Associated with OUUC and located on OUUC property, Out of the Woods (OTW) is a separate 501(c) 3 organization that has been operating for more than fifteen years, originally as an overnight shelter. Today the shelter offers emergency and “wrap-around” services for families with children for up to 90 days.
In 2006 OTW reorganized (after a 5-month closing), shifting from overnight only and volunteer-only operations, to a 24/7 professionally staffed facility focusing on families with children. OUUC responded at that time to a difficult situation by transforming the organization and chartering its present mandate.
At present, OTW serves up to three families at a time, limited by the size of the OTW house, known as “the Annex”, which lies on OUUC property and houses the families being helped and also the full-time (24/7) resident OTW Coordinator. Out of the Woods is not just room and board overnight, as most shelters provide. It gives families safe round the clock housing for up to 90 days in a healthy, non-threatening homelike environment that enables them to get back on their feet when they “graduate” and move to more permanent housing and back into the mainstream .
Since the substantial restructuring efforts in late 2006, Out of the Woods has been able to effectively meet and exceed our mission and our role in the “Thurston County 10-Year Homeless Plan”. Most notably, we have achieved a 90% success rate in helping our clients stay off the streets and in permanent housing for at least six months after their departure from our shelter.