The Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) is a non-profit organization based in Seattle, Washington. It serves the community by providing a range of services for homeless individuals, including shelter, health care, and employment support. DESC was founded in 1979 by a group of community activists who were concerned about the lack of resources for homeless persons in the area. Today, DESC operates ten different housing and outreach programs throughout Seattle, serving approximately 1,350 homeless individuals each day. The organization’s primary goal is to help people transition out of homelessness and into permanent housing. DESC offers a range of services to support this goal, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and case management services. In addition to housing services, DESC provides health care services to homeless individuals through partnerships with local health providers. The organization also offers mental health and substance abuse treatment services, job training and placement programs, and legal advocacy services to help people overcome the barriers that prevent them from achieving stable housing. Since its founding, DESC has become a national model for providing innovative, effective services to the homeless population. The organization is committed to serving the most vulnerable members of society with compassion and dignity.