Our History

 
Share had its beginnings in 1979 when a group of caring people came together with the common goal of caring for the homeless and hungry in the Vancouver area. A building was leased and operations began. In 1982 a board of directors was formed and in 1983 501(C)3 status was granted from the Internal Revenue Service. In 1985 grants made possible the purchase of a building at 1115 West 13th Street.

 
The Hot Meal Program has grown from 26,000 meals a year to over 135,000 as the need for food assistance continues to increase in the Vancouver area. A Transportation Assistance Program developed when area churches joined Share in creating a central place servicing the needs for transportation without duplicating efforts.
 
In 1993, a Resource Center opened responding to the needs of homeless people who were living on the streets. These people needed a place to shower, use bathroom facilities, do laundry, use a telephone, collect personal mail, receive food and transportation assistance. Volunteer counselors offered help guiding people to services that could get them off the streets.
 
The year of 1996 brought the challenge of operating two family shelters. With the endorsement of Clark County, the Vancouver Housing Authority, and the Council for the Homeless, Share began operating Share Orchards Inn and Share Homestead. With Share’s ability to financially and operationally maintain two additional facilities, tremendous growth was seen as Share rose to meet this task.
 
On December 15, 1996, a fire destroyed Share House. The board of directors and staff confronted a difficult situation and met the needs of the homeless in the community. Temporary facilities were found which allowed the programs of Share to continue until a new shelter could be built.
 
On January 4, 1999, through the generosity and volunteerism of people who cared, Share House celebrated its completion and opening of the new facility at the same location as the original Share House. Hope, a way off the street, and a chance to develop their potential is once again offered to thousands of people each year.
 
Also in 1999, Share developed a solution-based transitional housing program. Through a partnership with YW Housing, Share secured Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding to provide rental subsidies and supportive services to ten households. Share ASPIRE (Achieving Self-sufficiency Personal Improvement and Resource Education) began case managing families and single adults on their way to stability and self-sufficiency. Today over 135 households participate in the Share ASPIRE program which serves families, single men and women, and Veterans.
 
Share once again expanded its shelter operation in 2003, when Share Homes was opened to provide emergency shelter for up to 13 women. This program works in partnership with other agencies to provide emergency rental assistance, serving an average of 25 women each month.
 
In 2004, Share reached out to the children in our community with the Children’s Summer Lunch Program and the Children’s Backpack Program. In our community, 22,000 children are eligible for free or reduced cost meals through the schools. These programs, in partnership with Evergreen Public Schools and Washington State University Vancouver, were developed to address this alarming truth and provide meals for children in need when school doors are closed.
 
Demand for Share’s Outreach Program continues to exceed its capacity to adequately serve all those in need. The more than 1,800 clients who visit Share House each year—accessing restroom, shower and laundry facilities—combined with daily use by the 40 residents of Share House, has greatly exceeded the capacity of the building. In June 2007, Share began a public outreach process to share our Facility Improvement Plan and seek feedback from the community about how best our organization should grow to meet the on-going needs of the hungry, homeless and low-income in our community.
 
After years of planning, Share Outreach officially moved into their new temporary home on December 8, 2008—a pair of portable buildings located across the street from Share House.
 
Share believes in the importance of every individual as part of our community. We will continue to provide from the strength of our community to address the issues of hunger and homelessness in Clark County.

© Copyright 2010 Share