Sequim’s Police Department is moving forward with a new pilot program to help low-income persons and/or those in poor health during emergencies.

Monies from non-governmental organizations, namely churches and service agencies, would go to the Human Services Emergency Fund overseen by the City of Sequim so that police could provide individuals/families with hotel room vouchers, emergency cash cards for clothing, meals and transportation.

“It’s a novel approach to dealing with crisis,” Police Chief Bill Dickinson said.

He emphasized that cash wouldn’t go to those in need but rather toward vouchers for food, gas and/or sleeping bags.

“It takes care of immediate needs that may be happening in the middle of the night,” Dickinson said. “It’s another mechanism for us to help.”

The fund was co-coordinated by the Rev. Bob Rhoads from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church after he and church members found requests for assistance growing exponentially in recent years. Church and service agency leaders met in March to discuss options, which led to the formation of the fund.

“I think this is an exciting partnership with the community, city council, police and faith community,” Rhoads said. “This is win-win for everyone.”

So far, Rhoads said his church, Trinity United Methodist Church and an anonymous donor have contributed $500 each to the fund.

Rhoads said the fund is based on a concept from California that he knew could work here and it establishes two priorities.

The first is to be more effective and efficient in providing aid to people rather than them going from place to place. The second is to prevent individuals from abusing the benevolence of churches.

Following the March meeting, leaders with churches and service agencies are now on a service list that shows when they provide assistance, Rhoads said, so that they’ll know what one another is doing.

“The advantage of a centralized system is that many of the people who walk in are in crisis mode 95 percent of the time but now we can refer them to the police department for this or if it’s for their electricity bill, then they can go to Sequim Community Aid,” he said.

Dickinson said there are a lot of scenarios where someone may need help in a crisis in the middle of the night and because Sequim doesn’t have a homeless shelter, the fund “allows us to make sure someone is safe.”

He said the fund isn’t a substitute for service agencies or programs. Because an incident may be happening in the middle of the night, police officers could provide a hotel voucher and bus pass and then encourage individuals to contact a service agency the next morning.

For the fund to move forward, Sequim city councilors unanimously approved a resolution to establish it on April 25.

City Attorney Craig Ritchie said it’ll be overseen by the city’s financial staff and the state auditor to avoid any issues and so that churches and service agencies can see what services are being provided.

Ritchie said police serve many roles as the city’s “social services provider, mental health provider, community health provider as well law enforcement” so city staff is “willing to see if (the fund) works.”

City Councilor Candace Pratt said, “It will be very important for the city to contribute a sum of money, perhaps $5,000 to this fund, because we have no homeless shelter.

“We have so few facilities for the homeless and indigent,” she said. “This is such a good beginning. I’m very pleased with it.”

Churches and service agencies meet again at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 19, at St. Luke’s, 525 N. Fifth Ave., with a presentation by Serenity House of Clallam County.

For more information about the fund and/or to donate, call the police department at 683-7227.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.