In the wake of the Nativity House closure, ending the offers of shelter, warm food, connection, clothing, an accessible mailing address, and careers of longtime staff, we humbly and gratefully appreciate the Tacoma community, and beyond, for the outpouring of support, care, and kindness.

Join us as we continue lifting the struggle for essential services to our Tacoma neighbors and community who are most in need. We ask for our supporters’ continued advocacy: share the update below, as well as this petition, with your friends, family, neighbors, and community. 

Catholic Community Services leadership stated the decision to close Nativity House day shelter and reduce staffing was planned and coordinated with community partners due to the uncertain federal funding landscape and there has been no change to discretionary funding support to sustain programs. We disagree. 

During the Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness meeting on May 30, 2025, during a Q&A response (starting at 24:14), it is shared that CCS leadership team has directed that CCS’s discretionary funding to no longer be used to support essential programming that does not generate profit.

"Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness Friday Coalition Meeting - May 30, 2025. Transcript beginning at 25:06:

Community member: And I’m guessing this is all because of what’s happening in our federal government, am I right?

CCS Program Director: I would say that it’s a complex story, but basically, from the real close-in look, when I look at my projected budgets and I see, you know, deficits, and I go to my boss [Mike Curry] and I say I don’t a way to get this to be a balanced budget and he says, well, in the past we’ve been able to use discretionary spending to support that, but given the complex uncertainties in state budgets, federal budgets, there’s – we’re just not in a position to be able to do that anymore. So the things going on at the federal level are the final things that pushed us over the edge, but we were – I would say, and Faatima correct me if I’m wrong, but both day centers were significantly underfunded before things happened on the federal level.

....

CCS Program Director: We’re in a position to no longer, as an agency, be able to rely on other, historically stronger parts of our organization to provide discretionary spending to support us. That’s closed off to us now, which means that very important, very meaningful services like Faatima’s and mine have to find enough resources to support ourselves. 

End 27:01"

Further, the Tacoma social services community has been surprised and deeply affected by the sudden closure of Nativity House, the elimination of its services, and the reduction of experienced staff members. This is one of the many statements of support we received:

“As the Director of Operations at The Tacoma Needle Exchange, I am writing to share my deep concern about the closure of the Catholic Community Services Nativity House Day Center and the devastating impact this loss has had on the people we serve and the broader community in Tacoma.

Even before its closure, our city had a serious shortage of day centers and services for our homeless community members. Nativity House stood out as a foundational support, one of the very few places where people experiencing homelessness or housing instability could reliably meet their most basic needs. Mail services, clothing, hygiene, medical services, and a safe place to rest. The Day Center provided vital services that many of our clients relied on, including mail services, which are essential for people experiencing homelessness who often have no permanent address, access to behavioral health support, which is critically needed yet often out of reach for those living unhoused,  and hot meals that, for many, were their only consistent source of nutrition.

Since the closure, we have seen the devastating consequences firsthand. Many of our clients no longer have a reliable mailing address, which severely disrupts their ability to receive identification, Social Security, medical correspondence, or job-related documents. Without behavioral health services on site, people who were already struggling with trauma, substance use, or mental health conditions are now left without an accessible support system. And the loss of hot meals has left countless neighbors unsure of where they will eat each day, compounding the already immense challenges they face. 

When our unhoused community members begin to trust a service like the Nativity House Day Center, it is no small step. Building that trust takes time, consistency, and compassion and for people who have faced so much instability, it is often a fragile bridge. When a program closes suddenly, without coordination or communication with other providers, that hard-earned trust can be lost, leaving people feeling abandoned and disconnected from care. As fall approaches, with colder weather and greater risks for those living outside, we must come together to ensure that no one is left without support. I strongly urge leadership at CCS and community partners to prioritize solutions that restore or replace the critical services that Nativity House once provided. Without them, our most vulnerable neighbors will continue to fall further through the cracks, and our community as a whole will bear the consequences. While the uncertainty of our broader political climate weighs heavily on us all, one thing must remain steady, our collective responsibility to show up for those who have nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We remain committed to working collaboratively toward a more compassionate and effective network of care in our community.

In Solidarity,

Stephanie Prohaska (She/Her/Hers)

Director of Operations, Tacoma Needle Exchange”

We thank those voices raised in support and continue to encourage all signers to continue to  advocate: share this and future updates along with this petition with your friends, family, neighbors, and community. We stand together!