Travel writer and television host Rick Steves acquired a property last month to prevent the closure of a hygiene center in the Seattle area. The Lynnwood Hygiene Center, which provides showers, laundry facilities, and hot meals to homeless residents, had been scheduled to cease operations following the sale of its previous site to a developer. Steves' identity as the anonymous donor was revealed last week, with his commitment to maintain the center's free services.
The center, managed by the Jean Kim Foundation, had operated rent-free on the property since 2020. Its impending closure, announced in November, prompted Steves to intervene after he learned about it through a local online newspaper shortly before the scheduled shutdown. Steves stated that he had previously been unaware of the center's existence or its services.
Steves purchased the property for $2.25 million. An additional $400,000 in community donations has been secured to fund renovations and expand the center's services. Sandra Mears, Executive Director of the Jean Kim Foundation, confirmed that these funds will enable the center to continue serving approximately 700 individuals, providing an estimated 16,000 hot meals and 10,000 showers annually.
Steves commented on the purchase as a necessary response to a perceived deficiency in public priorities, rather than a model for sustained essential services. He emphasized that private donations should not consistently be required to maintain fundamental community provisions.