Welcome to Gethsemane Lutheran Church


	Compass Housing Alliance
	In the Lutheran tradition of caring through service, Compass Housing Alliance develops and provides essential services and affordable housing for homeless and low-income people in the greater Puget Sound region. Their vision is a world in which every person lives in a safe, caring community.

		The Compass Center was founded in 1920 when a remarkable couple from Sweden (Reverend and Mrs. Alva Karlstrom) began a little mission in Seattle – part chapel, part employment agency, part reading room, part language school, part soup kitchen, part crash-pad for the stranded.
		By the end of 2009, the Compass Center was operating day services, emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent housing, and family shelter at 19 locations around the Seattle Area.
		Family & Adult Service Center (FASC) operated as an independent homeless day center and family program until 1997, when it partnered operations with The Compass Center. In 2009, FASC’s programs officially became part of the Compass umbrella of services.
		Lutheran Alliance to Create Housing (LATCH) was incorporated as a non-profit housing development organization by four Lutheran churches in 1990. Gethsemane Lutheran Church was one of those congregations.
		In January 2010, LATCH and The Compass Center merged into one comprehensive housing and services agency – Compass Housing Alliance - centered around their common Lutheran background and similar core mission.

Compass Housing Alliance provides a range of services and housing options to people struggling with homelessness and poverty in the Seattle area. For additional information, go to www.compasshousingalliance.org .


	Compass Housing Alliance is an organization with an exceptionally wide range of services for those who are homeless or in need of affordable housing and supportive community: Day Services Low-barrier services including basic hygiene facilities, day shelter, banking and mailing. Emergency Shelter Safe overnight shelter focusing on safety, basic needs (hygiene, nutritious meals), and mutual respect. Our emergency shelters have 220 beds at four locations. Transitional housing Safe, stable housing with an emphasis on income stabilization, case management, and individualized goal setting and work plans. We have 137 transitional beds at seven locations. Veterans Housing Programs designed to house US military veterans with a focus on addressing issues specific to Veterans. Our programs include men and women in 35 beds at three locations. A new Compass Veterans Center in Renton will open in the fall 2010 with 58 units for veterans and their families. Permanent Low-income Housing Rental units mainly for low-income families, with a focus on building strong communities. One building in Pioneer Square houses mostly formerly homeless individuals. The other five locations house mostly families and seniors. Family Support Program Case management and a number of housing options including emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent “transition-in-place” apartment units for any family with minor(s) in the household. Housing Development Increasing the supply of affordable housing in the Puget Sound region by building and acquiring rental housing for families and individuals with limited incomes and by providing technical assistance to congregations and others interested in developing affordable housing.