Our Mission
Support equitable access to safe, just, and warm places to call home for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Thurston County.
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Values
Housing
First
We believe that people will thrive, heal, and find personal success if they first have a place to live, instead of waiting for individuals to ‘earn’ or ‘prove’ that they are ‘housing-ready.’ Most people struggle to improve their situation if they do not have their basic needs of shelter, warmth, and food met.
Harm
Reduction
Harm reduction is an approach to life that attempts to reduce risk, harm, or negative outcomes often caused by environmental factors or by human behaviors. We believe humans are imperfect and live in an unpredictable world, and so strive to help reduce harm or pain that comes from these circumstances.
People-Led Services
OlyMAP works in collaboration with our program participants, assisting people with using their strengths/skills to identify and accomplish goals for themselves. In this way, people are better supported and empowered to maintain agency, work on improving their quality of life, and meet their own needs.
Trauma-Informed Care
We believe that individuals who have suffered trauma require an approach to interaction that honors and considers what they have experienced. Trauma informed care means we understand that what has happened to someone matters and has very real impacts on how they see and interact with the world.
History
Our journey from a small group of activists and volunteers to a 501(c)(3) non-profit with several ongoing, fully-funded programs.
In 2016, two local Olympians (Tye Gundel and Renata Rollins), formed a grassroots advocacy group called Just Housing Olympia (JHO). JHO was composed of housed and unhoused community members and was dedicated entirely to advocating for the rights of unhoused people and the de-criminalization of homelessness. In 2018, the advocacy group expanded their scope of work to provide direct health, safety, and self-governance support to encampments in Thurston County. This work was done completely through volunteering and community donations.
As the number of people experiencing homelessness continued to grow, so did the need for encampment support such as garbage removal, laundry services, survival supplies, and self-governance assistance. To continue supporting the growing presence of encampments in Olympia, JHO needed access to new and additional sources of funding far beyond what community donations and volunteer work could sustain. JHO members decided to divide and create a new, incorporated and fiscally sponsored organization that would adopt and carry on the encampment support work previously done by JHO. And so, Olympia Mutual Aid Partners (OlyMAP) was officially created.
In 2022, OlyMAP became an independent non-profit with 501(c)3 status. As we have grown from managing a single pilot program to several fully functioning programs, we hope to further our mission and work with those living unsheltered in Thurston County.
We are on the land of Coast Salish Nations: Nisqually, Stl’pulmsh (Cowlitz), Squaxin, Sq’Ê·ayáɬaqtmš (Chehalis) and Steilacoom. These peoples have ancient and current practices that are important to learn about as we are settlers on this land. These Tribes and peoples have been living in the watershed for thousands of years, their practices, cultures and values are thriving today.