Find immediate services for shelter, food, clothing, and mental health care.
Shelter Status
View which Whatcom County shelters are open (includes the winter and emergency weather shelters).
https://shelterstatus.com/
Clothing resources in Whatcom County
Guía de Servicios de Ropa (Español)
This brochure is maintained by the Whatcom Asset Building Coalition, a community collaboration.
Find an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting
https://www.aa.org/find-aa
Find a Narcotics Anonymous meeting
https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/
Find an Al-Anon/Alateen meeting
https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/find-an-al-anon-meeting/
Free hot meals and food resources in Whatcom County.
Food and Meal Resources in Whatcom County
Recursos de Comida en Español
Our Freedge
This is a community refrigerator packed with free nutritious food that is open to all. Our Freedge is supported by a partnership between Sustainable Connections’ Food Recovery Program and The RE Store.
Call Tutu’s Whatcom County Free Food Hotline 360-788-7328 (recording split up by days of week)
Community Resource Guides
Whatcom Asset Building Coalition pamphlets for food, shelter, clothing, hygiene items, and free tax services
Whatcom County Resources
The Services section of the Opportunity Council’s website lists resources for basic needs, childcare resources, food, housing, energy assistance, and more
WTA Emergency Ride Home
Current WTA bus pass holders or registered SmartTrip participants who walked, biked, or carpooled to work may qualify for a free taxi ride home
988 Lifeline
Using the 988 Lifeline is free. When you call, text, or chat the 988 Lifeline, your conversation is confidential. The 988 Lifeline provides you judgment-free care. Talking with someone can help save your life.
Care Crisis: 1-800-584-3578 (24 hour crisis hotline)
Help for those in mental health crisis
Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support for those in crisis. Text 741741 from anywhere in the US. Text with a trained Crisis Counselor.
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services : (360) 715-1563 (24 hour crisis hotline)
Help for victims of domestic violence
National Hopeline Network
Online network that uses chat and instant messaging to respond to people in crisis
All Hands Whatcom
This summit, organized by the Chuckanut Health Foundation and other community organizations, highlights the impacts of opioid use and how community members can build solutions.
Community Outreach and Recovery Support – Compass Health
The CORS Team aims to help clients access housing resources and other necessary services. They are reliable consultants regarding mental health, case management, and other community resources to clients and other local agencies within their service area.
Key Services
- Support and assistance with maintaining timely rental payments, lease adherence, and making maintenance requests
- Help accessing and/or maintaining benefits income (SSI, ABD/HEN)
- Supporting and advocating for them when they make reasonable accommodation requests of their landlords
- Facilitation of housing transfer to a better-suited unit for client needs
HEART -Lake Whatcom Center
HEART (Holistic Engagement through Allied Recovery & Treatment) provides a 24/7 face-to-face intensive community outreach that provides crisis intervention/prevention and recovery stabilization services to adults in a community.
Key Components and Services
- Emergent Crisis Stabilization and De-escalation Outreach Services
- Non-Emergent Recovery Stabilization
- Outreach Services
- Behavioral Health Screening and Assessment
- Collaborative Development of Plan(s) for Outreach Outcomes and Follow-ups
- Care Coordination Transition Support: for individuals transitioning back into the community from a residential, inpatient, incarceration, or involuntary placement setting.
- After-Hours Support/Check-Ins Symptom Management Services
- Medication Monitoring and Support Services
- Peer Support Services
- Substance Use Screening and Interventions Service
Recovery Cafe
Bellingham’s Recovery Cafe, which is fiscally supported by the Chuckanut Health Foundation, is part of the nationwide Recovery Cafe Network, made up of 67 cafes across the U.S.. It’s not a treatment center, but is a drug- and alcohol-free space in downtown Bellingham for anyone in recovery or close to someone in recovery.
The Way Station – Unity Care Northwest
Unity Care NW, Opportunity Council, PeaceHealth, and the Whatcom County Health Department, have partnered to establish The Way Station. Anyone experiencing homelessness can access hygiene services, medical and behavioral health care. Patients experiencing homelessness who are discharged from the hospital can recuperate and heal safely at The Way Station and access wrap around services, including help into long-term housing.
Whatcom Hope
Information on how to help someone who is experiencing an overdose and other harm reduction tools
resource list available through the Bellingham Public Library
Guía de Albergues para Personas Sin Hogar (Español)
A list of emergency shelter options produced by the Whatcom Homeless Service Center and the Opportunity Council.
24 Hour Lighthouse Mission Base Camp
A low barrier shelter that is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Nightly counts shared at bottom of the page that show availability.
City of Bellingham’s winter shelter information
Severe Weather Emergency Shelters
Not all locations will operate daily during severe weather conditions. Community partners who operate the shelters determine which populations they serve.
Check the Whatcom County Health Department’s website to see if the Severe Weather Night and Day Shelters are open.
You can also call the Emergency Winter Shelter Hotline (360) 788-7983.
On the waitlist for housing? Here is the Opportunity Council’s link to the monthly Housing Pool Check-In form.
Access to Showers, Laundry, and Free Toiletries
Click on the link above to locate shower facilities, access laundry facilities, and get free toiletries and hygiene items in Whatcom County.
City of Bellingham’s page on hygiene resources, includes information on the Opportunity Council’s shower trailer availability and location.
The Lighthouse Mission’s Base Camp also offers shower facilities.
Access ID
The Opportunity Council helps people who are at or below 200% the Federal Poverty Level get Washington State ID. This program can cover costs and fees associated with getting a Washington ID or Enhanced ID card. Please view their website for clinic times.
Northwest Youth Services
Help for teens, LGBTQ teen support, housing