Community Health & Wellness

Gig Harbor-area community resource guide

Posted on November 21st, 2025 By:

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering who to call, where to start, or how to get help in our little corner of the South Sound, this guide is for you.

The Gig Harbor area has many organizations that help keep local families supported, fed, informed, and connected. But sometimes the trickiest part is simply knowing what’s out there. So here’s a friendly, no-stress starting point.

From parent support and youth programs to housing help, mental health resources, crisis lines, and community nonprofits doing all they can: we’ve gathered the essentials in one easy place. Whether you’re facing something hard, helping a neighbor, concerned about a teen or just planning ahead, you’ll find clear contacts and quick descriptions to point you in the right direction.

Immediate Help

Regional Call Lines:

Call 211 for live support, information and referral services.

Call 911 for emergencies.

Call 988 for the suicide and crisis lifeline.

Preparedness

Pierce County ALERT offers free emergency notifications via recorded phone calls, emailw, and text messages. Stay informed about emergencies affecting your home, workplace, or children’s school:

  • Sign up online
  • Call 253-798-6595
  • Text “PCALERT” to 888-777

Referral Services 

South Sound 211

South Sound 211 is a free, confidential, one-stop phone call referral service and online directory anyone can use. The service links those in need with up-to-date local resources. It serves students, parents, older adults, and folks just trying to get through a tough moment. The program supports Pierce, Thurston, and Lewis counties, so make sure to tap “Add my location” under the directory’s search bar and enter your zip code so the results filter to local places near you. See the 211 Services Flyer for more info. To get help at South Sound 211:

  1. Dial the three digit number 2-1-1 on your cell phone or home phone.
  2. Browse the online resource database 
  3. Text “211WAOD” to the number 898211

During the call or text chat, trained specialists listen to what’s going on and then help match callers with local programs providing assistance in areas such as:

  • Utility bill payments
  • Finding free or affordable food, housing and healthcare 
  • Locating childcare and after-school programs 
  • Entrance to warming or cooling centers
  • Elder care
  • Crisis support

KCR.org

Kitsap Community Resources is a nonprofit social services agency for low-income Kitsap County residents that offers online guides to a variety of places those in need can find local aid. Guides examples include the:

The Washington Recovery Helpline

This confidential program that provides referral services in crisis intervention for Washington State residents. Professionally trained volunteers and staff are available to provide emotional support 24 hours a day, and offer local treatment resources for substance abuse, problem-gambling and mental health.

Washington Recovery Help Line

Homelessness & Emergency Shelters

Harbor Hope Center 

This Gig Harbor youth shelter offers emergency housing for young people in need at 3781 Rosedale St. NW in Gig Harbor. Here’s a closer look at what’s offered there:

  • Housing for youth ages 18 to 24 only
  • Shelter and food
  • Mentoring and referrals to other aid
  • Transportation

Homeless Safe Parking Program

Gig Harbor’s St. John’s Episcopal Church with the nonprofit group Family Promise of Puget Sound offers a safe place to park for folks living in their cars. The service is available to cars (but no RVs or tents) from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily in a limited number of spots and requires a pre-screening process at signup. A case manager also helps with future housing and employment placement. Visit the Consultation page online to fill out the intake form. Family Promise of Puget Sound was previously called Family Promise of Pierce County.

Pierce County’s Shelter Availability Database

Check for open spots at Pierce County shelters online.

  • Openings are updated on weekdays by 10 a.m.

 Housing Solutions Centers for Kitsap County 

These centers are a first-stop option for matching folks with emergency shelters, rental and deposit assistance, and landlord referrals. Center locations include: Port Orchard, 3200 SE Rainshadow Ct. | (360) 473-2146; Bremerton, 1201 Park Ave. | (360) 473-2035; Bremerton’s Coffee Oasis for ages 13–25 only, 837 4th St. | (360) 377-5560. The centers are managed by KCR with coordinated partners across Kitsap County. Each center offers help with:

  • Finding open spots at local emergency shelters
  • Housing rental and deposit assistance
  • Landlord referrals and subsidized housing
  • Transportation to shelters

Tacoma Rescue Mission

425 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma
(253) 383-4493 | trm.org

The mission offers a separate men’s and women’s overnight shelters that also offer:

  • Breakfast daily from 7:30–8:30 a.m. 
  • Dinner daily from 5–6 p.m.
  • Case management
  • Recovery programs 
  • Mail and laundry services
  • Clothing room on Wednesdays from 1–3 p.m.
  • Free legal clinic and employment help.

Tacoma-Pierce Public Health Dept. SNAP Benefit Help 

This detailed food resources map will help you find food resources near you.

Tacoma-Pierce Public Health Dept. Warming Shelters 

Indoor areas that provide somewhere to go during extreme cold, snow, or rain.

  • Call 360-373-3000 before 7 p.m. for free transportation to the nearest warming shelter available in Port Orchard, Silverdale, Kingston, and Bremerton.
  • The warming stations are offered 24 hours a day, everyday, from November to March each year.

YMCA Shower Access Program 

YMCA locations offer showers to those in need with no membership required. The shower program launched in spring 2020 in response to COVID-19 restrictions, leaving many without homes and a place to shower every day. The details are:

  • Free 30-minute access from 6 to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday at the Tom Taylor Family YMCA, 10550 Harbor Hill Drive, Gig Harbor.
  • All centers will stop accepting shower guests after 7:30 p.m.
  • Aside from Gig Harbor, other nearby locations include:

Bremerton Family YMCA | Monday-Friday | 6-8 a.m.
2261 Homer Jones Dr Bremerton, WA 98310

Haselwood Family YMCA | Monday-Friday | 6-8 a.m.
3909 NW Randall Way Silverdale, WA 98383

Food Assistance

Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Food Bank

4303 Burnham Dr., Gig Harbor

(253) 858-6179 |  [email protected] | ghpfish.org

With community support and donations, the Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Food Bank provides food and other assistance to greater Gig Harbor, Fox Island, Key Peninsula and southern Kitsap County. Call FISH at 253-851-8800 or visit the following links to see the services offered, such as:

  • Weekly groceries offered at the food bank, offered in a self-shopping model layout
  • Clothing and household items
  • Financial aid for utilities, rent, and prescriptions. Eligibility required. Referrals to other organizations can be made.
  • Student financial aid for things like books and supplies. Eligibility required.
  • The food bank is open from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays; 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday; closed Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday.

Food Backpacks 4 Kids

9127 154th Ave Ct NW, Lakebay

(253) 857-7401 | [email protected]

Food Backpacks 4 Kids offers food and assistance to youth and families with various programs that are always free and confidential:

  1. Food Backpacks Program: Nearly 5,000 backpacks filled with child-friendly food were provided last school year to students at 14 schools within Peninsula School District. The program is open to any Peninsula School District student; and more schools can be added by request.
  2. Family Resource Center: Available to anyone in need of assistance beyond food. Free diapers and wipes, diaper cream, feminine hygiene products, dish soap, laundry soap, paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, lotion, and more. Trained staff can help people navigate local resources during times of difficulty.
  3. Care Cupboards: Allows children to choose foods they need for themselves and their families to take home; kids can discreetly pack their own backpacks. Last school year, we provided over 19,000 pounds of snacks and easy meal items for kids to access at school.
  4. Family Pantry

The YMCA Giving Tree Program

Families within Peninsula School District with children age 18 and younger can apply to receive gifts to open on Christmas morning through the YMCA Giving Tree Program. Applications are due Dec. 1, 2025 and ask for for family contact info, household size, the child’s name, age and clothing size. Also include the child’s wishlist plus a short statement of overall need. Approval notifications go out by Dec. 5, 2025. Contact Sarah at [email protected] or call 253-534-7859 with questions or for those who need help completing the form.

 

 

Peninsula School District’s Community Transitions Program

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act was authorized by Congress in December 2001 as part of the No Child Left Behind Legislation. The purpose of the Act is to remove barriers to education for homeless/transitional students and provide educational support and stability.

The goal of the Peninsula School District’s McKinney-Vento Program is to keep all students in school. We also want to assist families in staying involved in their children’s education and reducing risks they may face. Peninsula School District’s Student Services Department can provide information to assist students who find themselves in temporary or transitional housing during the school year.

The KP Partnership 

  • Identifies hunger, transportation, childcare, and health and wellness as primary issues that affect well-being on the Key Peninsula
  • Support for kids and families

Pierce County Human Services

Various services for eligible households that meet low-income criteria:

  • Eviction Prevention: Assists eligible households with past due rent in unincorporated Pierce County.
  • Energy Assistance / Weatherization: Low-income households (outside City of Tacoma) may qualify for energy bill assistance and home weatherization improvements (insulation, sealing, furnace repair).
  • Home Repair Program: For eligible homeowners outside Tacoma and Lakewood who need health and safety‐related repairs to their homes.
  • Fair Housing Resources: Assistance with discrimination in housing, rights, and referrals.
  • Housing & Quality Standards, Affordable Housing Development & Financing: Offers funding and incentives to build and maintain affordable housing to developers and owners.

National Runaway Teen Hotline

Help for children and teens who have run away from home or are being abused Talk about your unique circumstance with an experienced professional and receive information on resources are available to find help. Visit helpisaclickaway.org | Call or text 1-800-422-4453 anytime | Live chat and email are available 24/7 here. Concerned friends and family members may also use this service to find resources and learn how best to care for at-risk youth.

The Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families Helpline

This state program serves Region 5 for Kitsap and Pierce counties by providing a helpline for at-risk youth by calling 888-713-6115 to:

  • Report child abuse or neglect
  • Get support and information
  • State help publications are available by calling 1-800-723-4831 or emailing [email protected]

Care Net of Puget Sound

carenetps.org

Care Net mobile clinic locations offer family-planning medical services. The program is free and doesn’t bill insurance. Care Net partners with other agencies for safe, accessible parking for the mobile clinic’s various regional locations, including the Gig Harbor location at  2727 Hollycroft St., Suite #130 (call 253-858-5585). Check out the scheduling page for the following services:

Senior Care & Services

Gig Harbor Senior Center

Peninsula Lutheran Church, 6509 38th Ave NW, Gig Harbor. Community programs, activities, and meals for residents age 60 and older. Formerly called the “Active Senior Club,” the Gig Harbor Senior Center is a program of the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation and operates at an interim location at Peninsula Lutheran Church in Gig Harbor.

  • Senior center hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • There’s a weekly lunch program Monday and Wednesday at noon. 

 Catholic Community Services Senior Nutrition Program 

  • The CCS Lunch program offers a hot meal for those ages 60 and older, accepting a suggested $3.50 donation.
  • For those age 59 and younger: meals cost $6 and served on Monday and Wednesday.
  • Home-Delivered Meals, often referred to as “Meals-On-Wheels” and “Senior Lunch Sites,” offer frozen meals for older adults unable to leave home (menu). Open to Pierce County seniors. Check out the eligibility terms or call 253-474-1300.

Senior Citizen Utility Discount, City of Gig Harbor 

  • Discount rate on utilities for low-income senior citizens age 62 and older who have a City of Gig Harbor utility bill in their name. Service is provided to those who are permanent, year-round residents in the City of Gig Harbor’s service area.
  • Call (253) 851-6157; or visit the city online at gigharborwa.gov/313/Utilities-Division  

Mustard Seed Project

www.themustardseedproject.org

This group promotes independent living and quality of life for seniors residing on the Key Peninsula by providing services and programs in transportation, information and referral, health and wellness, senior housing options, community education, and nutrition. It also has coordinated senior rides for:

  • Medical visits
  • Shopping
  • Activities

Key Peninsula Senior Resource Guide

  • A program of The Mustard Seed Project of Key Peninsula

Rides

Key Peninsula Community Services

www.keypeninsulacommunityservices.org

[email protected]

Phone: (253) 884-4440 

  • Offering meal delivery
  • Rides to activities (Once a Month)
  • Shopping Trips (One Monday per month)

Disabled and/or in need of medical transportation:

Envoy America – (888) 375-5558

Around the Sound – (253) 858-7088

Pierce Transit at Purdy Park & Ride

Call: 581-8000 or visit piercetransit.org

Emergency Preparedness 

Power Outages & Medical Emergency 

tpchd.org/outage

Preparedness help through the Tacoma-Pierce County Department of Health. For folks using life-sustaining equipment when the power goes out, the department has the following tips:

Prepare for outages with:

  • Battery backups for medical devices
  • Generator use (never indoors)
  • Manual alternatives (e.g., suction pumps)
  • Supply of refrigerated meds, oxygen tanks
  • Caregiver training & emergency drills

Stay Informed:

  • Sign up for Smart911 and PCALERT
  • Use the FEMA mobile app for alerts and emergency planning

Puget Sound Energy’s “Life Support Status”

Apply for “Life Support Status” with Puget Sound Energy by calling 1-888-225-5773. When a customer account is approved for Life Support status, a seal is placed on the electric meter to ensure that field personnel know that critical medical equipment is in use at the residence. Life Support status customers also receive advanced notice for scheduled outages, including Public Safety Power Shutoffs, when possible, and 48 hours’ notice before disconnection of service due to failure to pay.

National Call Lines

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or Text 988 any time for immediate help
  • National Call Center for Homeless Veterans: 1-877-4AID-VET (424-3838) offering housing and supportive VA services available.

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