By Donna Westfall – June 17, 2026
Hundreds and hundreds of people showed up. Speeches were given. Introductions were made. Wild applause and cheering.
To be in Daphne Cortese Lambert Dean’s presence was contagious. Her smile, her enthusiasm for a dream that has become a reality. Well, she could hardly contain her happiness. She said the facilities at 200 Williams Drive was the 36th place they looked at. There were so many hoops they had to jump through that none of the previous 35 would have worked. For three years, they’ve worked in concert to make this dream come true. For years we would hear and see Daphne and homeless volunteers clean up trash around town. She founded Mission Possible. Indeed, the seemingly impossible became possible with 60 bunk beds, a building completely renovated, new washers and dryers, showers and sitting rooms.
Who were the others that helped? This is just a partial list: Department of Health and Human Resources Director, Ranell Brown, Del Norte County Supervisor, Darren Short, Del Norte Senior Center, Sutter Coast Hospital, Pacific Pantry, Rotary Club, City of Crescent City, Open Door Community Center, Cornerstone Church, True North Organizing Network, Charlaine Mazzei, grant writer and finally Daphne who was aglow with happiness and excitement.
While waiting to get in line for a tour of the facility, I sat and spoke with a woman working for our school system and specifically with the 250 homeless teenagers. It was an eye opener. While some are still connected with their families, those same families may be living out of their car or on friends sofa’s. It’s an ever evolving situation when circumstances can change overnight. The main focus is to see that these teens continue to attend classes, get meals and even have access to laundry and showers.
After the tour, I asked Jim Larson about his life. He experienced homelessness for 38 years until he turned his life around. Now he’s working with Mission Possible. They expect the first five people to move in by the end of this month.
Faith in conjunction with community involvement miraculously made this dream come true.
