Seattle, WA
Rick Steves steps in to save Seattle-area hygiene center serving homeless residents
Rick Steves taking a selfie with community members outside the Lynnwood Hygiene Center near Seattle. He says his purchase of the property secures the future of the center, which provides hot meals and hot showers.
Rick Steves
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Rick Steves
An anonymous donor stepped in last month to save a Seattle-area community center that was slated to close.
Last week, community members learned that the new owner was travel writer and TV host Rick Steves, who pledged to keep it open and free for people needing hot showers and hot meals.
“I vividly remember what it’s like as a kid backpacking around the world to need a shower, to need a place to wash your clothes,” Steves told a crowd who gathered on Wednesday to celebrate the purchase over cake and with words fait accompli written in red icing.
Many homeless people had come to depend on the Lynnwood Hygiene Center, which had operated rent-free on the property since 2020.
But the center said in November that it would close after the property was sold to a developer.
Steves said he learned about the hygiene center’s impending closure by reading about it in a local online newspaper — just weeks before it was set to shut down.
Despite living nearby, he said he hadn’t even known the center existed.
In fact, Steves told NPR he didn’t even know what a hygiene center was until he read about the closure — a place where people can shower, wash clothes, grab a hot meal and spend a few hours indoors.
“I realized, oh my goodness, there’s an invisible community with an invisible center helping invisible people. And it’s not right. It needs to be kept alive,” Steves said.
In a series of posts on Bluesky, Steves said was struck by how difficult it would be to replace.
Steves said he bought the property for $2.25 million.
Members of the community pitched in another $400,000 in donations, which the center says will go toward renovations and expanding services.
“It’s huge,” said Sandra Mears, executive director of the Jean Kim Foundation, which runs the hygiene center.
Mears says before Steves came in, she had been told to plan a goodbye party.
“I didn’t want a goodbye party,” she said.
Thanks to the donations, Mears says the Lynnwood Hygiene Center will continue serving around 700 people in the community, providing upwards of 16,000 hot meals and 10,000 showers a year.
Steves called the purchase the best $2.25 million he could imagine spending.
But he says private donations are also not a substitute for public investment — and shouldn’t determine whether essential services survive.
He describes his decision as a response to what he sees as a failure of public priorities, not a model to be relied upon.
“If we don’t have [$2.25 million] for a whole county to give homeless people a shower and a place to get out of the rain and a place to wash their clothes, what kind of society are we?” Steves said.
SEATTLE (AP) — Sarah Wozniewicz gave Ottawa the lead, rookie Peyton Hemp scored her first goal and Gwyneth Philips posted her first shutout of the season as the Charge blanked Seattle 2-0 on Sunday despite the return of Torrent’s captain Hilary Knight.
Ottawa (6-7-1-9) moved two points in front of the Toronto Sceptres for the fourth and final playoff spot with a match in hand and seven remaining in the regular season.
Seattle Torrent captain, Olympic champion Hilary Knight activated from injured reserve
Wozniewicz was in the right place to bang in a deflection after a shot by Kathryn Reilly hit the skate of a Seattle defender in front of the net at the 9:09 mark of the first period.
Hemp gave the Charge a 2-0 lead when she scored with 1:23 left in the second period. Hemp collected six assists through her first 22 matches.
Seattle began the third period on a two-minute power play after Ottawa forward Brianne Jenner was called for interference in the final second of the second. But Philips was up to the task, finishing with 25 saves.
Corinne Schroeder totaled 27 saves for Seattle (6-1-2-14). She saved a penalty shot by Jenner with 13:58 left to play.
Ottawa came in with a league-high 14 power-play goals but went 0 for 3 against Seattle. The Torrent came up empty on six tries with an extra skater.
Seattle activated Knight from long-term injured reserve before the match. Knight had three goals and seven assists in 14 games before sustaining an injury at the Winter Olympics.
The Charge beat the Torrent for a third straight time following a 4-1 loss in Seattle on Dec. 17.
Ottawa had been the only team without a regulation victory away from its primary home this season.
Up next
- Ottawa: Hosts the Toronto Sceptres on Wednesday.
- Seattle: Visits the New York Sirens on Saturday.
Seattle, WA
Where to watch Cleveland Guardians vs. Seattle Mariners: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Sunday, March 29
The Cleveland Guardians, ranked #1 in the AL Central, face the Seattle Mariners, ranked #4 in the AL West. The Mariners are favored with a moneyline of -170 and a spread of -1.5. Cleveland’s Slade Cecconi (ERA: 4.30) will start against Seattle’s Emerson Hancock (ERA: 4.90).
How to Watch Cleveland Guardians vs Seattle Mariners
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Time: 7:20 PM ET / 4:20 PM PT
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Where: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
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Team Records
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Cleveland Guardians: 2-1 (#1 in AL Central)
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Seattle Mariners: 1-2 (#4 in AL West)
Odds (via BetMGM)
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Spread: Seattle Mariners -1.5
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Moneyline: Seattle Mariners -150 / Cleveland Guardians +125
Starting Pitchers
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Cleveland Guardians: Slade Cecconi (2025 stats: 7-7, ERA: 4.30, K: 109, WHIP: 1.19, BB: 32)
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Seattle Mariners: Emerson Hancock (2025 stats: 4-5, ERA: 4.90, K: 64, WHIP: 1.38, BB: 31)
Weather: 44°F at first pitch
Seattle, WA
COUNTDOWN: Five weeks until you can help West Seattle Food Bank ‘Nourish & Flourish.’ Special guest revealed!
Five weeks from tonight – on Saturday, May 2 – you can help the West Seattle Food Bank “Nourish and Flourish” by being part of its annual dinneer and auction, as an attendee and/or sponsor. This week, a special guest was revealed – here’s the WSFB announcement:
The West Seattle Food Bank (WSFB) is pleased to announce that Seattle comedian Scott Losse will join this year’s Nourish & Flourish gala as a special guest, bringing humor and heart to an evening dedicated to community, compassion, and impact.
Losse — recently featured as an “Undisputable Champion of Comedy” in The Stranger — is known for his sharp, relatable takes on life in the Pacific Northwest and his ability to connect audiences through both humor and honesty.
At Nourish & Flourish, Losse will provide a moment of levity during the program, helping to balance the evening’s powerful stories of need and resilience with laughter—an essential ingredient in bringing communities together.
“This event is about nourishing hope,” said Robbin Peterson, Development Director at West Seattle Food Bank. “Scott’s ability to help people laugh, even in challenging times, reflects exactly what community looks like— showing up for one another with both compassion and joy.”
Losse’s connection to West Seattle Food Bank is deeply personal. His wife Janelle was inspired to pursue a career in social services and nonprofit work after volunteering as a child alongside her grandmother — who was one of WSFB’s volunteers in the early years of the food bank.
“That legacy of service — passed from one generation to the next — is exactly what we see every day at the food bank,” Peterson added. “It’s neighbors helping neighbors, steadfastly across time.”
Nourish & Flourish will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 4105 in SODO, bringing together 300 community members for an evening of storytelling, fundraising, and celebration. Proceeds support WSFB’s vital programs, including food access, housing stability, and essential services for thousands of neighbors across West Seattle.
In 2025 alone, West Seattle Food Bank distributed more than 2.25 million pounds of food, served over 23,000 individuals, and helped keep hundreds of families housed.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at:
westseattlefoodbank.org/nourish-and-flourish or bit.ly/NAF2026
WSB is media sponsor of Nourish & Flourish. See you there!
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