DESC

We were honored to join the Homeless Remembrance Project on Monday for a Leaves of Remembrance dedication at Hobson Place.

Together, we honored five beloved members of our community and bore witness to their lives:

❤️ Dominic Sweet, 1990–2023
❤️ Joe Hlupheka Bayana, 1962–2023
❤️ John Stamey, 1973–2024
❤️ Kara Laughlin, 1987–2024
❤️ Zanza Prescott, 1961–2025

Leaves of Remembrance are engraved with the names of people who experienced homelessness and have died, creating a lasting place for each person to be remembered. Learn more: fallenleaves.org

About the Homeless Remembrance Project:

“The Homeless Remembrance Project grew out of the Women in Black vigils. Women in Black silently stand vigil, dressed in black, to honor the lives of homeless individuals who have died outside or by violence while living in Seattle. In doing so, we draw attention to the crisis facing so many in our community, and create a physical space of remembrance, where homeless and housed people can come together to recognize those lost.”

Learn more: homelessremembrance.org

Birch Grove - AIA Washington Council Birch Grove, Seattle, WA Merit Award 2026 AIA/WA Civic Design Awards Client: DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) Firm: SMR Architects Photos: William P. Wright, William Wright Photography Gallery

Hear updates on DESC's Opioid Recovery & Care Access (ORCA) Center 1-year anniversary, our Stability Through Access & Resources (STAR) Center, and how cuts to federal funding will affect homelessness providers' work across the U.S. in the latest episode of the Seattle Nice podcast!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Uuwrcj0EmkOBjPtgE9ZOo?si=JF-jF6nkSAqzb1_z6qyLnw&utm_source=copy-link

ORCAs, STARs, and Trump's Baleful Eye: the State of Seattle's Homelessness Services Seattle Nice · Episode

It was wonderful to see Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal at DESC's Canaday House yesterday!

Congresswoman Jayapal rode along for a Meals on Wheels America delivery to our permanent supporting housing location in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle, and met with our clients and staff.

Thank you to Congresswoman Jayapal and Meals on Wheels for your continued partnership, support for our work, and care for our clients!

“I don’t think it exists anywhere else in the Unites States so this is really very novel work on a national basis,” said Jon Ehrenfeld, mobile integrated health program manager at Seattle Fire Department, of DESC's Opioid Recovery & Care Access (ORCA) Center.

In its first year of opening, the ORCA Center has helped more than 500 people post overdose and connected nearly 800 people on medication for opioid use disorder.

The ORCA Center has also been helping firefighters and EMTs experience less burnout: “feeling that if they send someone to the ORCA Center they’re much more likely to have a net positive outcome.”

Learn more in this KUOW Public Radio article: https://www.kuow.org/health-care/2026-09-01/seattles-overdose-recovery-center-connects-hundreds-to-medication-in-first-year

Our amazing photographer Tosin Arasi is up for a major photo award from America's Favorite Photos!

All the wonderful photos you see from DESC's grand opening events, apartment adoptions, and fundraisers are taken by Tosin!

By voting for his photo, you not only show support for his work, but also for DESC — if he wins, we receive a large donation!

Learn more about the meaning behind this gorgeous photo and vote for it here! https://americasfavoritephotos.com/v/gwfsgk

Have you gotten your ticket for DESC's annual fundraising event, Gimme Shelter, yet? 🎶

Taking place October 23, we're starting the evening with an insightful program spotlight focusing on our clients' unique journeys.

Then, we'll dance the night away with a lively concert by local legends The Dusty 45s and Lady A — all the while being surrounded by those dedicated to ending homelessness.

Join us at the Reverie Ballroom & Events next month to hear live music and inspiring stories, and support lifesaving work: https://secure.givelively.org/event/downtown-emergency-service-center/gimme-shelter-2026

Today marks one year of our Opioid Recovery & Care Access (ORCA) Center — a welcoming place that not only provides compassionate care after an overdose but also provides pathways to treatment.

In one year, the ORCA program — consisting of both the physical center and the ORCA Patient Outreach Division (POD), a mobile outreach team providing treatment and care in the community — has:

💚 Provided care through more than 10,000 encounters
💚Provided care to more than 500 people following an overdose
💚Started nearly 800 people on medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD)
💚Started more than 400 people on long-acting injectable (LAI) buprenorphine

And this is just the beginning! The ORCA program's proven, person-centered model provides a strong foundation for continued progress in supporting people struggling with opioid use disorder and reducing overdose deaths in King County.

Read more in our latest blog:

One Year of ORCA: How this innovative program is changing opioid use disorder response and care The ORCA Center is transforming not only how we care for people post overdose, but also how our city responds to the opioid crisis among people experiencing homelessness.

Thank you to everyone who made our second Overdose Awareness and Remembrance Day event a success!

Together, we honored those we've lost to overdose, shared resources and supplies, and heard from those with lived experience of substance use disorder and homelessness. The community also enjoyed free haircuts and artwork created by overdose survivors and neighbors!

Thank you to all our community partners for helping organize such a meaningful celebration and gathering space. 💜

Evergreen Treatment Services | The People's Harm Reduction Alliance