Donate Now

Category: Shelter News

Introducing: Hospitality House Highlights

We’re so excited to share a new monthly update with you all-Hospitality House Highlights! Each edition will feature anything from client updates, fundraisers, staff spotlights, volunteer opportunities, and more!

Read our first two editions below, and join our mailing list here if you want Hospitality House Highlights to be sent to your inbox every month.

Spring Fling 2023

Join us for our Spring Fling 2023-back in person–Event tickets available to purchase here!

*Purchasing tickets will automatically create a registration

If you are unable to join us in person, register for the online portion of the event here!

+Live and silent auction featuring trips, services, and unique experiences

+Special musical performance by Keilah Paul & Chris Kunard

+Delicious buffet dinner, wine and beverage bar

+Satisfy your sweet tooth with the Dessert Dash

+Heartfelt success stories shared by grateful graduates

Soup-erhero Volunteer of the Year 2022!

Winnie has been a soup-erhero at Hospitality House for almost two decades!

She’s always around to cover our overnight volunteer needs, and spend 2+ nights a month at Hospitality House.

She reigns soup-reme when it comes to being on top of things, and always claims open shifts on the calendar before we even ask!

Winnie is so steady and soup-portive of residents and staff.

We’re so thankful for you, Winnie! You’re simply pho-nomenal!

Remembering a Hospitality House Pioneer

Don Weber

January 12, 1938 – June 3, 2020

Don was a driving force in bringing Hospitality House into being. 

In the 1990’s, the Seattle Presbytery convened a team to address homelessness.  Rev. Charles Kothe, pastor of Lake Burien Presbyterian Church and a member of the Presbytery’s Social Justice and Peacemaking Committee, invited churches in the Highline Community to participate. 

Don, chair of LBPC’s Social Justice Outreach Committee, became a leading member of the Hospitality House Steering Committee, along with representatives of 10 founding churches. He worked tirelessly with others, attending Burien City Council Meetings and hearings, completing applications and paperwork required to establish a shelter, fundraising, writing Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, doing outreach in the neighborhood… a comprehensive undertaking.  Initially many in the community were hostile and belligerent.  One woman in particular, upon learning that LBPC was seeking to be a site for a homeless shelter, sent out letters and posted notices in the local Post Office that read in part: “HOMELESS SHELTER COMING SOON NEXT TO YOUR HOME – PROPERTY VALUES DECREASE…INCREASED PERSONAL DANGER.”   She urged people to come to a meeting the Steering Committee planned to present the shelter plan.  About 80 people attended.  The crowd was hostile, belligerent, confrontational and it did not go well.

Don continued the work despite the initial anger and unpleasant resistance encountered.  Over months community support increased, the public hearings became positive and Hospitality House came into being, opening its doors October of 2000.   It was not the end for Don: He became the first Hospitality House Board president. 

 It was not the end for Don: He became the first Hospitality House Board president. 

He and his wife, Lee Weber, have continued to support HH for the past 20 years in various capacities.  A Boeing electrical engineer by profession, Don had wide interests and many wonderful adventures with his family. But it is his belief in and commitment to social justice, in word and action, that has made immeasurable difference for hundreds of women who have sought safety and shelter. 

Hospitality House is grateful for

Don’s life and his work.

He will be missed but leaves behind a legacy.

Our sincerest condolences to Lee and Don’s family.

Spring Fling 2020: 4 Days of Virtual Giving

One night a year, when we gather for the Spring Fling, the light of the Hospitality House family is magnified.  It is undeniable. The night is illuminated by your kindness and generosity.  It is a night we love to share with you!

We wanted nothing more than to set a new date for the Spring Fling. We wanted to celebrate 20 years of helping homeless women find home, health and hope with the very people who made it possible.

It  has become evident,  that we simply can’t come together.  When everything is uncertain, everything that is important becomes clear.  As family, we want to keep you safe – you are too important to risk.With the Spring Fling being our largest fundraiser of the year, bringing in over $50,000 annually – we will still need your help to keep our doors open during this critical time. 

We will be having an online auction April 2- April 5, 2020.  I hope you will join us for Spring Fling 2020: 4 Days of Virtual Giving.

All of our auction items will be available online to purchase and you will be able to Fund-The-Future by making a donation. We will also be filming parts of the Spring Fling program to share with you – including our client speaker!

We will post additional details soon. However, if you’d like to take a sneak peek of our auction catalog – just click the link:  
https://www.auctria.com/auction/hhspringfling2020online

You cannot start bidding yet, but you can start perusing and planning!

Our online event does not require a ticket. We hope you will use this as an opportunity to invite more of your circle into the Hospitality House family. Please feel free to share our auction link via email or on your social media platforms.

Since we  are not able to hold the event, I am offering ticket refunds for the next 30 days by request.  If you are able, I humbly ask you consider making your ticket purchase a donation to the House.

We know everything is uncertain but  it is clear you feel the women we serve are important. Please continue to light their path with your generosity –they need you, to be safe.

Spring Fling Postponed

We love our community, want everyone to be safe, and in keeping with recommendations by King County Public Health, the Hospitality House Board of Directors has made the decision to postpone the Spring Fling Fundraiser scheduled for Saturday, March 7.  

Our new date will be announced soon and tickets will be automatically transferred. We look forward to celebrating our 20th anniversary when it is safe for everyone take part. We appreciate your understanding as we prioritize the needs of the greater community and will be in touch soon with more information.

Volunteer of the Year

This year, we would like to thank, recognize and honor, Barb Campbell as Hospitality House’s Volunteer of the year. Each year, we carefully and thoughtfully assess a long list of incredible candidates that have positively impacted Hospitality House with their time, talents, and service. While there were many amazing nominees to choose from – Barb Campbell’s long standing history of advocacy and investment in Hospitality House is what confidently moved us to our final decision.

Des Moines United Methodist Church is one of the local churches, that have partnered alongside 11 other churches to ensure that the Residents of Hospitality House have access to delicious hot meals every day. Barb has served as the meal coordinator at Des Moines United Methodist Church for over 12 years. Not only has Barb served as the Meal Coordinator there, but anytime there were not enough volunteers to fulfill DMUC’s meal commitments – with no hesitation, Barb stepped up sometimes preparing an extra two or three meals, on top the original meal she had already planned to give.  


Hospitality House has been successful in coming alongside thousands of homeless women over the years, because of people like Barb. Barb has worn many hats at Hospitality House, supporting and championing anything that she believed would better serve women experiencing homelessness. For example, years ago when times were changing and society was becoming more dependent on technology and the connectedness off the world wide web – Barb helped spearhead setting up the launching of Hospitality House’s original website. Barb wanted to ensure that homeless women had 24 hours a day access to information to who Hospitality House is, where we are located, who we serve and all the services we provide. Barb has also chaired the Silent Auction for many years procuring, cataloging, storing and setting up hundreds of items for Hospitality House’s biggest annual fundraiser. Not to mention, Barb actively contributed to policy review and formation, bylaw reviews and updates – always confirming that the rules, regulations and policies of Hospitality House stayed relevant and informed by the needs of Hospitality House’s clients and staff.

We here at Hospitality House are in awe of Barb! We are blown away by how she has managed to spin so many plates at Hospitality House over the years, doing it all with style and grace – serving as anything ranging from Board of Director’s Vice President to an Overnight Volunteer, she’s done it all. For all of it, we are thankful!