introducing tina tate

Friendship House is excited to welcome our new Executive Director, Tina Tate! Tina recently served as Friendship House Board President in 2011 and 2012 and was a dedicated member of our Board of Directors for many years.

Tina deeply loves Friendship House and says it is her dream to be able to serve as Executive Director. Her story with our organization started nearly 10 years ago, when Tina was a resident of Friendship House. This is her story:

Friendship House changes lives. I know this from personal experience.

My story is probably pretty typical for a lot of people. I was raised in a bad environment with abuse and a lot of sadness. When I left home at an early age, I was totally unprepared for the world I was entering.

Many years passed. Two marriages dissolved. Mom died the year after Dad did. I moved from Skagit County to Portland, Oregon, to be with “the love of my life.” When he left me a year later, I was devastated. I went back to bartending and heavy drinking. My drug issues resurfaced while in Portland.

I ended up homeless. I lived under bridges and on the streets of Portland, doing drugs for two years before moving back to Skagit County. When I arrived in Mount Vernon, I was told that Friendship House was a good place to stay, so I went there to find shelter. What I found was a lot more than shelter. I found help and a home. I found love and acceptance. I found myself and salvation.

Friendship House helped me recover so that I could heal. I found a job with Skagit Publishing, and Friendship House made sure that I had clothing appropriate for work and food for lunch. I moved up in the company and eventually became the Circulation Manager. I am more successful than I have ever been in my life and I owe that to Friendship House and Skagit Publishing.

Friendship House saved my life seven years ago. I am immensely grateful for its existence.