About Us

Our Purpose

The Hand Up Project is an advocacy group for the homeless and those who suffer from addiction. We are a resource facilitator for safe housing, detox, mental health support, addiction support, and community services.

We work for healthy communities in the following ways:

• By providing outreach to homeless encampments. We perform group outreaches in homeless encampments in Snohomish County, providing food and guiding people to available resources.
• Cleaning up homeless encampments.
• Assisting those in poverty to connect with resources at a weekly community breakfast.
• Assisting people struggling with addiction to get into detox and on the road to recovery.
• Providing safe community for people in recovery, including housing assistance and accountability.

We work closely with Trinity Lutheran Church, Hope Soldiers, The Hero’s Cafe which supports Veterans, and many more organizations throughout Snohomish County.

We provide a hand up to those we serve, supporting them as they work through the underlying issues that were a factor in becoming homeless, and empowering and leading them to contribute back to the greater community.

Our Vision

The vision of The Hand Up Project is to assist people struggling with substance abuse and destructive behavior that has led to homelessness. We provide support from those who have had the same experience and are now enjoying a new way of living. Some of the support and resources we provide include:

• Assessments: Field assessments to determine the client’s needs.
• Housing: Providing safe, clean communities for those in The Hand Up Project program.
• Accountability: Holding the willing to a level of healthy expectations.
• Alliances: Collaborating with other like-minded charitable organizations.
• Assistance: Guiding people to resources and walking the willing through the process for success.
• Transportation: Helping people get to resources.

Our goal is to empower the individuals in our program to achieve lasting and positive life developments by providing the necessary resources for them to work through the underlying causes of their homelessness and/ or addictions. Thereby reinforcing the health of the community at large.

Our Team

Robert Smiley President/Founder	Theresa Smiley Treasurer	Jim Phelps Vice President

Mike Riley Vice President of Operations and Business Development	Don Cann House Manager	Doug Larimer Marketing/Fundraising

Christy Schindler Board Member	Adam Ross Compliance & Oversight