to stop by and say hello.
You can find out more about ORCA and Summit House by visiting their website at olympicorca.org/.
Photo from ORCA facebook page.