YOU made a difference! THANK YOU!
East Shore has just participated in our 30th year of serving homeless men at ESUC through PorchLight – formerly: Congregation for the Homeless (CFH). This program is part of the year-round rotating shelter program giving the men a safe place to sleep, obtain meals (including a hot dinner), laundry, showers, case managers and stability! Typically, every month, the men rotate to a different church on the Eastside. ESUC hosts the men in October.
This year, the approximately 19 men occupied our Education Building from 6:00 pm through 7:30 am each day beginning October 1. They also “stayed in” on Saturday, October 5. PorchLight provided a full-time staff member to be with the men at all times. The men have been kept safe and healthy throughout the year.
ESUC provided cleaning material, toiletries, food for breakfast and lunch. Several members of ESUC volunteered to deliver groceries and supplies to the North Room. Thank you to Priya Vaidyanathan, Chris and Katie Edwards, Beth Wilson, and Don Durenberger! These items were provided by your pledge to ESUC or through generous donations of the shoppers.
Every night the men were provided a hot dinner – ready to go at 6:15 pm each night! ESUC provided meals all month long with some assistance from a few outside contributors. Cheryl Jurrus, Laurie and Jerry Angelo from St. Andrews, Jim and Ellen Minish. The Hyatt of Bellevue provides dinner the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month and the Muslim Community Resource Center (MCRC) provides dinner the fourth Saturday of the month, regardless of where the rotating shelter is located. An exciting new addition this year was the Issaquah Rotary Interact Club – a youth organization – under the leadership of Cammie Allen and Craig Nelson. ESUC dinner providers were represented by covenant circles, individuals, RE program, and families. Thank you to: Pam Thomas and Lee Dorigan, Mike Radow, Mark Norelius and Elaine Richlie, Evelyn and Leroy Smith, Nicole Berthelemy, Eric Horner, Dean Dubofsky and Trish Webb, Jerry Bushnell, Sarah and Rick Bergdahl, Emily Dickinson Extended family, Ramsey-Kerlee Covenant Circle, RE Families, Leta Hamilton, Monday Night Covenant Circle, Azar and Don Hanson, Priya Vaidyanathan and family, Ned Kurabi and friends, Women’s Perspective, David Langrock, Craig Nelsen.
Also, each night, a member from ESUC was present to host the men and assist the dinner providers. Thank you to Carol Sinape, Grace Coulton, Mike Radow, Bert Velasco, Priya Vaidyanathan, Susan McDonald, Rev. María Cristina, Sarah Bergdahl, Azar and Don Bergerson Hanson, Dean Dubofsky, Beth Wilson, and David Baumgart. Many of the hosts were present multiple nights!
A very special thanks go to our ESUC staff. Without their support, it would have been impossible to continue hosting this year. The men were able to “spread out” to various rooms in the Education building, plus utilize the showers and laundry facilities in Spring Hall. Special thanks to Dianne and Rebecca for their assistance, to Celil for his never-ending support in all ways “building”, to Nicole for assistance in publicity, to Rev. María Cristina for her support and providing Host Duties and to Amanda for actively engaging the RE program in multiple ways from dinner to sharing the RE space!
Funding for this ministry is provided through our Operating Fund. Your pledges are important!
As you can see – this is a big project that involves our entire congregation. Thank you to each and every one who was able to help in some capacity!
At the time of this writing, we are still in the midst of our ministry. A more detailed report will follow. Please know your kindness and generosity are so very much appreciated. The ministry team of Priya Vaidyanathan, Doug Strombom, Carole Sinape, Mike Radow, Bert Velasco, Beth Wilson, and Peggy Phillips could not have done this without each of you! Please consider joining our ministry team. The yearly commitment for the Rotating Shelter is quite limited to August and September (preparation) and October when the men are present. We have also begun to provide lunch one day a month on an ongoing basis to the Emergency Men’s Shelter at Eastgate. Many hands make light work and the work is so worthwhile! Peggy Phillips ([email protected]) 425-417-1366 and Mike Radow ([email protected]) 206-326-9436.
A special thank you to Peggy Phillips for organizing this ministry for many years. Your dedication is inspiring!
by Peggy Phillips