Welcome Room:

Come on in get a warm cup of tea or coffee, or a wonderful warm meal supplied by various churches in the area. Matthew House is always open so you can come in relax, read a magazine and just get refreshed, talk with friends, share concerns or find a warm listening ear from staff. Come in and meet the staff. We are here to offer love and support in any way we can. You are welcome to come us the restroom and just take a break. We are open Thursday thru Monday's from noon till 5 PM.

Child Care:

Child care is available only to those visiting someone in prison during the regularly scheduled afternoon visit hours. Children between the ages of 3 (potty trained) and 12 years of age are welcome.

You must call ahead as space is limited. We can only take some many children per worker so it is necessary for you to call ahead to make sure we have staff available for each visit. An adult must register children each visit. Only an authorized person may pick up the child. Lunch and a snack are served daily.

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If the prison determines you are not appropriately dressed for your visit at the visiting room that day, the guards may direct you to come to Matthew House and get clothes that are appropriate so you may go back and visit your loved one.

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Emergency food is available to the families of those incarcerated. The food is given to families to help sustain them over short periods of time until other resources can be utilized. (ie. Food bank, etc.) In addition, small supplies of baby food, diapers and formula are available. Our food supply is donated by community members and is sometimes limited to what is on hand. However we do try and supply families' with other community recourses that will assist long term.

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The really "hard time" of prison life is done by the wife, children and parents of an inmate. Loneliness, hurt, poor communication, shame, distance, increasing expenses and a very limited income, as well as a variety of other factors, create an over burdening challenge to the stability and future of an inmate's marriage and family life. All of our staff is here to reach out with open arms to the children and families with loved ones in prison. We offer them a place of safety and stability. We encourage them to come rest and relax while visiting loved ones. We are here to listen with love, support and compassion to these families. Our heart is to support families that come to Matthew House in any way we possibly can.

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Scheduled round trips are made from Seattle to the Department of Corrections. Institution areas include: Forks, Coyote Ridege, Monroe and Airway Heights. Trips are on Saturday and Sunday (except Coyote Ridge which is Monday.) Information and schedules may be obtained by calling the office between noon and 4pm. Because of its busy schedule, some trips must be limited. All riders must be on the institutions approved visiting lists.

Please contact the office at [email protected] to set up van rides.

Click here to see Van Trips flier Information

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Upstairs at Matthew House are three apartments that provide overnight accommodations to individuals and families who are traveling long distances to see a loved one. Most families are in financial distress and unable to pay for lodgings. If we were not here with accommodations, most would sleep in their cars, or be out in the street. Reservations must be made in advance and lodging is limited to two or three nights at a time. If rooms are available we try to guarantee "one stay a month" for families allowing each family a room. That allows more families to stay with us. After your one monthly stay each month, one needs to stop by and see if a room is available and is on a first come basis.

We offer rooms for women and children only. We cannot accommodate men or older boys at this time. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Please call us and we will try to recommend a local motel for reasonable rates.

To get information about a room or to make room reservations please e-mail us at [email protected].

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