*Thank you to Christ the King Church and Linda Zemler for the playground build project for Baker Place shown above! We never thought it would but the sun has finally come out, and with it has come the peace we all crave that you can only get from nature. At our Gladstone property, you can hear children playing in our playground, our garden volunteers watering and planting, and the calming noises of nature in the nearby wetlands. Because of supporters like you, Lydia Place families and staff have a peaceful place to live and work, both here at Gladstone and across Whatcom County.

Join us in disrupting the cycle of homelessness. Give today!

Handbags for Housing on Sale Now! Tickets are now live for Whatcom County's biggest fashion event! Over 600 fashionistas will descend onto the Barkley Village Green on June 7th for our 6th annual Handbags for Housing! You'll enjoy our signature handbag bazaar, live and silent auctions, beauty bar, cocktails, appetizers, and more! Sponsored by the Whatcom County Association of Realtors, Labels, and Barkley Village, this is sure to be our biggest and best year yet. Join us down the rabbit hole for this year's Alice in Wonderland themed Handbags for Housing!

Tickets are almost sold out for The Vagina Monologues! A local take on the famous Eve Ensler production, all three performances will feature members of our community sharing universal stories of hope, courage, and self-love. This series benefits Lydia Place programs and services, with tickets being just $25. Get yours before they're gone!

PAT is Reducing Child Abuse April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and we are so thrilled to share new research about our Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program. Published in the Child Abuse & Neglect, The International Journal, PAT has proven to reduce child abuse by 22%! PAT is a nationwide program, and we are proud to be an affiliate and reduce child abuse in our own community. Read more about PAT here .

Mother Earth Thanks You! This past Earth Day, Lydia Place volunteers showed Mother Earth some love at two of our locations--Bell Tower and Wise Buys! Our volunteers cleaned, weeded, and planted to make our community a little brighter! Thank you for loving on Lydia Place and our planet! Interested in doing an outdoor service project this summer? Email Volunteer Coordinator Lindsey Vis at lindseyv@lydiaplace.org today!

We Saw Pink! Thank you to the over 100 people who dined and danced at our Seeing PINK event at Ciao Thyme Commons! The room was covered with pink lights from Sensebellum and balloons from Spruce, sweets were aplenty from Saltadena and BIJA Chocolates, and Rumba Northwest taught us how to set the dance floor on fire! Huge thank you to Boundary Bay, Haggen, and Treveri Cellars for providing the drinks! And most importantly, thank you to Ben Kinney Companies for sponsoring this event and making it possible!

Furniture + Children's Clothes Donations Our community is so generous with their donations--almost too generous! We have outgrown our capacity to accept furniture and children's clothing donations at our facilities. However, you can still support Lydia Place families with these! Please donate furniture to Habitat for Humanity and children's clothing to Little Bugs , and when you do, say it's for Lydia Place--they'll put your donation on our account, and our families can shop there for items they need!

Get inspired with this impact story courtesy of Supportive Services Case Manager Jean Farina. Prior to becoming Lydia Place clients, Christie, Jake, and their 4-year-old son Brian had been homeless off and on for 3 years. While their experience in homelessness impacted them all, little Brian particularly felt the impact experiencing homelessness had on his overall well-being and sense of stability. After becoming housed through the Lydia Place Supportive Services Program, Christie and Jake began to receive intensive case management, and with the support of their case manager, decided to enroll Brian in our Parents as Teachers program. It became clear to Christie and Jake that Brian was struggling with some trauma from experiencing homelessness as a young boy, as he was having difficulty in a traditional classroom setting at school. Both parents worked with their Case Manager and Parent Educator to get Brian signed up for counseling to heal from this trauma, and enrolled him in an alternative school. Brian has been a student at his new school since February and has begun to thrive both socially and academically in this new environment. Receiving a home of their own allowed Brian’s parents to focus on these crucial years of development for him. This stability also prompted Brian’s father Jake to pick up on the education goals he had to place on hold during their homelessness, and he will now be graduating with his degree in Accounting this fall. Christie, Jake, and Brian are an incredible example of the resilience so many of our clients have, as well as the opportunities, growth, and peace Lydia Place families experience after finally having a place to call home. Congratulations Christie, Jake, and Brian and your road to a stable and bright future!

Check out these events and articles from our community!

A recent study reports that there were a record number of homeless people who died in King County in 2017. This number is climbing at an alarming rate. Read this and more from Project Homeless. Learn more

Shultzie Willows is just getting started! Thank you WhatcomTalk on the great feature on our Community Engagement Director! Visit their website to learn more about Shultzie! Read On

Nearly 700,000 children experience abuse every year. For National Child Abuse Prevention Month, learn what you can do to help the youngest of our community. More Details

Welcome Rita Thames! We are so thrilled to welcome Rita Thames to the Wise Buys team as our new Volunteer and Operations Coordinator! Rita has an amazing background in retail, and will be a great support for our store manager and volunteers! Make sure to say "welcome!" next time you're in Wise Buys! Psst...join our Wise Buys volunteer team and work with Rita and Nancy! Sign up here .

Join Us at the Spring Wine Walk! Wise Buys is one of the twenty stops on this May's Downtown Wine Walk! We'll be pouring wines from Scarlet Oak Barrels in the store, plus in-store specials and surprises! From 5:30-9pm on May 11, this is a great way to start Mother's Day Weekend. This event is sure to sell out, so make sure to get your ticket before it's too late!

These days, climate change is on everyone’s mind. It’s a big challenge. But the good news is we can tackle it from all sides, even with the energy we use every day. Whether you’re a renter or homeowner, using renewable energy is within reach when you enroll in one of PSE’s renewable programs. There is nothing to install or maintain. You simply pay a bit more each month and the power you use is matched with renewable energy added to the grid on your behalf. This green power is made right here in the Pacific Northwest. It’s independent, low carbon and starts at just $4 more per month. It’s a powerful choice, just for pennies a day.

We are so thrilled to be part of the Powerful Partnership program of Puget Sound Energy! They have partnered with 24 non-profits in their service area to help families in need and protect the environment. Thank you PSE! Please join us in thanking all of the individuals and businesses who have recently given to support the programs and services of Lydia Place:

Amy Johnson | Angela Huxtable | Ann Lackland | Ashley Snyder | BP Foundation | Brian Kennemer Britney Frey | Carla Lee | Chameleon Ink | Charlotte Pros | Cheryl Buck Inc. | Cleo Schacker David Beaumier | Debbie Parker | Dick Bedlingtom Family Foundation | Drew Betz | Erin Baras glassybaby White Light Fund | Gregory Schwartz | Harbor Lands LP | Heather Michel | Ingrid Foik Jean Barnette | Jeevaka Attygalla | Jeffery Tom | Jennifer Dodge | Karen & Richard Clark | Karen King Kari Severens | Karla Slusher | Kathleen McQuaide | Kimbra Miller | Lisa Heezen Lummi Indian Business Council | Lummi Island Congregational Church | Lynne & Dan Stoner Martha Barlett | Melanie Pysden | Michael & Mary Brunt | Network for Good | Nina Nancarrow Olivia Burkland | Patti Morgan | Ray & Sally Poorman | Renie Hill | Robert Ball | Robin Smiley Ryan Thramer | Sage Bishop | Sonja Lee | St. Paul's Episcopal Church | Sterling Rentals | Steve James Susan Palmer | Suzanna Gusukuma | Teresa Morris | Tom Laughlin | Tony Casale | Truist United Church of Ferndale | Vanderpol Realty | Western Business Class 491 Whatcom Community Foundation | Whole Foods Market

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ENJOY 50% OFF ANY ITEM WISE BUYS THRIFT STORE | 1224 N STATE ST TUES THRU SAT 10AM-5PM | 360.734.0202 EXPIRES 5/31/18 CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER DISCOUNTS. MUST PRESENT COUPON AT TIME OF PURCHASE. NO CASH VALUE.