The Pacific Northwest is fortunate to be home to many world-class organizations that work tirelessly to make our community safer and more compassionate every day. The Community Outreach & Volunteer Engagement (COVE) program supports that work by managing events and projects in collaboration with our nonprofit community partners. Our volunteer hours let our partners and their clients leverage their resources farther, while creating more opportunities for the Assistance League of the Eastside to be connected and responsive to unmet needs in our community. We work together with local agencies to provide essential household goods, meals, and comfort items to address basic needs of clients in transitional housing in King County, Washington. The focus is on supporting women, children, and families – as they start a new life away from homelessness or domestic violence.

In 2023, we established COVE as an umbrella program to coordinate the activities of our long-standing individual programs of Help4Homeless, Women Inspired Network, and Starting Over Support, as all these programs provide support to people seeking shelter.

Some of the ways we support clients through our COVE program:

• Welcome Baskets: A new resident receives a laundry basket filled with household essentials. This includes new towels, sheets, blankets, shampoo, deodorant, a journal, and other items to ease their transition to the shelter. We work with each organization to tailor these baskets.

• Community Meals: Volunteers come together to cook a community meal to share. When requested, freezers and pantries are stocked for residents.

• Social activities: In addition to providing the above essentials, we provide some fun opportunities for the women and their children throughout the year to foster community.

• Specific item drives: With our funding, immediate support is provided to meet needs as shared by partner agencies such as blankets, socks, and more.

Together these items add up to meaningful, concrete support to people who are rebuilding their lives.

• Starting Over Support provides household items to local shelters so families fleeing domestic abuse can rebuild their lives in safety. We also host holiday celebrations and social events that lend a sense of community and support. 
• Help4Homeless provides local shelters with the personal care items needed during the transition from dependence to independence. We also host social events that create a sense of community. 
• Women Inspired Network provides meals, clothing and personal care items to local shelters and specifically tailors their outreach activities so that women with busy work schedules can participate in our events.