Winter Hospitality Overflow » Uncategorized

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:06:07 +0000

A WHO Story by Geri Hiller

admin — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:07:25 +0000

Each month we are going to feature a personal story of the experiences of those involved in the WHO. This month’s story is from Geri Hiller who is the heart and soul of the single men’s site at St. Paul.

My life opened a new chapter when I was introduced to Winter Hospitality Overflow-WHO.
I had no idea what to expect when Pastor Nolte first shared his idea of homeless fellas sleeping in our outreach building. This was a culture I knew nothing about but I soon learned as the doors began to open that it just made sense that St. Paul was the perfect site to make WHO happen. We are located where our guests gather.
My life to this point centered around my church, my family ( I was a single mom of five) and my full time job. Sharing time with folks that are homeless was not part of my life. My preconceived notion of “homeless” was way off base. My family was concerned when I explained our plan. It wasn’t until they came to volunteer that they understand and were able to catch the vision. Now it has become a family venture. My friends have heard my story and are more than wiling to share gently used clothes, food and their time.
This isn’t the way I planned my retirement years but I certainly glad God had a plan bigger than mine. I didn’t expect to life “my guys” like I do when we started. It didn’t take long to know I had 24 new friends every night.
Keeping our doors open on special days (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Super Bowl) gives us a chance to visit, eat and root for the home team. It’s family.
I thank all the volunteers who come and help make things happen. No matter how strong my passion we could not do this on our own. It takes the whole community working together.
This is team work at it’s “BEST”.

Blessings, Geri Hiller

Partner Highlight: St. Paul Lutheran

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:41:56 +0000

The people of St. Paul Lutheran Church have been worshipping on the corner of 13th and Franklin for nearly 110 years. When the congregation was formed, they chose to put a very important word in the name of the congregation, a word not usually spoken when mentioning the church: St. Paul English Evangelical Lutheran Church. Well, actually all the words are important, but let the highlighted word stand out for a moment. The inclusion of “English” in the name of the church was an intentional shift away from European homelands and languages in order to embrace this new land, culture and people. The founders of the congregation somehow knew that in order to be doing authentic Christian ministry, in Vancouver they would need to have a new orientation and direction. This did not mean leaving all the traditions behind, nor abandoning a theological or faith perspective. Living out one’s faith would mean getting and staying in touch with the community in which the congregation is planted. For over a century, St. Paul’s congregation has been working at living out this call to faithful ministry in this community.

St. Paul is one of the two congregations providing space inside its walls for people to have shelter, safety and hospitality as part of the WHO project, and few among the many congregations and individuals who share this work of love. We are truly pleased to have been an instrumental part of the success of WHO, and humbled by the way so many people have passed through the doors at St. Paul to both receive this care and to offer service and love. We call the larger of our two buildings the “sanctuary” – meaning a holy place, a place set apart, a safe place. As I look at what happens throughout the five months of WHO at St. Paul, I can see a difference in the functions and events in each of the buildings. However, I also recognize that what takes place in both buildings is similar as we create “sanctuary” in the sleeping rooms, bathrooms and hallways, as well as the worship area, fellowship hall and offices; a place where all are welcome. I don’t think that the church founders specifically envisioned a building where homeless people would sleep, where hungry people would have a food bank to attend, where people in need would have an AA community to depend on, and where children of working parents would be nurtured through the day care, but I can tell that they were open it. Even though they came from Norway, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and a host of other places, they were “English” and committed to a new orientation of helping people in missions across the world and especially right here on the corner of 13th and Franklin. And we hope to continue living out this commitment of love and service each day for many years to come.

Thank you for partnering with us in WHO. You make it so easy to open the doors of this church building, and such a delight to share a labor of love.

Pastor Chris Nolte

Thank you’s

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:40:45 +0000

Thank You’s

A special thank you to George Golden and his ministry LINKS, ‘Helping to Link the giver to the receiver’. George brings bread each and every week to our family shelter. Thank you so much for your help and care and the bread is Killer.

A big thank you to the following faith communities and organizations for volunteering in the month of January.

Family and Single Women’s Shelter:
The Crossing, Mill Plain United Methodist, Orchards United Methodist, Columbia Presbyterian, Vancouver First Friends, Meadow Glade Seventh Day Adventist, Vancouver Church of Christ

Single Men’s Shelter:
Immanuel Lutheran, Good Shepherd Lutheran, Congregation Kol Ami and Friends, First Congregational, First United Methodist

Special thanks:
-Girl Scout Troop #360 for homemade cookies
-Ken Powell from Evergreen Bible for the professional family photo day at St. Andrew

Thank you to everyone for your faithful contribution and gift of time.

WHO is my neighbor… an veteran volunteer’s story

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:39:48 +0000

Each month we are going to feature a personal story of the experiences of those involved in the WHO. This month’s story is from Jay Kitchin who is the team lead of Orchards United Methodist Church.

I was asked the other day to put some thoughts on paper as to Why I would want to help out or work at W.H.O. The next day that I worked I was on the 2am-6am shift at St. Andrews Church. I arrived home about 6:15am and sat down to my computer to check emails etc. Next to my computer is my Oregon Scientific weather station. The temperature that I was recording outside at that moment was 21 degrees. So “WHY” would I work at W.H.O. is easy for me to figure out. I get a lot of satisfaction from helping to provide a safe, warm environment overnight for the families that are spending the night.

I want to share an experience from last year. I was once again working that overnight shift so by the time I arrived our guests were sleeping. There seemed to more than the usual coughing from our littlest guests. You know that sound of a child, with that deep croup sound that just resonated through that gym. It hurts to listen to it!!! After a while I had to see if there was something that I could do. In the darkness of night I found the mother and told her I had several types of cough medicine in my hand that she could choose from. Mom gave a dose of the medicine to her toddler and soon the cough was gone, I got up to walk away and she asked me-”Are you an angel”? Maybe I was for that moment but each person who serves at either one of the W.H.O. shelters is an angel in their own right. So “WHY” would I want to serve at W.H.O., 21 degrees, a little child with a horrible cough, providing shelter from the elements and being the hands and feet of Christ-does it get any better than that.

Jay Kitchin

WHO Update

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:38:29 +0000

We have reached our half way point for the WHO season. The good news is that there are families finding shelter, men and women who are getting apartments and people getting back on their feet. There have been several exciting things that have happened this month at the WHO.

We held our first Compassion Mini Clinic at St. Andrew this month. This was organized by Chizuru Johnson who attends at St. Andrew. She organized a team of nurses, nursing students, doctors, vision doctor and a mental health professional to bring much needed medical resources to our family and single women’s shelter. This was very well received and proved to be a huge benefit to the guests. We look to do this again next year.

Dave Slocum a member of our Core Group at St. Paul shared a story that I thought I’d share and remind us all of why the WHO is so important.

“I met with a guest this morning. He moved out of the WHO yesterday into his own apartment. He is going to Clark and next off to Carrington college in Portland.

He is very thankful to the WHO and all the volunteers. He told me the stay at WHO gave him the time to regroup and start getting back on his feet.”

It is stories like these that remind us that with us all working together we can make a difference in our community.

Thank you!

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 03:16:30 +0000

We would like to thank all of our 2009–2010 WHO faith and community partners for another successful season!

View pictures from this WHO season!

From November through March, 44 faith-based and community organizations stood together to provide shelter for 411 adults and 102 children who found themselves without homes in our community. More than 13,600 volunteer hours were donated for the five month season by over 1,890 caring volunteers who offered hospitality, hope and a good night’s sleep to those in need.

The WHO is a community partnership between Share, Council for the Homeless, St. Paul Lutheran Church, St. Andrew Lutheran Church and those organizations listed below:

Visit the Council for the Homeless’s Facebook page!

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:29:44 +0000

Show your support for the Council for the Homeless and the WHO program by going to our Facebook page and becoming a fan!

The WHO Program Has Started!

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:01:07 +0000

The Winter Hospitality Overflow program has begun! Call the Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse at 360-695-9677 to access WHO beds.