A young woman found herself stranded in Whatcom County after the promise of a job and a place to stay fell through. She found her way to NWYS and Ground Floor and was able to stay at the local shelter and work with staff here to come up with a plan to return home. It took a few weeks, but we were able to offer support services and a safe, welcoming place to be during the day while we coordinated with her family and other NWYS programs to pay for her ticket home. She has returned to her hometown, where she has a natural support network, rather than staying stuck in homelessness in another County.
Two youth clients who have been coming to Ground Floor for the past few months have been able to reengage with their education with the assistance of the staff here. One has returned to classes at Bellingham High School and connected with the McKinney-Vento liaison there. The other received help obtaining their State ID, which has allowed them to enroll at Whatcom Community College for Spring 2026. In the meantime, they regularly utilize Ground Floor resources and the public library to complete placement exams.
