Published November 2005

Autumn Leaf House
offers shelter, hope

Snohomish County Business Journal/ JOHN WOLCOTT Autumn Leaf House will open in Marysville to provide housing and independence skills for pregnant mothers. The home’s Catholic Community Services programs will be managed by Jean Clancy (left). Sharon Paskewitz (right) also will oversee the new venture.

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

Autumn Leaf House, a new transitional residence for as many as eight homeless women and up to 14 children, will open Nov. 7 in Marysville, a month ahead of schedule. Managed by Catholic Community Services’ Family Center in Everett, the facility will provide shelter for homeless women and their children.

The grand-opening program is set for 10 a.m., with Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon as master of ceremonies. Others attending include Marysville Mayor Dennis Kendall; Larry Stickney, representing Snohomish County Councilman John Koster; and representatives from the Housing Authority of Snohomish County and Catholic Community Services.

The new facility will offer services similar to Seton House, the successful venture for homeless, pregnant women built and supported by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in the Bothell-Mill Creek area and managed by Catholic Community Services.

Located in the former Quil Ceda House for developmentally disabled persons at 615 Cedar Ave., the Marysville residence is one of the first projects funded by the new Snohomish County Affordable Housing Trust Fund and the new Washington State Operating and Maintenance Fund.

After the Quil Ceda House program outgrew the home, the Housing Authority of Snohomish County bought the property, then offered it to Catholic Community Services (CCS) as a partnership venture to serve the needs of homeless, single mothers with children, including during pregnancy.

Autumn Leaf House is the first phase of a CCS program that moves residents from homelessness to permanent housing, and a new life. Residents will have completed an inpatient drug or alcohol treatment program before being assigned to the new group home. Then, they will receive CCS services designed to help them learn everything from parenting to independent-living skills.

“The women and children who will receive services at Autumn Leaf House are among the most vulnerable in our community,” said Sharon Paskewitz, chief of staff at the CCS Family Center. “They’ve gone through the worst part of their recovery; now they’re into therapy, counseling and planning for their future.”

Since last spring, the large, multi-room house in Marysville has been renovated to provide clean, comfortable rooms for the women and for the two resident managers who will oversee the programs offered there. The living room, laundry area, recreation room and kitchen have been cleaned, painted and re-furnished.  

Under the CCS program, the next step for the women who reside there will be a move to Mercy Corps’ Tree of Life transitional housing, an apartment complex in south Everett, and then to apartments at Timber Hill in east Everett, which the Everett Housing Authority purchased last August for low-income housing.

During their years with the CCS program, the residents receive intensive case management and counseling. Also, CCS provides assistance and training in child care, nutritional cooking, shopping, budgeting, time management, general housekeeping, hands-on parenting, conflict resolution, GED tutoring, job interviewing and job retention — all skills needed for independent living.

The staff and volunteers of Catholic Community Services helped more than 380 pregnant women and their children over the past year in Snohomish County. Autumn Leaf House will extend those outreach services into the north county area.

“We named it Autumn Leaf House because we think it suggests images of people turning over a new leaf, of new beginnings that come from fall leaves changing to spring greenery and new life,” Paskewitz said. “This will be the beginning of up to three years for clients who follow the program through various facilities as they learn to become independent.”

Residents will live at Autumn Leaf House for six to nine months before moving on to the Tree of Life apartments for 12 to 18 months, she said.

“They will be learning basic skills that most of us learn at home and take for granted, such as how to use a checking account, change diapers, budget their money and prepare for job interviews,” said Jean Clancy, the CCS program manager for Seton House who also will be overseeing the opening and operation of Autumn Leaf House.

She said the program will provide a focus on building a strong family structure, with curfews and baby bed times set and community living and sharing managed by CCS resident staff.

“But we also give them a lot of hope. Many of the women have lost hope that they can ever find a way out of their problems. We’re here to show them ways they never thought were possible. We see it make such a difference in a person,” she said.

Paskewitz said the Marysville community has been “extremely open and welcoming to us.”

“We’re excited about providing a service that is really needed, and we look forward to building a relationship with St. Mary’s church in Marysville, where we have gotten a very receptive response, just as we have developed support at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish,” Paskewitz said.

Funding for the Autumn Leaf program comes from grants and donations from the Washington Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development; the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Pacific Northwest Giving; Federal Home Loan Bank; Frontier Bank; and Impact Capital.

Information about Autumn Leaf House programs is available at 425-257-2111.

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