MINISTRY VISION
Luke 14:12-14
12Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
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To restore dignity and relieve hunger through SHARED MEALS.
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To intentionally LISTEN TO THE STORIES of those who are experiencing homelessness, while looking for opportunities to affirm assets and motivation.
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To ASK those who are homeless about current goals and PRAY FOR EVERY NEED we can.
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To meet critical needs of shelter and clothing through RELATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS.
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To increase our ADVOCACY, AWARENESS, UNDERSTANDING, and LOVE for the homeless in Salem.
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To invite all who join us to SERVANTHOOD and leadership.
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To say NO to VIOLENCE, and YES to making PEACE as a COMMUNITY.
a banquet of love & acceptance for those who need it most
OUR TEAM
BUSINESS OFFICE & HR DEPARTMENT: (503) 979-7105
SHELTER INQUIRIES & SAFE PARKING: (971) 375-7491
CCS MICRO SHELTER LOCATION: (503) 507-2144
VILLAGE OF HOPE MICRO SHELTER LOCATION: (503) 507-4992
TURNER ROAD DAY CENTER: (503) 979-7054
DJ
Founding Pastor & Chief Executive Officer
Overseer of a beautiful mess. Champion for the vision, partnerships and training of leaders who seek mutual transformations. DJ seeks to develop new leaders, partnerships and resources to free those experiencing homelessness from the bondage of scarcity and invite everyone into a community of abundance.
Josh
Pastor & Chief
Operations Officer
Josh has served youth and families through providing after school opportunities, workforce development and safe family environments across the state. Seeing the unsheltered individuals in our city has motivated him to develop new dignifying, low barrier jobs, and shelters. Reach out to Josh for more about our shelter sites and job opportunities.
Sean
Pastor & Chief
Clinical Officer
From a young age Sean has admired the tenacity and courage required to survive the physical, mental, social, and spiritual hardships of living unsheltered, so he has sought to dedicate his professional career to empathizing, encouraging and edifying the people who experience homelessness. He obtained his doctorate in clinical psychology from George Fox University's Graduate School of Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on spiritual care and psychological trauma in order to better support and advocate for individuals, institutions, and systems that serve with those that have experience of homelessness. Church@thePark has been a place Sean has found passion and compassion since 2017, and he is honored to dedicate his services to this group of people that care so deeply for the dignity of the human spirit within each of us.
Sam
Housing & Chief
Development Officer
After growing up in Salem and obtaining her MSW at Eastern Washington University, Sam spent 10 years in Spokane developing programs to support people experiencing homelessness. She recently moved back to Oregon with her family and is supporting our case management, outreach, grants and business management teams.
John
Assistant Pastor &
Safe Parking Manager
John is a graduate of Whitworth University, where he earned a degree in Peace Studies, and is currently working on a Masters of Divinity at Portland Seminary. Captivated by the theme of Shalom, John works with our staff and volunteers to design services that are relevant, dignifying, and restorative for our community.
Sterling
Storyteller &
Spiritual Care
Sterling, a University of Oregon graduate with over 15 years experience in Peace Building among marginalized groups, is a Year 2019 Oregon Literary Arts Fellow, year 2020 PEN America Writing for Justice Fellow and an award winning author who believes storytelling is the most beautiful way to dissolve stigma and raise empathy.
Cory
Assistant Pastor
& Staff Writer
Cory's role at C@P is to care for people and care for words as a pastoral presence for guests and staff and as a writer. He previously worked as a pastor, teacher, and as a manager for a treatment court program and a program for adjudicated youth.
Krystal
Executive Assistant
Krystal is a graduate of Portland State University, where she earned her bachelors degree in Communication Studies. Offering administrative support for our teams and projects, Krystal enjoys building meaningful relationships with those around her and is passionate about helping Church@thePark serve our unhoused neighbors.
Andy
Finance Director
Andy has been involved in faith-based ministries since his days at the University of Oregon, and has spent 30 years working in student ministries. He and his family recently moved to Salem and Andy is looking forward to bringing a mindset of service and stewardship to his role in helping Church@thePark serve and care for unsheltered neighbors in our city.
Helena
Human Resources Generalist
After graduating from Corban University in 2018, Helena hopped into the Salem non-profit sector in human resources, gaining her HR SHRM-CP certification in 2021. Fueled by the desire to create compassionate and inclusive spaces for those unsheltered in our city, Helena joined the C@P team in early 2022. Helena is passionate about caring for Church@thePark's employees well, many of which are those we serve.
Maria
Shelter Operations
Manager
Maria comes to use from Los Angeles, California where she previously worked with individuals with intellectual disabilities. She loves working in the midst of chaos and bringing a sense of unity and peace. Maria is happy to be an empathetic listener to those who need it most.
Matt
Navigation Services Manager
Matt graduated from Western Oregon University with a Bachelor's in Psychology. He has experience in both case management and program development. Matt is committed to supporting and strengthening the outreach, case management, and health navigation teams at Church@thePark in order to effectively serve those who are most vulnerable in our community.
Cheyenne
Shelter Operations
Assistant Manager
Cheyenne is a graduate of the University of Oregon, where she earned her bachelor’s of education in Family and Human Services. She is passionate about inviting our unhoused neighbors into meaningful relationships of inclusion and mutual transformation by welcoming all guests and partners of Church@thePark to the banquet of belonging.
Megan
Navigation Services Assistant Manager
Megan served as a youth pastor specializing in high risk youth for several years before joining the Church@thePark team. Her passion for serving our unsheltered neighbors comes from her own background of experiencing and overcoming homelessness. She would like to see those we serve as individuals and offer love and acceptance in the most genuine form.
Elene
CCS Site Manager
With a background in advocacy and her previous experience working for CASA, Elene is the Shelter Manager for Church@thePark. She continues her passion in social services through being a listening ear and helping to create a safe environment for our guests to shelter and feel accepted.
Roy
Village of Hope
Site Manager
A former restaurateur, Roy recently moved to Salem from Los Angeles and is passionate about empathy and efficacy - striving to create an understanding, compassionate, transitional environment for the houseless population in our city.
Ray
Organizational Development
Consultant
As a leadership coach and DEI consultant, Ray's vision is to see communities where every identity belongs and thrives. He is an active member of local community boards, a facilitator/speaker on DEI concepts and leadership development, and a mentor for the next generation of leaders. Ray holds a bachelor’s degree from Willamette University, focusing on Sociology and American Ethnic Studies, and a master’s in Business from George Fox University.
Christopher
Intake & Data Coordinator
With a background in mentoring individuals and walking along side them, Christopher has a passion to be present in others lives. Being a graduate from Western Oregon University with a bachelors in psychology, Christopher desires to listen and offer support to anyone who needs it. As a Church@thePark team member he hopes to bring his empathy skills to the table and advocate for those we serve.