DESC

10/12/2026

Thank you to DESC for welcoming me to their ORCA Center in Seattle. Over the past year, they’ve worked to respond to the opioid crisis in our community by helping people recovering from an overdose or seeking treatment. Their ability to provide medications, peer support, shelter and housing services is greatly beneficial to the greater Puget Sound Area, and I appreciate their continued hard work.

10/08/2026

Thank you to Rep. Adam Smith for visiting DESC’s Opioid Recovery & Care Access (ORCA) Center this morning!

Rep. Smith recently helped to secure $1.031 million for the City of Seattle’s post-overdose opioid response program. These funds contribute to a broader overdose response system that both the ORCA Center and the Seattle Fire Department work in.

Since opening, the ORCA program has helped more than 500 people post-overdose and connected nearly 800 people to medication for opioid use disorder.

Thank you Rep. Smith for your support!

Pictured: DESC clinical, housing, and medical leaders; Rep. Adam Smith; and Jon Ehrenfeld, Seattle Fire’s Mobile Integrated Health Program Manager.

10/05/2026

“Something that often gets overlooked about people in recovery is that everyone going through this is a human being with diverse interests and thoughts and experiences,” says Heather McDuff, project manager at DESC’s Steven’s Place.

“That’s one of the things I like about DESC, is that we really try to exhibit and celebrate all of those pieces.”

Heather is one of many staff at DESC with lived experience of homelessness and substance use disorder, allowing for a meaningful understanding and connection with our clients.

Learn how she finds meaning in her work and helps clients navigate recovery every day in our latest blog:

Having staff with lived experience, like Program Manager Heather McDuff, who understands better than anyone that recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all, helps our clients navigate the winding road of recovery.

09/30/2026

Want to support DESC’s lifesaving work to end homelessness?

Join us on October 23 for Gimme Shelter — our annual fundraising event featuring an informative, inspiring program spotlight and lively concert taking place at Reverie Ballroom & Events!

The FREE Program Spotlight will include real stories on recovery and compassion from the front lines, featuring:

🎤 Heather McDuff, program manager of DESC’s Steven’s Place
🎤 Moe Sadik, peer supervisor at DESC’s Crisis Solutions Center
🎤 Lew Middleton, Washington State’s longest-tenured certified peer supervisor

The paid concert ticket to see The Dusty 45s, hosted by special guest Lady A, helps DESC continue providing essential housing, behavioral health, and crisis support to our most vulnerable neighbors.

Get yours today: https://secure.givelively.org/event/downtown-emergency-service-center/gimme-shelter-2026

09/28/2026

Shoutout to our in-kind partner, UNIQLO USA, for their generous donations over the last few months!

Uniqlo has donated nearly 1,000 Studio Ghibli-themed T-shirts and sweatshirts for DESC clients. Thank you, UNIQLO, for the support!

Interested in donating to DESC? Learn more here: https://www.desc.org/get-involved/donate-ways-to-give/

09/23/2026

We were honored to join the Homeless Remembrance Project on Monday for a Leaves of Remembrance dedication at Hobson Place.

Together, we honored five beloved members of our community and bore witness to their lives:

❤️ Dominic Sweet, 1990–2023
❤️ Joe Hlupheka Bayana, 1962–2023
❤️ John Stamey, 1973–2024
❤️ Kara Laughlin, 1987–2024
❤️ Zanza Prescott, 1961–2025

Leaves of Remembrance are engraved with the names of people who experienced homelessness and have died, creating a lasting place for each person to be remembered. Learn more: fallenleaves.org

About the Homeless Remembrance Project:

“The Homeless Remembrance Project grew out of the Women in Black vigils. Women in Black silently stand vigil, dressed in black, to honor the lives of homeless individuals who have died outside or by violence while living in Seattle. In doing so, we draw attention to the crisis facing so many in our community, and create a physical space of remembrance, where homeless and housed people can come together to recognize those lost.”

Learn more: homelessremembrance.org

09/23/2026

09/16/2026

Birch Grove, Seattle, WA Merit Award 2026 AIA/WA Civic Design Awards Client: DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) Firm: SMR Architects Photos: William P. Wright, William Wright Photography Gallery

09/14/2026

Hear updates on DESC's Opioid Recovery & Care Access (ORCA) Center 1-year anniversary, our Stability Through Access & Resources (STAR) Center, and how cuts to federal funding will affect homelessness providers' work across the U.S. in the latest episode of the Seattle Nice podcast!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Uuwrcj0EmkOBjPtgE9ZOo?si=JF-jF6nkSAqzb1_z6qyLnw&utm_source=copy-link

Seattle Nice · Episode

09/11/2026

It was wonderful to see Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal at DESC's Canaday House yesterday!

Congresswoman Jayapal rode along for a Meals on Wheels America delivery to our permanent supporting housing location in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle, and met with our clients and staff.

Thank you to Congresswoman Jayapal and Meals on Wheels for your continued partnership, support for our work, and care for our clients!