With summer activities in full swing, school may be the furthest thing from your mind but now is the time for the annual school-supply drive coordinated by our Homelessness Task Force. We are partnering with West Seattle Rotary's Pencil Me In for Kids campaign and the West Seattle/Fauntleroy Y to equip elementary and Head Start programs in this area with supplies their students will need come fall. Find the list of high-priority items HERE. Look for donation boxes in the narthex and lobby OR make a cash donation HERE. The drive will run through Aug. 4.
For Our Neighbors at The Welcome Table
Guests come to the free Saturday Welcome Table in White Center for nourishing food, socializing, and whatever is out on giveaway tables. Our Homelessness Task Force enthusiastically supports this weekly community service by enabling members and friends of this congregation to contribute food, volunteer during the meal, and donate these much-needed items that are clean and in good condition:
camping gear
linens (blankets, sheets, towels)
pants
jackets
t-shirts (L, XL)
sweatshirts/hoodies (L, XL, XXL)
socks
gloves
stocking caps
baby wipes
laundry pods
paper towels
toilet paper
first-aid supplies
full-sized hygiene & menstrual products
cough drops & other cold products
Building a Tiny Home Together
On August 23, members and friends of our congregation joined together to build a tiny home at The Hope Factory. We built the tiny home “Xian” which is a Taoist Chinese word for someone who is long lived or immortal. This is just one of the many ways we are working in our community to end homelessness.
Let's Talk: Another service opportunity
Through networking with service providers, our Homelessness Task Force has become aware of another concrete way we might assist.
With Covid relief funding depleted, the rent freeze eliminated, and basic apartment rental approaching $2,000/month, many households are getting "pay or vacate" notices. Local providers receive an average of 60 requests/month for assistance, making this one of the most economically distressed areas in Seattle.
Responding to financial requests is just part of a complex picture, however. To stabilize long term, many families have needs beyond those a check can meet. St. Vincent DePaul offers professional case management but clients can wait many weeks in the queue to access that service.
Our Lady of Guadalupe parish has developed a practical way to shorten the wait, when warranted, by enlisting volunteers to respond to the human dimension of housing crises. Working in pairs, they visit clients to collect the basic information that case managers will need to connect them with available resources.
Our Homelessness Task Force will host an informational meeting about this potential service opportunity on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 11:30 in the sanctuary. Guests will include Bob Bucci, president of the local Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and at least one care-team volunteer.
Help Feed our Hungry Neighbors- May 21
On May 21, we have the opportunity to provide lunch to our homeless and food insecure neighbors in White Center at The Welcome Table Saturday meal. To get details about the meal and to sign up as a volunteer to help onsite during the meal and/or provide part of the meal, click here.
If you can assist on site, it would be greatly appreciated! Please sign up on the volunteer form if you are able to do any of the following:
• Set up tables starting at 11am
• Welcome guests and point them in the right direction
• Serve food and/or help at a supply station (there are multiple tables for clothing, food pantry, toiletries, etc.)
• Break down tables and put away supplies afterward. We typically finish around 1:30.
• Come for an hour or the whole time, all are welcome and appreciated!
