VFW Post 3348 and the Shoreline Compass Veterans Center

Chris Christophersen and members of VFW Post 3348 present a check and gift cards to Shree Vigil at the Shoreline Compass Veterans Center. Photo from VFW Post 3348.

By Carl “Chris” Christophersen
Post Commander VFW Post 3348

VFW Post 3348 just presented 25 gift cards ($50 each) to Program Manager, Shree Vigil, of the Shoreline Veterans Center (SVC) – 1 of 14 facilities owned and run by the Compass Housing Alliance (CHA) -- funded by King County. 

SVC is setup to house 25 formerly homeless veterans (21 male and 4 female) -- no children. CHA has other facilities that accept families. 

Each veteran at SVC must pass an interview with the VA. There are no requirements for income and in fact some of the residents have zero income.

The Shoreline Compass Veterans Center is on N 200th across from Aurora Village

Each resident has their own room with a lockable door, a set of dishes and silverware, electricity, hand soap and towels, heat, a bed with covers, a mini refrigerator, a dresser, a closet, and a desk. While there is no running water in each room -- rooms are in pods (3-5 rooms) where each pod has a restroom and a bathroom.

None of the residents are provided any cooked meals daily -- but there is a large community kitchen (2 stoves, a cooler, a freezer, a microwave, a toaster, 2 sinks and a garbage disposal) for their use.

There is a separate storage room where residents can borrow fry pans, pots, spatulas, and some donated canned goods. Those with no income get VA Vouchers, $350 monthly food stamps and donations from friends, family and caring citizens. Annie’s Community Kitchen in Edmonds supplies them one cooked dinner per week. Several residents get Meals-on-Wheels. 

Veterans sell poppies to raise money

SVC is staffed 24/7/365 and always welcomes individual-sized food donations.

In addition, VFW Post 3348 donated $1,500 toward a kitchen remodel that Shree wants to get done. 

The funding source of these donations came from our recent Memorial Day Buddy Poppy event that we held at the Shoreline Fred Meyer, Central Market, and the Thrashers Corner Fred Meyer in Bothell. 

Other than SVC, we donated an additional $5,000 to other organizations that service veterans.