COAST, the Community Outreach Association Shelter Team, is the nonprofit that founded the Jefferson County Winter Shelter.

A faith-based initiative, the first season was an early winter pilot project in 2006, sheltering people in local churches.

Working with the American Legion Post 26 in Port Townsend, COAST was able to secure the lower level of that building for Season 2, which spanned the winter of 2006-2007, and we’ve been there ever since.

We work cooperatively with both the Legion and with Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP) to operate the program, and have just completed our 11th season of Winter Shelter at the American Legion, having been open for five straight months.

We wish for downtown merchants to know that any former shelter guests who have caused problems in the community are just that: former guests whose shelter privileges have been terminated.

To clear up any confusion, we understand that OlyCAP has plans to serve a smaller number of preselected individuals needing shelter this spring and summer, in the same location. We applaud every effort to serve members of our community who are homeless.

As the executive director and chair of the board of directors of COAST respectively, we want the community to know COAST looks forward to returning next November to provide another season of the Jefferson County Winter Shelter, to the broader base of adults who struggle with homelessness, and with our full array of services.

DEFOREST WALKER

CARL HANSON

Port Townsend