Love Overwhelming

The Dangerous Reason We Aren't Talking to Our Kids About Fentanyl As a parent raising kids in Cowlitz County, I feel it. You probably feel it, too. By Chuck Hendrickson | Founder and Executive Director, Love Overwhelming The Dangerous Reason We Aren't Talking... You are not a counselor. You are not a drug educator. You are a parent in Cowlitz County. Whether you live in Longview, Kelso, Castle Rock, or Woodland, the fentanyl crisis isn't happening "somewhere else" anymore. It is right here. It moves quietly through our kids' Snapchats, WhatsApp group chats, and friend circles. But there is a dangerous trend happening in our own homes. Why are so many of us staying perfectly silent about the one thing that could save our kids' lives? The Silence That "Feels Safe" We think staying quiet is protective. We are afraid of saying the wrong thing. We worry that bringing up pills will somehow "plant the idea" in their heads or push them awa...

 Severe Weather Shelter | Longview, Washington - Cowlitz County  Love Overwhelming Severe Weather Shelter Longview, Washington | Cowlitz County Cold Weather Response When temperatures drop below freezing in Longview, survival becomes urgent. For neighbors living outside in Cowlitz County, 33 degrees is not just a number. It is the line between discomfort and danger. Love Overwhelming exists to extend hope by identifying needs and creatively serving the community. Severe Weather Shelter is one of the clearest expressions of that mission. It preserves life, reduces public health risk, protects neighborhoods, and creates a pathway to housing stability. Why Severe Weather Shelter Matters in Longview Cowlitz County continues to face a housing shortage. Affordable housing vacancy rates have been critically low, contributing to persistent instability . When supply is limited and rents rise, more people fall into homelessness. On any given night, more than 300 individuals in Cowlitz ...

A Civic Question for Cowlitz County | Love Overwhelming A Civic Question for Cowlitz County, Washington At 40 Degrees in the Rain, Shaming Is Not a Policy By Chuck Hendrickson Founder and Executive Director, Love Overwhelming Longview, Kelso, & Cowlitz County, Washington The question is not whether homelessness in Cowlitz County is complicated. It is. The question is whether shaming people experiencing homelessness in Longview and Kelso is an acceptable substitute for solutions in Southwest Washington. It is not. Key Takeaways 108 unique individuals served through Longview and Kelso cold weather shelters (Dec 2025 - Jan 2026). Hypothermia occurs above freezing in wet conditions common to Southwest Washington. Public shaming increases danger for people experiencing homelessn...

The Opioid Crisis in Cowlitz County, Washington  Fentanyl, Overdose Deaths, and What the Data Shows in Longview, Kelso, Castle Rock, Woodland, Kalama, and Toutle A Data Driven, Hyper Local Analysis for Cowlitz County Residents By Charles D. Hendrickson, Executive Director, Love Overwhelming Published February 5, 2026 Longview, Kelso, Cowlitz County, Washington State If you live in Longview WA, Kelso WA, Castle Rock WA, Woodland WA, Kalama WA, Toutle WA, or anywhere in Cowlitz County Washington, you have likely seen headlines about the opioid crisis. Editorials often frame the issue as a story about pharmaceutical companies destroying communities. That narrative may have applied twenty years ago. It does not fully explain what is happening in Cowlitz County today. As a resident of Southwest Washington, you deserve facts grounded in local data, not ideology. This analysis examines county and state level evidence to clarify what is actually driving overdose deaths in Cowlitz Coun...

 More Than a Roof 4 Unexpected Truths About How a Modern Severe Weather Shelter Actually Works Longview, Washington | Cowlitz County Emergency Response When most people hear the phrase severe weather shelter , they picture a simple solution: a warm room, a cot, and a blanket. A roof over someone’s head during freezing temperatures. That picture is not wrong, but it is incomplete. After eight consecutive nights of documented operations at the Severe Weather Shelter in Longview, Washington, the final data tells a much fuller story. What operated in Cowlitz County was not just a shelter. It was a coordinated care system, a public health intervention, and a community safety strategy working in real time. Here are four unexpected truths about how a modern severe weather shelter actually works and why it matters for Longview, Kelso, and all of Cowlitz County. It’s Not Just a Shelter. It’s a Pop-Up Healthcare Hub During activation, the shelter functioned as a temporary healthcare access ...

Severe Weather Shelter in Longview WA  Cowlitz County Emergency Response By Chuck Hendrickson, Founder & Executive Director, Love Overwhelming Longview, Washington | Cowlitz County When severe weather hits Longview, Washington , the consequences are immediate for people living outside. Freezing temperatures, heavy rain, wind, and snow quickly turn into life-threatening conditions. In Cowlitz County , severe weather shelter is not optional infrastructure. It is a critical public safety and emergency response system . At Love Overwhelming , we operate the Longview Severe Weather Shelter to ensure that when conditions meet activation thresholds, people have access to a warm, safe place indoors. This work is grounded in dignity, accountability, and coordination with the City of Longview and community partners across Cowlitz County. Severe Weather Shelter in Longview WA Is a Coordinated Public Safety Response A severe weather shelter is not simply a building with beds. In Lon...