Thursday, November 6, 2025
The Skoolie Foundation, a Puyallup-based nonprofit, has big plans for helping homeless individuals in Thurston County.
In 2023, Brandon Simmons founded The Skoolie Foundation in Pierce County with the mission of addressing homelessness, hygiene and hunger by turning "skoolies" into mobile shelters and resource hubs.
A skoolie is a decommissioned school bus that has been transformed into a fully outfitted living quarters that can operate off the grid and be parked wherever it is allowed.
"Our foundation’s principal purpose is to provide basic necessities to people in need; you can’t solve homelessness, but you can solve their individual issues.” said Simmons, who is a retired U.S. Marine. “Now we are here to foster dignity and hope in Thurston County.”
One of the many issues homeless people face is personal hygiene.
The foundation’s shower trailers are already providing showers every Thursday at the Olympia Union Gospel Mission from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Along with a shower, unhoused persons can receive a haircut, grab bag lunch and hear words of encouragement.
“I hadn’t had a decent shower in over a month,” said Patty as she walked away. “I am thankful for what it provided here; I wish there was a shelter here just for women.”
During an Olympia City Council meeting late last year, Kim Kondrat, Olympia’s Homeless Response Coordinator, said, “We have not had a women’s shelter at all in the city for many, many years, and so ongoing conversations with different faith communities — there’s a lot of barriers for them to overcome.”
Simmons may be able to help. His goal is to find a long-term site for a women’s empowerment campus in Thurston County. To help accomplish this goal, the foundation has partnered with Nurture Hope, a Thurston County nonprofit.
Nurture Hope has invested in similar resources, including mobile showers and mobile shelters, since 2019. However, to overcome recent challenges the organization decided to merge with Skoolie, thus creating The Skoolie Foundation Thurston County.
“Our goal is going to be to help women business owners get involved with women in need of housing, women who have come out of incarceration, out of homelessness or come out of the military, and they need somewhere as a safety net for the first six months coming out of that situation,” Simmons explained.
“And it can start with one shower at a time.”
5 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
Boatyarddog
Thank you Skoolie, Nature Help and all who work to Resore Dignity to Anyone Unfortunate enought to be in a position of need. We must step up as a community to help each other.
Friday, September 19 Report this
longtimeresident
I agree completely with Boatyarddog. Also, many thanks to those who have stepped up so far, to bring dignity to those most in need in our community - you are an inspiration!
Saturday, September 20 Report this
FZgorski
what a great story,..thanx skoolie and all non profits in Thurston county.....
Saturday, September 20 Report this
Porter
Great news!!!
Saturday, September 20 Report this
Boatyarddog
I had a Skoolie for 27 yrs. Sold it to a person in need of housing
Sunday, September 21 Report this