In 2025, Providence celebrated a new way for caregivers to engage in their communities through Mission Service Opportunities. These activities focus on issues related to houselessness – a need that touches every community in Providence’s seven-state service area.
“Our activities are focused on developing hearts for service by giving our caregivers opportunities to connect with those who are poor and vulnerable,” said Sr. Susanne Hartung, SP, executive sponsor of Mission Service Opportunities.
The program currently includes 32 active sites where caregivers serve each month, and new opportunities are added regularly through expanding partnerships, including Catholic Community Services.
Over 1,700 people participated in service opportunities ranging from food banks, supportive housing, mobile health vans and more. Two service events were held at Providence’s corporate offices, where hundreds of caregivers gathered to assemble a total of 3,600 hygiene kits for our unhoused neighbors.
“Providence caregivers make a profound impact on the guests we serve at the Federal Way Day Center. Their monthly meal service brings nourishment and dignity to people experiencing homelessness, and the supply kits they assemble provide essential items that many of our guests would otherwise go without,” said Emily Meyer, deputy director, Coordinated Care Agency of Catholic Community Services of Western Washington. “Their generosity extends even further through purchasing much-needed items from our wish list, ensuring our Day Center can continue to meet people’s basic needs. More than anything, their kindness, compassion and genuine care for our community shine through every time they walk through our doors. Their presence reminds our guests that they are seen, valued and not alone.”
