Our Mission

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​The Seattle Seafarers Center (the Center) provides a vital role caring for the wellbeing of seafarers who visit major ports of the inland waters of Puget Sound.

 

The mission of the Center is to welcome and care for seafarers who visit Puget Sound. The Center provides that care through ship visits, transportation, chaplaincy, advocacy, and offering communication tools (SIM cards) and other basic necessities (e.g., shopping) for seafarers.

 

In addition, the Center fosters leadership and vocational development through its internship program. Finally, the Center regularly engages in outreach with local communities to raise up the visibility of seafarers. Outreach is focused first on local communities of faith, and we are expanding to other partners in the maritime industry such as the Seattle Propeller Club and the Transportation Club. We also work with local communities to sponsor an annual holiday ditty bag drive, where we pack and give out over 1,000 care packages to seafarers.​

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Our Vision

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The vision of the Center is to make visible the invisible seafarer.

 

Seafarers often go unnoticed. Our goal is to help crews know they are seen and cared for. We also hope that because of our work with seafarers, other people in the community will have a better awareness about the existence of these essential workers and the challenges they face while at sea. Because 90% of the worlds goods are transported over water, seafarers are crucial to ensuring that basic necessities of life are available. They are also more than "the human element" in the supply chain. They are fathers and sons, mothers and daughters with the same hopes and concerns that any person shares.

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Equity Statement

 

The Seattle Seafarers Center serves all seafarers, regardless of position, nationality, language, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, ability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. 

 

We recognize that many seafarers face unique challenges due to the aforementioned identities they hold, and we are committed to advocating for their rights and for all seafarers to be treated with respect and dignity.​

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Our Core Values

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Four core principles form the foundation for the Center's work. Those include:

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• Hospitality

• Collaboration

• Mutuality

• Service​

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