Addressing Affordability Together
Affordability is a pressing issue on Bainbridge Island, as BCF’s Community Report shows. Below is a key highlight.
But Bainbridge isn’t standing still. Local nonprofits, city leaders, and advocates are working together to create lasting solutions. Below are stories from three local nonprofits and the people whose lives they’ve touched.
George Kamau, 51, was not always an eldercare provider on Bainbridge Island with a dream of becoming a nurse. As a young man, he worked as an accountant, but worn down by the profession’s endless paperwork and lack of social interaction, he decided to study marketing. He soon found a job in hotel management and stayed for 20 years. Until July 2023, George lived in his native Kenya with his wife and four children, but a real estate investment and subsequent ownership dispute led to threats against his family—which ultimately led him to move to the United States.
A position at Bainbridge Senior Living meant he needed to find a place to live, so for a time, George rented a room in a house belonging to a colleague located in Bremerton. The 40-minute commute proved taxing.
Today he lives in HRB’s Dore Cabin, just a 7-minute drive from his job.
At Bainbridge Senior Living, George works as a medication technician, overseeing a team of caregivers and delivering much of the direct care himself. The work is deeply satisfying and a welcome contrast to his former profession. “I grew up knowing how to take care of others,” explains George. Read more.
Other articles from Housing Resources Bainbridge
The Gift of Childhood
Coming Home to Stay
Home at Last
“When I was a child my single mother and I received a lot of support from Helpline House. Everything from Christmas presents, school supplies, food, shoes, and other social services. As a lower-income family on Bainbridge Island and my mother being disabled I'm not sure how we would have survived without this place. I've never forgotten the kind people from Helpline House.”
- Anonymous Helpline House client
“There truly are no words to describe just how grateful my family and I are for everything you have done for us. From all the services you offer to the compassion you have shown to us in some of our toughest times. There is no way we would have been able to get by these last few months without you! The pantry has helped feed us and helped take some of the stress off. Then on top of everything the Thanksgiving grocery gift cards were more than we ever could have imagined. Thanks to all of you we had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thank you for all you do!”
- A grateful Islander
Learn more about Helpline House.
BARN Culinary Arts instructor Sandra Evanoff has put Kitsap County on the global map in the fight against food insecurity through her participation in the Global Social Gastronomy Movement’s World Food Day celebration. Most recently, she prepared 275 meals for the Salvation Army as part of the Universal Plate Campaign, an initiative spanning 30 countries worldwide.
The Universal Plate Campaign was created in 2020 by the Zurich-based Social Gastronomy Movement to relieve hunger during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sandra began taking part by providing 60 meals for Benedict’s House, an emergency men’s shelter in Bremerton. By 2022, the campaign had grown to include support from key community partners, including Fishline Food Bank, Central Kitsap Food Bank, Silverdale Lutheran Church, and Walmart. In 2023, with support from the food banks, the Salvation Army was included to receive the meals. Read more about BARN or learn more about Chef Sandra's community service projects.
Other articles from BARN
Thank You for an Amazing Season of Teen Night!
BARN Partners with Rambler Arts for SoundWave Scholarship Program
Did you know?
70 of the 81 nonprofits that were awarded funding through BCF’s 2025 Community Grants Cycle are tackling affordability issues in our community.
Want to learn more?
Contact us at info@bainbridgecf.org — we’d love to hear from you.
