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On September 21, 2024, the community gathered to celebrate 50 years of our beloved nonprofit, Interfaith Works. The organization has changed and grown throughout the decades while keeping its mission to encourage social justice and peace via interfaith cooperation and understanding. With a rich history of local community impact, 2024 has already been one for the history books as Interfaith Works welcomed a new leadership dynamic and opened Sandy’s Flats, its first permanent, supportive housing development.

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Shared Executive Leadership Model at Interfaith Works

Interfaith Works has a model that allows for workers to take a sabbatical at the 5-, 7- and 10-year mark, to avoid employee burnout. Meg Martin, former executive director, had accrued her months and was ready to take a 6-month rest to refresh. With a start date of January 2024, the she discussed covering her work while she was away with the Interfaith Works coordinators. The result was the permanent shift to a shared executive leadership model, with Meg now being the director of integrative services. Rev. Corey Passons became director of interfaith relations, Ti’eri Lino became director of homeless services and Ivy Ayers became director of administration.

“It’s really given me the opportunity to see how much the organization does on a broader level,” shares Ti’eri. “And being able to support each other through the shared leadership model. I think the goal is it ultimately provides us all with a lot more sustainability in our service to the organization.”

“There’s a lot more sharing of what’s coming on in the various aspects of the organizations,” adds Corey. “So I think what’s going to happen too is that we’re going to be experiencing just more integration between some of the parts – homeless services, interfaith relations and administration – and the work that Meg is doing, they’re all deeply connected through both our history and through our ongoing membership and affiliated organizations. But it’s really cool to see how we’re starting to widen our awareness of the work that’s happening in each of these spheres, and how supportive, even though they might not on a day-to-day basis, overlap, but we’re all part of this organization. We’re all working under the same mission, you know. So it’s really, really cool to appreciate that.”

Interfaith Works newly appointed Directors: Upper left Ivy Ayers, director of administration; upper right, Ti\eri Lino, director of homeless services; lower left, Corey Passons, director of interfaith relations; and lower right, Meg Martin, director of integrative services. Photo courtesy: Interfaith Works

Permanent, Supportive Housing in Olympia: Sandy’s Flat

Another milestone completed in 2024 is the opening of Sandy’s Flat at the former Olympia Inn. Thurston County Department of Commerce approached Interfaith Works in November 2023 when the Olympia Inn came up for sale. “We saw it as a really great opportunity to expand our services,” shares Ti’eri.

Since COVID, Interfaith Works has seen an increase in people needing housing, as well as a stagnation of people being able to move from their shelter, she adds.

outside shot of the Olympia Inn with a fence around it
The Olympia Inn before the Interfaith Works renovation. Photo courtesy: Interfaith Works

The project, funded by Governor Inslee’s Rights-of-Way Safety Initiative, went fast and smoothly. They closed on the property in March 2024, and renovations were done quickly and efficiently, thanks to their close partnership with Walsh Construction, who also worked with Interfaith Works on the Unity Commons project. “We have a good partnership with Walsh Construction,” shares Ti’eri. “Their team was super down to help us get it done quickly.”

Named after Sandra Betz, one of Interfaith Works first residents at their shelter, Sandy’s Flats includes 26-units that are mostly studio apartments with private bathrooms, a small refrigerator and a microwave. There is a common area and a full kitchen as well that are shared by the residents.

Sandy Flats in Olympia is Interfaith Works first permenant, supporting housing development. Photo courtesy: Interfaith Works

Interfaith Works staffs the building and provides ongoing support and wrap-around services for the tenants, who are single adults or couples with no dependents. It’s currently 90% full and they hope to have it 100% by the end of October 2024. “It’s been a pretty great success overall,” share Ti’eri.

“We were honored to be entrusted to do this,” adds Corey. “It’s a big responsibility to be given the opportunity to really oversee a place where someone lives, and we want to build a community there. We want to learn about how our services empower people, but we also need to reflect and see how this goes for us as an organization, and see how it fits with our mission and how our community partners respond to it. Right now, we’re very new into it. We’re just really assessing how things are going, and how they’re going to go and move from there.”

Interfaith Works has also worked hard to include the larger community and be a good neighbor to the businesses and residents near Sandy’s Flats. “We took a community approach with it,” he continues. “We realized that we want our neighbors and businesses in the area to know what we’re doing, what our method is, what our approach is, and we’re trying to stay close to them so we can be good neighbors and be responsive to how things are going.”

Staff celebrating at the Interfaith Works 50th Anniversary Event in September 2024. Photo courtesy: Interfaith Works

Celebrating 50 Years of Interfaith Works

The 50th-anniversary event – labeled a friendraiser – was all about bringing the community together and raising awareness for the important work Interfaith Works does while looking back at the past and the growth the nonprofit has seen.

The event included raffle items and food by Wayside Café. Window Seat Media worked on creating audio history narratives, by interviewing different people associated with Interfaith Works over six months, including the first board president, whose daughter is now the board president. For more information on the history and the future of Interfaith Works, visit the Interfaith Works website. Be sure to check out their upcoming events too, including their Resetting Our Sacred Table event in November.

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