According to Dictionary.com, kith is a noun that means: “acquaintances, friends, neighbors, or the like; persons living in the same general locality and forming a more or less cohesive group.” Locally, KITH is better known as the not-for-profit agency founded in 1989 (as Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing) with the mission to unite with individuals and families to confront homelessness and to build safe and healthy communities.

Thanks to the support of our Kirkland and Eastside friends and neighbors, you helped KITH create a safer, healthier community last year right here in our own neighborhood:

• KITH served 42 households with housing and case management services.

• KITH case managers provided 2,500 hours of case management for homeless families.

• More than 2,500 nutritious meals were served to homeless and low income people at KITH’s weekly Community Supper.

• Nine families graduated from KITH’s transitional housing program, and eight moved to permanent, stable housing (89 percent success rate).

• KITH created a Life Coach Program to assist those living in permanent supportive housing to increase income and access to economic opportunities, build assets and make gains toward economic independence.

• 172 households received holiday food and gifts. The list of donors grew again this year and we are so grateful for the support.

• KITH volunteers gave more than 2,500 hours.

• KITH preserved 12 units of affordable housing through a major renovation of Salisbury Court, a KITH transitional and supportive housing property; Synergy Construction and the King County Weatherization Program took the lead on the approximately $383,000 project, which included new siding, electrical, plumbing, insulation and all new windows.

• KITH had a successful first annual Fighting Homelessness Luncheon in 2010, and the first Kirkland Street Scramble, put on by Meridian Geographics.

Over the past few years the economy has hit everyone hard. KITH’s clients are no exception. We’re seeing poverty and homelessness on a daily basis, and have been leveraging our resources and collaborating with other human services agencies to fill every need we can. Like any business, under the governance of a strong Board of Directors, KITH’s team has worked diligently to stabilize, clarify priorities, and focus on the basics. We’ve been putting strong processes in place to make sure we are effective and our clients receive the optimal level of support and help with every dollar and every in-kind donation. KITH case managers work closely with each family as they pursue their unique individual goals which will move them toward the ultimate goal of self-sufficiency.

This year KITH will continue focus on the core programs of the agency and begin to build a platform so we can take advantage of opportunities as the economy improves.

Among our goals for 2011:

• Repair the siding at Petter Court 1, a KITH transitional housing property ($25,000).

• Continue to implement process improvement for specific activities that benefit homeless families.

• Develop a new evaluation tool to evaluate KITH programs and provide more meaningful program information for our donors and community.

• Diversify and increase number of Board members.

• Continue to build on fund-raising successes to generate funds to be used for potential expansion.

We invite the community to support KITH and learn more about our work at our 2nd Annual “Fighting Homelessness” Luncheon, March 11 at the Woodmark Hotel. Bill Block, project director of Committee to End Homelessness, will speak on ending homelessness in King County. There is a suggested minimum donation of $100.