Finding a voice and support at Women’s Hearth

Being unhoused doesn’t make you less of a person — that’s the lesson Transitions in Spokane wants to spread.

“Everyone has a story, and it’s not our place to judge where they’re at in their journey,” says Jessica Burke (she/her), Transitions development director.

Transitions is a Spokane-based nonprofit working to end poverty and homelessness for women and children through six programs: Women’s Hearth, Transitional Living Center, EduCare, Miryam’s House, New Leaf Kitchen and Café, and Home Yard Cottages.

Their low-barrier day center, Women’s Hearth, is located in the heart of downtown Spokane (920 W. Second Ave.) and provides respite, soft skills education, case management and general hygiene access to women or anyone who identifies as female or nonbinary, explains Angela Amos (they/them), Women’s Hearth program director.

Securing housing and helping women develop skills to aid in their recovery and long-term stability is the goal for Transitions program participants — but the Women’s Hearth day center is there to meet them wherever they may be in that journey.

The care they need

Women’s Hearth was founded in 1991 by Sister Cathy Beckley, a nun from one of Transitions’ five founding religious communities. In recovery herself, Sister Beckley began meeting with women experiencing homelessness in the area and asking what they needed, Amos explains.

Those needs expanded as the local homeless population grew. As of the 2023 Spokane Point in Time Count, there were 806 female-identifying unhoused individuals in the city. On average, about 45 of those women visit Women’s Hearth daily, with more visits during the coldest months, Amos says.

 “We’re all one or two disasters away from being unhoused ourselves.”

The center provides a warm spot in the winter, escape from heat in the summer and showers year-round. The hygiene closet offers undergarments, menstrual productsdeodorant and sunscreen, among other items. Case managers are available to assist with applications for bus passes, licenses and Social Security as well as referrals for housing. There are also monthly support groups and classes.

For many women, especially those recently incarcerated, navigating these systems can be challenging, Amos says. This can have a ripple effect on the rest of their lives.

“When people have been incarcerated for any amount of time, the technology of what the internet can do is huge,” they say. “At Women’s Hearth, they can get computer time with a staff member who helps them navigate the web and look for whatever they need.”

Finding her voice

Kebby was one of those women who needed help navigating a new world post-incarceration. She shared her story in a video retelling of her autobiography, “One Woman’s Struggle,” during Transitions’ 2023 People Who Care fundraiser.

Kebby served 13 years in prison for crimes committed while in an abusive relationship. She gave birth to her daughter the first year, but had to place her in foster care because her family couldn’t care for the newborn.

Reeling with emotions from imprisonment and losing her child, Kebby began getting into confrontations with guards and spent nine years in solitary confinement.

Once released on parole, she was transferred to a shelter, but they didn’t have space for her. With no friends or family to reach out to, Kebby lived on the street the next five months. It took her three months to get identification, which also meant she couldn’t obtain food stamps or a job.

Through the help of community programs, she escaped an abusive marriage and made her way to Spokane in 2017, where she found Women’s Hearth.

“I don’t think I’ve been heard a lot in my life. Even though I found my voice, nobody was listening,” Kebby says. “If you don’t speak up, nobody knows. So, you have to have a voice in order to get the help you need … in order to get stability in your life.”

Stories like Kebby’s are why Transitions listens directly to their participants through the Participant Advisory Committee, which meets monthly to share feedback on programs and needs and suggest improvements to the board.

“This center was created with participants, not as a top-down organization,” Amos says. “We understand that people come from all backgrounds, and trauma can change us in very real and lasting ways. They’re the experts on themselves and they tell us what they need.”

Changing misconceptions

Outside of providing care and services to Spokane’s unhoused women, Transitions is also working to change community perceptions and spread knowledge.

“We’re all one or two financial disasters away from being unhoused ourselves,” Amos says.

The difference can come down to your support system, Burke adds.

“In times of my life where I’ve been on that verge, I had a strong support system behind me because I had healthy relationships and friends who were in positions that could help me,” she says. “Not everyone has that.”

One common misconception is that people are unhoused because they’re lazy, Amos says. Homelessness is a traumatizing event, and it takes a lot to survive and stay safe. Many people also believe everyone who is unhoused has a substance use or mental health disorder.

The common denominator for all their participants is trauma, Burke says. Whether that’s from unhealthy relationships, incarceration, military service, addiction or childhood, it’s all a variation of pain that has not been processed, she adds.

It isn’t a character flaw.

“In our world, these things are talked about often, but folks not in this every day may not fully understand the barriers these women face,” Burke says. “Everything from having an alarm clock to gain and keep employment by being on time, to how to show up clean without a shower, or get there without funds for a bus pass without having the job … affording the shoes, uniform and ID that’s required. There’s a lot of barriers we don’t think about if we don’t have to.”

Transitions shares these experiences and stories through outreach at local events, educational opportunities and their own events, such as People Who Care. Their team understands it’s a daunting task and can be hard for the community to feel like they can make an impact. But whether it’s donating, volunteering or simply sharing their mission, every little bit helps, Amos says.

“Coming [to Women’s Hearth] my first time, it was just so welcoming,” Kebby says. “That’s why I like coming here. It’s just a safe place for women.”

Transitions staff helped Kebby secure Section 8 housing and create her own “safe place” at home, she says.

She and her daughter have exchanged a few letters, and Kebby hopes to one day meet in person, whenever her daughter is ready.

She’s a stronger woman now, Kebby says, because she found her voice.

“Partnering for healing and a healthy future” is MultiCare’s mission, and it inspires us to form connections that help improve the quality of life for our communities. Community organizations all around us are doing amazing work, and we’re inspired and excited to support that work.

Stories from our Community is an ongoing series conceived to dive into some of these organizations*, bring their stories to life and spread the word about how they are making our communities better.

*Some of the organizations profiled in this series are recipients of MultiCare’s Community Partnership Fund, which awards funds to nonprofit organizations working on initiatives, programs and projects that improve our community.