Meeting our Neighbors at St. Margaret’s Place

St. Margaret's on Aurora

Story and photos by Tamara Burdic

Frying an egg for breakfast brought Suzi Strain to tears – tears of gratitude. 

It was her first morning to wake up in her new apartment at St. Margaret’s Place. 

Residents Suzi Strain and Malcom Welch

 “For me it’s been survival for my whole life, since I was a little street kid in pigtails. This is the happiest I’ve ever been – I get to live. I don’t have to worry where I’m going to lay my head at night,” she says. 

Ms. Strain moved into her apartment last December. 

St. Margaret’s, at 198th and Aurora, is a designated permanent housing facility with 100 units, and serves tenants who are exiting homelessness, or are in danger of becoming unhoused.

The lobby is light and airy with a community gathering space featuring game tables.

Today, Suzi Strain relishes her newfound stability and community. At age 57 she aspires to write a book to help people by sharing her experiences. 

“Nobody knows the story– what it’s like to be us, until they become us. We are not ‘lesser than.’ Everyone is one step away from homelessness. I want Shoreline residents to know that St. Margaret’s is a great addition to the community – because it makes a lot of people stable, who might not have been stable before.”

Malcom Welch is a veteran who organized a support group for the other veterans at St. Margaret's

Malcolm Welch, one of the founding residents, agrees. “This place feels like home,” he says. “It’s like a beacon of hope for other people who want to change their lives.” 

Mr. Welch is a 67 year-old veteran who lives on the 5th floor, where all of the units are occupied by veterans. 

There is a community garden and a covered back patio for residents

He is the leader of an informal support group that he organized for fellow vets on-site. 

“We are a unique portion of society who understand each other and what we are going through.” 

Having stable housing gives Mr. Welch time to pursue his dream of becoming a counselor. He is working on his credentials through a workforce development program –  Aspiring Social Service Employee Training Program. (ASSET).

St. Margaret's has 100 units and sits on land donated by the City of Shoreline

In his downtime, Mr. Welch likes to relax in front of the apartment building, (which faces Aurora Avenue and 198th) and talk with people who walk by. He takes great pride in his building –”You have to take care of your place and it’s up to us residents.” 

He has no patience for those disrespecting his home. “It’s okay to dig through the garbage, but don’t dump your trash. I’ll tell them!” Around the back of the building there is a covered patio, a dog run, and a small community vegetable garden.

The building has a commercial kitchen

The lobby is light, airy and welcoming. There is a community kitchen and comfortable gathering areas to socialize and hang out. The front desk and office areas are staffed with four to five case managers at all times. 

“They have our backs here, 24/7. They go out of their way to support us and help us accomplish what we need done,” says Ms. Strain.

One of the Resident Staff Support workers, Justine, adds, “I’ve also been homeless and was in addiction recovery. I love coming to work every day and supporting the residents – letting them know that they are seen.”

Suzi Strain and volunteer Steve Polich

There are many ways for Shoreline residents to connect with members of the community living at St. Margaret’s, especially with the fall and winter holidays coming up quickly:

Volunteer:

• Cook a meal in the on-site kitchen
• Help with holiday parties, game nights and movie nights–a great way to mingle with the residents!

Donate:

• Clothing
• Food
• Money
• Hygiene products
• Holiday gifts

Volunteer Pat Deagen talks with Suzi and Malcomb

If you would like to be involved, please contact Gina Fudacz, Program Manager at GinaFu@ccsw.org or 206-677-1359

St. Margaret’s Place was created through a collaboration with Catholic Housing Services and King County, with land provided by the City of Shoreline.