Evergreen Aquatic Center gets $5,000 grant to help with showers and swim lessons for people in need
(White Center Now photo by Patrick Sand)
That was the happy scene at Evergreen Community Aquatic Center on Thursday afternoon, as Amerigroup Washington reps formalized a $5,000 donation. The money will help pay for families experiencing homelessness to continue using the showers there, and to use the pool for swimming lessons and open- and family-swim sessions. Earlier this week, we mentioned the shower usage as part of our followup on the Mary’s Place-operated shelter in White Center, and that organization is a partner in this project, along with Neighborhood House. The announcement explains:
… This effort began when all four organizations gathered to explore the possibility of using the pool showers as a temporary showering facility for residents at each homeless shelter. Many of these families do not have showering facilities and the new Mary’s Place Family Center shelter in White Center only has one shower available, while two others are being added. Upon further discussions, the opportunity to increase access to swimming and water safety lessons also came about as part of this partnership. …
This money will support the support staff, issuing of towels and a voucher system to allow these residents to come to the pool with a user pass during regular operating hours to use the facilities. This sponsorship can also will support over 150 full session swimming lessons (8 classes per session) and /or full use of the family swim and open swim times at the pool.
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July 1st, 2017 at 11:38 am
The showers at Evergreen Pool are in dire need of repair. I swim laps there occasionally in the mornings, and have noticed that fewer and fewer of the men’s showerheads are functioning. The dollar figure that I have heard other swimmers mention for repair is significantly higher than the $5k mentioned in this article.
Are there any plans to start fundraising to get all the showerheads functioning?
July 1st, 2017 at 12:21 pm
Great news!
July 2nd, 2017 at 3:36 pm
could the money not be applied to build more showers at Mary’s Place? I felt mislead that Mary’s Place was supposed to be up and running, with only one shower?
July 4th, 2017 at 6:13 pm
As reported in our recent followup, Mary’s Place has been “up and running” with one shower, and is building two more, and has been using the pool, too. I don’t know what the cost breakdown is – would suspect that more of the money is going to cover the costs of swim lessons and swimming, which can’t be replicated at the old Public Health building itself. Swimming instruction saves lives, and the dangers often disproportionately affect people with low-incomes, because of the economic barrier, so this is a good thing. Meantime, there’s no public facility in the area that I know of since the county gave up the pool years ago – so there isn’t anyone to do what for example the City of Seattle has done for encampment residents by opening the Delridge Community Center for unsheltered people to take showers.
July 5th, 2017 at 11:39 am
I see that the Evergreen Pool website now features a fundraiser to improve the showers. I have asked them for more details on the proposed improvements, but haven’t heard back yet.
July 11th, 2017 at 6:33 pm
Does the Seattle Southwest community Center offer hygiene services?
July 16th, 2017 at 6:38 pm
I’m appalled by the dollar amount…what can 5k do, the EP needs more than just showers fixed.
I stopped by one day because I wanted to start a program and turned and walked out after waiting for 10 minutes before a person came out front just to be told to go ahead and take a look without any help then was disgusted by the looks of the pool area and then the shower area. ugh! They need a lot more money than just 5k.
July 17th, 2017 at 1:11 pm
Well, $5K is better than nothing. The pool was saved by dedicated community members who I believe certainly would welcome any and all donations and other help – as you might know, the county was going to shut it down otherwise.
July 18th, 2017 at 1:18 pm
Yes I’m happy it was saved from being shut down all together but, yes there is a but…5k is still not a whole lot of money now a days. :>( the roof needs repairs if not replaced…the list goes on.
Tracy, can you tell me is this not funded by the tax payers money? It’s a shame it would be such a great place to go and get some exercise.