Seattle Seafarers Center

The Seattle Seafarers Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and is an ecumenical partnership between the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, and the Lutheran Northwest Washington Synod. The Center is an affiliate of Stella Maris, the Mission to Seafarers, and NAMMA. We also regularly collaborate with the ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation) to advocate for seafarers' rights.

Merchant Ship Visiting is the primary program of the Center. We visit every merchant cargo ship which berths in the Port of Seattle, welcome the crew, check in on their mental health and wellbeing, offer low-cost SIM cards so they can communicate with family back home, and provide transportation to downtown and local shopping malls.

Another major program of the Center is our Cruise Ship Shuttle Service. During cruise ship season, we operate a daily shuttle service which takes crewmembers from Pier 91 to downtown Seattle.

We also run our annual Ditty Bag Program. In the fall, the Center collects donations of toiletries and hand-knit hats, and with the help of our many volunteers, we assemble over a thousand "ditty bag" care packages to give to seafarers during the holiday season.