The Gathering Place offers social services to Blaine area

Blaine resident Joe Zaccaria saw north Whatcom County residents required help to connect with various social services and figured he was the one who needed to step up and provide that help through The Gathering Place.

In 2020, Zaccaria began brainstorming how to better serve the community after his Los Angeles corporate security contract tapered off earlier that year. He became board certified as a mental health coach by the American Association of Christian Counselors and ordained as a chaplain through the International Fellowship of Chaplains. As a chaplain, Zaccaria was trained to actively listen and support people going through times of grief and hardship without judgment.

He started volunteering as a chaplain with local nonprofit Community Assistance Program’s Food Connection to help people who needed support beyond food assistance. As demand grew, he opened his chaplain’s office at 264 H Street in June 2021, paying for everything entirely from his savings for the first seven months.

Zaccaria said he listens to anyone who walks through his door, helps them establish goals and connects them to other community resources such as Sea Mar, Unity Care NW and Opportunity Council. He said he typically helps about a dozen people per week, although numbers fluctuate.

“With Blaine being so isolated from resources, people need help,” he said. “They need people that can connect them to help.”

Zaccaria has supported 25 east Whatcom County flood victims by helping children work through grief and gather assistance for families who needed temporary housing, food and gas assistance. He has helped over 500 people schedule and attend Covid-19 vaccine appointments, covered copay costs in emergency situations, supported people through detox treatment, and sent messages of support and encouragement to those who need it.

“I have to believe that over time the kinds of things and situations that happen in people’s lives will come full circle,” he said. “It’s not always glorious stories of success. It’s chipping away and helping them find solutions at the right time.”

Over the past two years, Zaccaria said the moment that stood out the most was helping a man seeking asylum in Canada who was turned away at the U.S./Canada border. The man was ordered to stay in Blaine for a month while waiting to appear in immigration court but didn’t have any housing, food or clothing. After a lengthy process and uncertainty over asylum status, Zaccaria said he was able to help the man get asylum status through discovering a relative in Canada.

“This person calls me every few weeks. ‘I got a car. I got a job. You saved my life,’” Zaccaria said. “I’m like, ‘I think God did that. I just did the paperwork.’”

Right now, he’s helping two women who applied for asylum in the U.S. but, because they haven’t been granted asylum, he said they can’t work and aren’t eligible for any state or federal social programs. He said a big problem he sees in Whatcom County is insufficient programs and funding for asylum seekers.

As a Christian, Zaccaria said he’s always been drawn to service – from volunteering as a chaplain in prisons to helping Thai rice farmers establish small businesses to boost their economy while he was living there.

“We serve everybody here. It doesn’t matter if you have faith or no faith at all, we’re going to serve you,” he said. “We don’t care about your lifestyle or sexual orientation. None of that matters here. What matters is you’re in need and we’re going to do our best with the resources we have to help you.”

The Gathering Place became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and charity last October and has relied on community contributions. The organization is now trying to raise $80,000 in 2022 to better serve the Blaine community.

Zaccaria said the money pays the rent and provides assistance. He hopes the organization grows in the future to better serve the community, he said.

“If you’re feeling down or desperate, don’t sit at home and keep thinking about it. Reach out to someone you know who cares, us, the crisis line at Community Assistance Program or the various help lines,” Zaccaria said. “Don’t keep that in because it will destroy you. Share it with someone, get it out in the open and hopefully get with people who can connect you with resources.”

The Gathering Place, 264 H Street Suite B, is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. To contact Zaccaria, call 360/217-9114 or email blainechaplain@outlook.com.