Community Service Spotlight
Editor’s Note: There are over 100 organizations in Whatcom County
working to provide supportive services to those experiencing chronic poverty and
its associated eff ects: addiction, homelessness, incarceration, mental illness, and unemployment.
We have contacted the organization appearing in this column and asked them to explain their mission.
by Sara O’Connor and Lorelei Bowers
For the last four years, Bridge 2 Services has been serving the unhoused community throughout Whatcom County. A program of Ferndale Community Services, the mission of Bridge 2 Services is “people helping people,” connecting those who wish to serve to those who need a hand up. Our mission helps us remember this important fact: We are all people. We all struggle at times. We all feel the weight of life’s responsibilities. And, we all have something to give one another.
Often, we hear people say, in reference to our unhoused neighbors, “Can’t they just get a job? Can’t they just find a place to live?” It seems simple enough. Just make a good decision, make the right choice to move out of the tent or RV. But, the realities are complicated. We see individuals who are working and still can’t afford housing. We see people whose lives have been impacted by illness, injury, death of a loved one, rent increases, a rental property being sold, mental illness, addiction, domestic violence. There are literally a hundred reasons for homelessness. But, there are two main barriers right now: not enough affordable housing and not enough support.
Imagine
Imagine you’ve lived in the same place for the last 10 years. Rent has increased but you’ve made it work, walking a tight line month to month. Maybe you are close to retirement years, getting older. Now your landlord sells the property, and you are forced to move. Not only do you likely face higher rent, but you have to make three times rent to qualify, and you have to come up with first, last and deposit, too. The applications are complicated and competitive, the credit check scares you — your credit isn’t great. Maybe you have a conviction in your past. If you’ve had an eviction, it’s going to be nearly impossible. This is a common reality working people face that sometimes leads to them living in a car, RV, or tent.
Imagine you are currently homeless and struggling with a severe mental illness and addiction. You want treatment, and someone helps you sign up and explore your options. You go to treatment for three months, and your case manager gets you on several waitlists for housing, but you know that, when treatment ends, you’ll be back in your tent because the wait time for housing is a minimum of a year. Imagine trying to stay clean, finding work, and showing up every day when your shelter is a tent. You got connected to mental health and ongoing treatment support while detoxing, but there’s a three-month wait for your first appointment with your counselor, and your medical assisted treatment requires insurance and you can’t start until your documents are in order.
It’s not hard to see how people feel hopeless, how they get stuck.
Hope Blossoms
But there are so many bright spots too. Transitional housing programs like tiny homes assist in overcoming some of obstacles once a person says yes to change. They have a stable place to sleep in safety while they work toward goals and wait for housing to become available. Street medical teams are helping those experiencing medical issues, bringing nursing services to people instead of expecting them to make it to a clinic.
Since the fall of 2023, various service providers have been joining us at our visits to camps, RVs, and sites where people dwell in vehicles. More and more agencies are adding outreach positions, and, when we team up, we do so much more — bringing services to people where they are.
There is also a real sense of community among unhoused individuals. Some of the camps that get talked about negatively also have organized work parties to clean up regularly, codes of conduct for behavior, and caring individuals who help each other out. We see art being made. We hear music coming from instruments. We see enterprising people turning their energy toward making items that will bring in a few bucks. Even in these less-than-ideal conditions, hope blossoms.
And volunteers — volunteers are making huge impacts. They give, care and serve without expecting to get, driven by an inner motivation that surpasses the boundaries systems place on us. No matter the struggle they are reaching out and showing up. No matter the tense topic they are there advocating for, the voice of lived experiences are included in discussions. No matter the judgments that come from many directions, one step is being placed in front of the other, slowly meandering through barriers. No matter the tight budget, they are donating supplies to be given as needed.
Loving Energy
Community is the energy moving Bridge 2 Services. We are all people. We all have something to give each other. A smile, a bottle of water, a piece of information that helps connections, some of our precious time, a hot meal, a word of wisdom. In our work, we visit people where they are and we provide something for them — maybe a sleeping bag or a piece of clothing. Every time we make a connection, it is an act of love. Every time a volunteer interacts with an unhoused person, it’s an act of love. Every time one of our partners shows up to an outreach event, it’s an act of love.
These acts accumulate and are felt by the people we serve. Eventually, they realize that we care and want to help, and they get vulnerable and let us know they want help. Our goal is to be there in the moment when they feel that vulnerability. To assist them in getting connected to the provider that can take them to the next step. And, when it doesn’t work out, we stick around. We know that people might try and try and try, and we are here for all the trying, not giving up, not placing judgement, just staying present.
There are lots of ways to get involved. Volunteers serve at outreach events, deliver and collect supplies, volunteer at our severe weather shelter, donate, support food distribution, and more. To learn more about what we do, see what we are up to, donate, or volunteer, visit www.ferndalecs.org/bridge-2-services.
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Lorelei Bowers has been serving the community for years, most recently founding Bridge 2 Services and supporting unhoused individuals and families in Whatcom County. Lorelei focuses on connecting people, creating opportunities to give and receive services. She enjoys time in nature and being with her family.
Sara O’Connor grew up in Ferndale and is honored to serve her hometown community. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Portland State University and has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years. She has served as a teacher, program developer, and nonprofit manager. Her passions include community organizing, gardening, and spending time with her dogs.
