Seeking affordable housing assistance, addiction recovery services and mental health providers can feel overwhelming and even stigmatizing. And often the barriers are more significant if you don’t know where to look, lack financial resources, are in a disparately impacted community or want to talk to someone who has a life experience like yours. That’s why Peer Olympia’s service model is grounded in reducing barriers through emotional support and development assistance by peers who have experienced these challenges first-hand and now connect people with local resources.
“I just love the organization and how we have structured our services,” says Hana Klimek, Peer Olympia program manager. “Our staff have lived these experiences.”
Peer Olympia works with local organizations and providers including key partner South Sound YMCA to connect individuals to services and ensure they have the resources necessary to thrive.
Peer Olympia Serves Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor and Lewis Counties Through Compassionate Peer-Driven Support That ‘Pays it Forward’
Site Director Stephanie Tompkins says Peer Olympia opened in 2021 to serve Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor and Lewis counties. Peer Olympia’s core services offer no-cost peer coaching, support groups, a front desk resource and referrals, assistance with navigating supportive housing, and resources in setting employment goals.

Peer Olympia also is committed to maintaining a safe space for participants (members) who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming or other sexual minorities. And Peer Olympia has a special focus on active military, veterans, people experiencing homelessness and rural communities.
Volunteers operate the programs with staff support. Tompkins says they have 80 to 90 volunteers at any time, with 40 peer coaches and about 900 volunteer hours given monthly. Javier Mendez is one of those volunteers. As a member who accessed Peer Olympia’s services, he now supports others as a peer resource. “I have been able to pay it forward as a volunteer, and a co-facilitator at times,” Mendez says.
“Our services are all based on lived experiences,” adds Bri McNeley, Peer Olympia program manager. “For our CEO, staff, and volunteers, that’s a requirement. Because of that, we are able to respond and adapt to community needs.”

How Peer Olympia’s Volunteers Connect People to Local Services from Downtown Olympia
Peer Olympia is not a crisis center or a day center but is a team connecting people with local service providers and providing space for that to happen. Peer Olympia’s front desk volunteers can direct members to resources and assist in obtaining referrals if they want assistance. “They can walk in, and we do a member intake,” says McNeley. “It’s self-directed. They have to want the services.” Klimek adds that members define their own recovery path. “One member said, this place is what you make of it,” she says.
Peer Olympia’s downtown facility has rooms for individual coaching, meetings and gatherings including training sessions. In 2023, Peer Olympia served 678 individuals, including 230 through supportive housing and employment activities, 151 as peer coaching participants, plus 34 support groups. The volunteer-facilitated support groups discuss addiction recovery, domestic violence, parenting, human trafficking, brain injuries, autism and ADHD, grief, cancer and more.
Affordable housing is a big issue for Peer Olympia’s members. “The hardest thing in Thurston County is housing, and housing dollars,” Tompkins says. “There are not enough to go around. Families are struggling.”
“And as a member of the community, finding housing is one thing, but having some place to help you and fall back on is important,” adds Mendez. “It’s been very difficult for everybody these last couple of years.” Klimek describes that while Peer Olympia does not fund housing, it does have partnerships with housing services. “We show up,” Klimek explains of Peer Olympia’s approach to standing shoulder to shoulder with members seeking housing. “We are here for the long haul. Our staff have lived these experiences.”

Peer Olympia Offers Free Training for Local Providers and Families
Peer Olympia also responds to critical community needs by offering its peers’ expertise through free training sessions such as the nationally certified Recovery Coach Academy program. “Groups come to us from the community,” says Tompkins. “We do facilitator training. We support them.” Tompkins adds that they train at their Olympia site or in rural areas. “We want to give peers in the community the tools they need,” Tompkins explains. And through its Family Navigator program, Peer Olympia trains families who have a loved one with a behavioral health condition, teaching them to work with other families struggling through these same issues.
Peer Olympia is open year-round and is one of Peer Washington’s four sites providing peer-driven support to people impacted by challenges including addiction, mental health, HIV/AIDS and more. For information on Peer Olympia’s support groups, drop-in times, events, training and other services, contact them or visit the website.
Peer Olympia
522 Franklin St. SE, Olympia
360.522.9060