Solid Ground’s Broadview Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing program staff and residents send a heartfelt shoutout to all of the partner agencies who helped make their summer 2020 an unforgettable one through activities for the children and families living at Broadview.

Broadview provides a safe, supportive, and culturally diverse environment with 24-hour services for parents and their children who are experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence. We help families meet their immediate basic needs for shelter and safety while supporting them to move forward on their goals. Our team of housing counselors, child advocates, specialized service providers, and volunteers assist residents in their efforts to enhance their self-sufficiency, increase family stability, and secure permanent housing.

In the best of times, all families who stay at Broadview are going through enormously stressful times in their lives – and our specialized children’s services help young people restore a sense of safety, normalcy, and structure so that they can heal and thrive. The summer activity opportunities our partners made possible during this extra stressful summer helped create safe environments for youth that were extra fun, too.

The Assistance League, whose mission is to transform children’s lives through community programs, awarded six Broadview children summer camp scholarships to the camp of their choice. These scholarships provided the means for them to attend camps both in person and virtually. The kids were able to attend camps and participate in activities that they would otherwise have missed.

The YMCA aims to build a community where all individuals, especially kids, are encouraged to develop their fullest potential in spirit, mind, and body. The Y graciously provided 10 scholarships to Broadview families to attend multiple day and overnight Family Camps. Families attended both Camp Colman and Camp Orkila, and we received rave reviews when families returned from the camps. It was a great time for parents to bond with their children and experience new activities together. Not only did they offer full scholarships, they also provided transportation to and from the camps, as well as necessary gear like sleeping bags.

Skate Like a Girl believes in inclusive community by promoting confidence, leadership, and social justice through skateboarding. They held a social distancing skateboard class in a local park for seven children staying at Broadview, providing skateboards and helmets to each child who participated. The kids loved the class and now carry the skateboards with them wherever they go!

Seattle Parks and Recreation provided full summer camp scholarships for children at Broadview. The children attended camp at a local community center and had a blast!

Thank you Assistance League, YMCA, Skate Like a Girl, and Seattle Parks and Recreation for giving Broadview children and families the opportunity to attend camps both in person and virtually, allowing residents the time and space to relax, enjoy themselves, and experience new activities. As poet Maya Angelou once wrote, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Each partner helped to bring a sense of normalcy and good memories during a difficult summer for the kids.