Rod’s House – How It All Began

Before there was Rod’s House:

In the winter of 2006, a young girl stepped in from the cold and walked through the door of a small local non-profit agency, For A Better Tomorrow. She had a small, simple request. She just wanted a hair tie or something she could use to tie her pant legs to keep the snow out.

The girl was pregnant and homeless. She was only 14 years old.

Behind that simple request was an even heavier reality. The father of her child had left town. Her mother had been institutionalized due to drug use. Her father was dying of cancer. At just 14 years old, she was navigating survival on her own, facing circumstances no young person should have to endure.

For those who encountered her that day, the moment lingered. It served as a powerful realization that young people in Yakima experienced homelessness in ways that many existing services weren’t equipped to address effectively. There were resources for adults. There were resources for children. But for youth and young adults caught in between, there was little specialty in the community.

In the weeks and months that followed, conversations began among concerned community members, service providers, and volunteers. Out of those conversations grew a shared determination to create a place specifically for young people experiencing homelessness, a place that could meet them where they were with understanding and support.

Through the combined efforts of these individuals, donations from local social service agencies, and countless volunteer hours, that determination took shape.

In September 2009, Rod’s House opened its doors.

Fast forward many years later. We now have a safe shelter with a youth and young adult wing, where young people can stay for an extended period while they work to get back on their feet. We have a drop-in Resource Center that offers meals, hygiene, and real-life support to help guide and uplift. Our young people have opened up businesses in the community, gone to college, secured their own housing, and have even ended up working at Rod’s House.

This was made possible by the efforts of deeply caring, involved, and active community.

But more importantly, none of it works without the resiliency and determination of our young people.

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