At our October 23, 2023 Rotary Club of La Conner meeting, president Connie presented a grant check to Marcus Rosecamp for Camp Kirby ping-pong table.
Dustin Johnson – Executive Director of Anacortes Family Center (AFC) described the AFC and the History of Homelessness in his program. AFC’s solution starts with a rental assistance program, and as inventory is added, such as the new building complex, these families and single members are provided housing. The AFC community outreach program partners with the Police Department and Parks to provide engagement and referrals to services for homelessness, domestic violence, mental health, and chemical dependency
The mission of AFC is to serve homeless women, children, and families in crisis by providing shelter in addition to comprehensive and transformational services to achieve long-lasting personal success and self-sufficiency. AFC’s unique approach has led to the distinction of being one of the most successful shelters in the state at helping clients achieve self-sufficiency.
Thank you so much Dustin for the outstanding program!
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Our guests were guest speaker Dustin Johnson from Anacortes Family Center and also Marcus Rosecamp, Executive Director Camp Fire, Samish.
President Connie welcomed Marcus Rosecamp to the podium to present to the Camp Fire and Camp Kirby a grant check for the purchase of a new ping-pong table for the main lobby where many campers spend their time playing games and socializing. Marcus thanked the Rotary Club for their generosity and shared a little more about Camp Kirby.
The Camp has been growing and hosted a lot more children/campers in the use of day programs and overnight campers. They hosted 975 campers over 7 weeks this summer, with a focus on outdoor education. 14 different school groups took advantage of the camp. Thank you, Rotarians!
Our guest speaker was Dustin Johnson – Executive Director of Anacortes Family Center and the History of Homelessness Program. Dustin is a seasoned nonprofit executive, fundraiser, and consultant with nearly two decades of management experience. His specialization is in engineering growth: maximizing service capacity, and creating well-designed and effective programs, while maintaining a healthy balance sheet. The most recent project that Dustin championed was the funding, planning, and ribbon cutting of AFC’s largest project to date - The Landing! The Landing consists of 21 apartments for low- and very low-income households (30-50% of area median income) and a first-floor licensed early learning center for up to 40 three- to five-year-olds. This $6.5 million project (started at the height of COVID) was made possible thanks to a voter-approved ballot measure for affordable housing, a direct appropriation from our state’s capital budget, gifts from the City and County, as well as private gifts totaling over $1 million. This project ran concurrently with the construction of our new Administrative Building — just one block away. What a tremendously challenging yet rewarding set of projects to lead.
Anacortes Family Center (AFC) is community support driven. They have an annual budget of nearly $1 million/year (not including capital). 90% is entirely funded through the community via fundraising and donations. Construction of 4/5 AFC buildings is funded through community generosity. 100% of the AFC administrative hub was donated. The community support helps those from Fidalgo Island & Skagit County. 83% of the families going through the program graduated successfully from the emergency shelter. The factors in the success rate are limited housing availability (0% vacancy) and limited new housing. AFC’s solution starts with a rental assistance program, and as inventory is added, such as the new building complex, these families and single members are provided housing. In 2021 the need has grown due to domestic violence as one cause of homelessness. 82% of the people assisted have experienced domestic violence with 32% currently fleeing domestic violence. AFC has one hundred twenty-seven individual clients, forty-six households and sixty-six children.
The AFC community outreach program is a partnership between the AFC, the Police Department, and Parks. Together they provide engagement and referrals to services for homelessness, domestic violence, mental health, and chemical dependency. Support outreach activities primarily reach out on T Avenue. The services provided are shelter, housing applications, ID/Social Security cards, food and personal hygiene supplies, referral to mental health and chemical dependency, and arranging doctor appointments. The new programs offered are increased mental health support, new affordable housing & rent support, new service hub “A Simple Gesture” as well as Skagit Legal Aid, and an early learning center partnership (Boy’s & Girl’s Club).
AFC works to understand homelessness. Out of 44,000 people and 1800 households, 37% of households pay more than 1/3 of their income. Hospitalization costs associated with children’s homelessness total $238 million, where $106 million are children from the age of 1-4, and $132 million less than 12 months old. The majority of homelessness involves families, female heads of households, under the age of 30, and members of a minority population. 48% have been homeless for less than 1 year. More families are homeless now than during the Great Depression. On the hierarchy of needs, the top of the pyramid is self-actualization, esteem, love/belonging, safety, and physiological.
The board approved a grant request for $2500 for educational programs at the Anacortes Family Center.