COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER - November 20
10 THINGS WORTH HIGHLIGHTING THIS WEEK . . .
1.
HUMANITY OF HOMELESSNESS
Meet John, again.
John has been a steadfast member of our community for over a decade, filling many of our volunteer roles over the years. These days, he continues to seek opportunities to serve and advocate on behalf of C@P as much as he can. And we are grateful!
While we miss his beloved sidekick, Coco, John’s presence is healing to our spaces. His eagerness to inspire hope and his gentle demeanor remind us that we are always the most whole versions of ourselves in the context of relationship.
2.
ROOM IN THE INN - CHRISTMAS at CHURCH@THEPARK
We are excited to share our new
The C@P team is available to provide a table, announcement, or small presentation to your Church or small group about participating in Room In The Inn.
Send us an email to get on the schedule.
ROOM IN THE INN 2022 Vision:
More Stories & More Relationship = More Transformation
3 ways for individuals, churches, and businesses to get involved—
SERVE! Meals - Cook & deliver one of the 6 boxed Christmas meals - a full Instruction Sheet will be provided. Activities for kids - individually packaged craft / activity bags that can be given to-go.
GIVE! Commit your Church / Business to serve as a donation site for the Christmas Gift items: (1) Blankets (2) Pillows (3) Sweatshirts, (4) Socks & Underwear, (5) Gloves (6) Boots/Shoes, (7) Children’s Gifts Purchase & drop off NEW items - sign up by visiting the link, and deliver item(s) to one of the donation sites.
DONATE! If you would like to contribute a monetary donation, C@P has a $48,000 year end goal to match our gifts to the Benevolence Fund for: Rent deposits, sleeping bags, appointment gas cards, phone chargers, and car repair. Use the donate button at the end of the newsletter to contribute.
3.
TURNER ROAD YOUNG ADULT PROJECT MOVING FORWARD
Work is continuing on the Turner Road Micro-Shelter project. We hope to have the site ready to go for forty unsheltered 18-24 year olds by February.
In the meantime, we have added some new outreach workers who are working hard to connect with and develop relationships with that particular population.
Here is what one of our outreach workers, Calvin, had to say about their recent efforts:
Over the last four weeks, the outreach team has been out and about in the community trying to make connections with unsheltered youth, ages 18-24, for the upcoming transitional shelter site! I am happy to report that slowly but surely those connections are being made and we already have several youth who are interested in the program.
The highlight of this week…was our first pizza day at the transit center! We were fortunate enough to receive a gracious donation from Ana's mother (Ana is also on our outreach team) specifically for pizza! We were able to go downtown and feed forty people, a majority of which were youth. When we took out the canopy and the table, several youth rushed over shouting at one another because they already knew why we were there. It was awesome not only to feed people who are experiencing food insecurities, but to also see how much it meant to them that we kept our word. We are continuing to have pizza every Friday at the transit center.
4.
MYTHS
Not everyone who is unsheltered is unemployed. Of our current guests, about half of them reported a source of income when they became a guest at C@P: 8% were employed, and 40% were receiving income from SSI, SSDI, VA Services, or some other non-employment service.
Many of our guests are now fully employed.
The guests at our CCS site are families. A large number of the parents at that site are caring for young children. At our VOH site, where we prioritize unsheltered people who are the most at-risk, a majority are dealing with severe health issues.
Obviously, housing is expensive. Unfortunately, employment does not automatically give people access to housing. Many of our guests are financially able to afford housing, but the availability of affordable housing is limited and competitive.
In terms of gaining employment, there are some common barriers that unsheltered people face, such as:
A safe place to store belongings.
Access to showers and clean laundry.
A place to charge a phone to communicate with employers.
A safe place for pets.
Identification.
A mailing address.
At C@P, we are removing as many of those common barriers to employment as we can. By providing a safe, supported, and secure place for people to live, people can get stabilized and begin to take steps towards long-term employment and housing.
Additionally, we provide supportive case management for all of our guests. Case managers work with guests to help connect them to employment, job trainings, education, and other services.
5.
ARCHES PROVIDES FREE TRANSPORTATION TO WARMING SHELTERS
From the Salem Reporter:
When night temperatures drop to 32 or below, homeless service provider The ARCHES Project will transport people by van to one of two emergency shelters through March 31. The shelters reopened for the season on Nov. 1. Robert Marshall, emergency manager for ARCHES, said Monday the organization was in urgent need of volunteers to help at the shelter sites. Volunteers check guests in and out of shelters, provide food and beverages in their hospitality areas and assist with keeping the facilities clean. More than a dozen volunteers are required each night shelters are open. Marshall said that need for volunteers has grown as ARCHES has had to consistently shuttle people to emergency shelters earlier in the fall than normal. The shuttle operates until 8 p.m., transporting people from the ARCHES Day Center at 615 Commercial Street N.E. to the two shelters that are part of the program. The organization also offers a ride back to the day center in the morning.
6.
STAFF HIGHLIGHT : Stephanie
Stephanie is our receptionist at Village of Hope.
Here is what Maria, VOH shelter manager, had to say about Stephanie: “Stephanie is a friendly and humble human being. She builds relationships based on honesty and respect. She's quiet but very present. What i enjoy the most out of working with Stephanie is that she's very positive and always finds light at the end of the tunnel. She brings her positive vibes to a place that may be dealing with grief, sadness, loneliness and lights it up. She helps others find joy and makes them feel heard and understood.” Thank you, Stephanie, for always striving to make C@P a joyful place!
7.
RUBBERMAID CONTAINERS NEEDED
We are in need of Rubbermaid containers. If you have any gently used containers or want to buy some new ones, they can be dropped off at our Catholic Community Services site (3749 Portland Rd NE).
8.
INVITATIONS
WE NEED BLANKETS AND COATS. Fall seems to have come late, but now that it’s here, it is cold and wet outside. We are in need of warm, new or gently used blankets and coats. Donations can be dropped off at our CCS site (3749 Portland Rd NE)
TAKE A TOUR OF OUR CCS SITE - Taking a tour of our CCS family site is a great way to see what C@P is all about, to connect with some of our leaders, and to meet some other staff and guests. Tours happen every Thursday at 1:30PM. Email Krystal if you or your group is interested in taking a tour.
SHUTTLE TOUR FOR ALL SITES - Interested in taking a tour of all of our sites while having a conversation with DJ, C@P founder? The next available tour is on Thursday, December 1st from Noon to 2:00PM. We have a bus with comfy seats for 12. Bring your own lunch. If you or your group are interested, send Krystal an email.
9.
REMEMBERING "THE POTATO LADY"
Our staff counselor, Desiree, shared these words about the passing of her friend:
You may remember Lisa Letney, aka “The Potato Lady.”
She and her service-hearted comrades, “The Dirty Little Hippies,” came to the Fairgrounds Pavilion to serve our unsheltered neighbors supplies and love.
She was best known in our community as “The Potato Lady” because she would pass out hot, foil-wrapped baked potatoes to our unsheltered friends. Two potatoes; one for the pocket to keep warm, and one to eat.
She made local and national news for her compassionate, fierce, unbridled advocacy. Even in death, she is still influencing others.
In the week since her passing on November 7, 2022, many people have begun baking potatoes and passing them out in the camps around town.
Because of our shared passion for vulnerable populations, we started out as a comrades in service. In February of this year we traveled to Africa where, in true Lisa form, she donated art supplies to the village school. The people of Kafuta were so grateful they planted an orange tree at the school in her late father’s name (who had died three weeks before we departed for Africa). It was clear that wherever Lisa went the world was better for it.
She was my dear friend and I miss her deeply.
Lisa’s Celebration of Life is December 2 from 5:30-9:30 at the Mission Mill Spinning Room in Salem, Oregon. Your presence and prayers are welcome.
10.
LECTIONARY READING
C@P is affiliated with Street Psalms, a leadership development community whose core values are shaped by the life of Jesus Christ. Street Psalms is where we get lots of our lectionary reflections and readings.
Here is what they shared about this week’s reading:
