About us

Where to find us

Rod's House Resource Center

204 S Naches Ave, Yakima, WA 98901

509-895-2665

office@rodshouse.org

Rod's House Young Adult Emergency House

610 McClain Dr, Sunnyside, WA 98944

509-515-2122

Rod's House Young Adult Extreme Winter Weather Shelter (only operates November - March)

Motel 6

1010 E Staff Sgt Pendleton Way, Yakima, WA 98901

Rod's House Street Outreach Services

425-243-4577

Rod's Opportunity Center

115 N 3rd St, Yakima, WA 98901

Hours:

Monday-Friday

12pm-4pm window services - young people can access laundry, showers, food, hygiene, and other necessities

Case Management and Behavioral Health Services by appointment only

Saturday

Suspended temporarily because of COVID

It started with one girl…

In the winter of 2006, a young girl entered the non-profit agency For A Better Tomorrow. She requested rubber bands so that she could tie her pant legs out of the snow. She was 14 years old, pregnant, and homeless. The father of her child had left town, her mother was institutionalized for drug use, and her father was dying of cancer. After this incident, concerned community members, including Rod Bryant, came to a shocking realization; there were no services in Yakima to accommodate the unique needs of youth who are experiencing homelessness. Through the combined efforts of these individuals, donations from social service agencies and countless volunteer hours, Rod’s House came into being.

Now, 11 years later, Rod's House has helped 1,500+ youth and young adults through the following programs...

Host Homes

Yakima lacks safe housing options for youth experiencing homelessness including ZERO dedicated shelter beds for unaccompanied minors and relatively few openings in housing programs designed for young adults. The Host Homes program launched to help solve this long-standing challenge in our community.

We are seeking temporary (6-12 months) homes for youth who are currently experiencing homelessness or who are at imminent risk of becoming homeless.

Young people eligible for the program must be committed to reaching education, employment, housing, and other stabilization-related goals. Youth must also agree to carefully crafted agreements to qualify for a host home match. You can do your part by offering food, lodging, and mentorship to a youth committed to achieving their personal self-improvement goals. Potential Host Homes must apply and go through a background check before moving forward. For more information, contact Angela Bazan at 509-492-2115 or angela@rodshouse.org.

Education and Employment

Rod’s House education and employment readiness program helps young peoplegraduate with their diploma or earn their GED, become work-ready, and to find and keep meaningful employment. Youth work closely with Case Managers to set short-term and long-term goals, create resumes, conduct job searches, apply to jobs, and receive support while employed.

The program has been effective in breaking down multiple barriers including lack of required documentation needed for employment such as:

WA State ID and Driver's License

Birth Certificate

School Records

Food Handler’s Card

Social Security Card

and more!

Young Adult Extreme Winter Weather Shelter

Operated by Rod's House and supported by an array of community members, the Young Adult Extreme Winter Weather Shelter (YAEWWS) is located in Yakima and runs from November - March. This year Rod’s House is partnering with a local motel to ensure young adults ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness have a warm and safe place to sleep during the coldest months of the year. For more information on the YAEWWS, email asuncion@rodshouse.org.

Young Adult Emergency Home

The Young Adult Emergency Home (YAEH) is located in Sunnyside and serves young adults (ages 18-24) experiencing homelessness. The YAEH is a continuous-stay emergency shelter, where residents can stay up to 90 days in a safe space, as they address barriers in education, employment, mental health, substance use, etc while being supported by case management and behavioral health staff. Residents of the YAEH share a bedroom with one other person, and have access to their own bathroom; a kitchen and home cooked meals; laundry facilities; and staff that are there to support them 24 hours a day. For more information on the YAEH, email asuncion@rodshouse.org. You can find the application under the “Get Help” tab above.

Behavioral Health Services

Rod’s House offers behavioral health services to youth or young adults (YYA) 13-24, which includes but is not limited to someone experiencing stress, depression, anxiety, grief, addiction, mood disorders, or a variety of other emotional barriers or psychological concerns. YYA can choose to access behavioral health services in the form of daily check-ins, individualized therapeutic sessions, or group work. Behavioral health services are available at the Resource Center in Yakima, as well as the Young Adult Emergency Home in Sunnyside. For more information on these services, email monica@rodshouse.org.

Housing Assessment & Housing Support

When a young adult (ages 18-24) experiencing homelessness completes an intake with Rod’s House, they are also encouraged to complete a Coordinated Entry housing assessment. Doing so puts the young person on Yakima County’s Housing List for Young Adults, so that when a housing opportunity is available that person might be enrolled in the housing. Rod’s House also has access to Centralized Diversion Funds, granted to us by Washington State, in an effort to eradicate youth and young adult homelessness. These funds can be used to assist young people in obtaining and sustaining housing.

Street Outreach Services

The Street Outreach Services (SOS) program connects youth and young adults to services and resources through street and community-based outreach with a focus on building authentic and empowering relationships. Through the Street Outreach Services staff, youth can receive: basic needs, case management, access to emergency shelter, educational opportunities, employment skill-building, advocacy, family-focused services, and follow-up support. We can provide young people experiencing homeless or those in need of basic support with a backpack filled with hygiene, food, water, first aid, socks, shoes, clothing, and cold weather apparel. The SOS program also conducts community based outreach which includes powerpoints on the history of Rod's House, current services, and how the community can get involved. If you have or know of a youth or young adult in need of services or would like to schedule an Outreach presentation or invite us to your event, please contact taylor@rodshouse.org.