Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council Minutes

P.O. Box 662, Bellevue, WA 98009-0662
April 12, 2011

The meeting was held in Bristol Hall of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church on April 12, 2011, beginning at 12:00 noon.
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AN OPENING REFLECTION was provided by Sandy Lewis of Bellevue’s Episcopal Church of the Resurrection.

SELF-INTRODUCTIONS were made by 30 members and guests.

MINUTES of the March 8, 2011 meeting were approved as distributed.

TREASURER’S REPORT: EISCC Treasurer Pat McDermott (pmcdermott@amnis.com) provided awritten summary:

At 3/31/2011 cash balances total over $111,000. First quarter billings bring our accounts receivable balance to more than $194,000. Nothing unusual was noted during the month. Monthly patterns of income and expense are consistent with prior periods.

CONGREGATIONS FOR KIDS: CFK’s Nancy Jacobs reported that updated packets will be going out shortly to all participating congregations.  CFK is still looking for congregations that want to help supply backpacks and school supplies to needy kids in the Bellevue School District.
Interested?  Please contact Nancy at info@congregations4kids.org.

LEGISLATIVE COORDINATOR: EISCC Legislative Coordinator Nancy Bent reported that the Washington Association of Churches, the Lutheran Public Policy Office, and the Church Council of Greater Seattle are calling for a public fast to bring attention to the 2011-2013 state budget proposals that will cut off thousands of children and adults from health care, severely reduce the lifeline for the poor and disabled, take away food from the most vulnerable, and unravel services for seniors while revenue options remain unexplored and corporate tax breaks continue unabated without legislative review. A budget balanced in large part on the backs of the poor is unjust. The fast is designed to help us change our own complicity with these proposals and to call for a genuine solidarity with the people most affected by these decisions.

The fast will be launched on Monday, April 18th, at the beginning of the Christian Holy Week and the end of the final week of the legislative session. There are several options for participation suggested – from joining the week-long fast in Olympia to fasting for one meal or giving up something in your regular diet. For more information, to download flyers and bulletin inserts, please visit http://www.thechurchcouncil.org/howtofast.htm.

CONGREGATIONS FOR THE HOMELESS: CFH Executive Director Steve Roberts (206-295-7803 or stever@cfhomeless.org) reported that on April 1st they were able to move 7 men from the shelter into housing as the Sunrise House is now open.  This brings the total to 49 men in housing.

The shelter is full and is moving from Westminster Chapel to Cross of Christ Lutheran Church.

CFH has just rolled out a new volunteer information brochure. 

FRIENDS OF YOUTH: Friends of Youth is looking to partner with Eastside congregations to help shelter Eastside homeless youth on the weekend.  During the week these young people are able to find shelter at the Landing located at the Bellevue Family YMCA.  But no shelter is available for them on the weekends. 

With Congregations for the Homeless helping shelter homeless single men and the Sophia Way providing shelter for homeless single women, teens are one of the last pieces of the Eastside homelessness puzzle that needs to be solved.

If you are interested, please contact Julie McFarland, Friends of Youth’s Director of Homeless Youth Services at juliem@friendsofyouth.org or 425-869-6490 x314.

PROGRAM: THE SOPHIA WAY – ASSISTING WOMEN ON THEIR JOURNEY TO INDEPENDENCE
History: In 2006, Bellevue First Congregational Church and the YWCA opened the doors to what is now known as the YWCA Angeline’s Eastside Women’s Center.  Its mission was to uncover the invisible problem of homeless single women on the Eastside.  Up until then, these women – on their own, without partners or children, had been almost entirely on their own.  They were part of our community, but were hidden – riding buses all night or sleeping in their cars.  Some traveled to large shelters in Seattle, but most needed to stay on the Eastside to get to work or to hold on to their support network.  The day shelter could care for these women during the day, but when it closed its doors in the afternoon, these women were once again on their own with no safe place to stay and no reliable path back to housing.

The Sophia Way was created to provide these women with the tools, guidance, and housing that they need to make sustainable changes in their lives. Created by faith groups throughout the Eastside, the Sophia Way partners with the larger community to achieve the shared goal of ending homelessness as part of King County’s 10-Year Plan.

The Sophia Way operates under the umbrella of the Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council, which has supported Congregations for the Homeless, serving men in transition for the past 14 years and functioning as the Eastside’s only shelter for single homeless men. The Sophia Way does not discriminate based on religion, age, color, race, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Mission

The mission of the Sophia Way is to provide shelter, life skills training, social services and supportive permanent housing, offering clients a path from homelessness to a home of their own.

The Sophia Way believes in the necessity of shelter and safe living conditions for all persons.  Their goal is to address this fundamental need and improve the quality of life of single homeless women in our community.  It is a faith-based groups believing in the equality of all, cherishing diversity, and treating each person they meet – client volunteer, donor, staff – with the same respect, dignity and care.

The Sophia Way is governed by the EISCC Board of Directors and an Advisory Board which oversees the program’s mission and values. As a working group, Advisory Board members also play key roles in fundraising, operations, housing, and more. At present, these members come from the founding faith organizations; the Sophia Way seeks additional members from the Eastside community.

If you are interested in working with the Sophia Way’s Advisory Board, please contact the program’s Executive Director Helen Leuzzi at 425-463-6285 or director@sophiaway.org.

Fund Development

Fundraising, particularly in this economic climate is a challenge and the Sophia Way looks to every available resource to continue its mission.  The Sophia Way encourages EISCC Congregations to think about the opportunities that they can create through the sharing of their time, talent, or financial resources.

You can get others involved by:

• Speaking with your doctor, dentist, hairdresser, etc. about your involvement with the Sophia Way and encouraging them to spread the work to their contacts about the program’s mission to assist homeless women in our community.
• Communicating with past donors that homeless women in the 22 communities on the Eastside of King County still need their support.
• Providing information about the Sophia Way through marketing materials
• A program brochure is available for general distribution which describes the mission of the Sophia Way and its program activities.
• The 2010 Annual Report which details the successes of the past year may be shared.
• Sharing links to the Sophia Way’s information on the internet
• Share a link to our website www.sophiaway.org with people you know, or add it to your email signature.
• “Like” the Sophia Way on Facebook and “share” our posts.

If you would like to discuss other fundraising or marketing ideas, please contact Helen Payton at hpayton@sophiaway.org or 425-463-6285, ext 105.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities abound at the Sophia Way.  Some things that you or your congregation may want to become involved in are:

Information about these opUportunities is available by calling the Sophia Way at 425-463-6285 or visiting http://sophiaway.org/Sophiaway.org/Volunteer.html.

A Word about the Sophia Way Support Network: The Sophia Way Support Network is a gathering of people from congregational and community groups who collaborate on how to serve homeless women in East King County.  They brainstorm strategies and resources and keep up to date on Sophia Way work in this area.  Sophia Way share news, opportunities and challenges at each meeting.  Each member then can bring information back to their group about how to get involved.  They meet at noon on the 4th Tuesday of every month at the Bradford Center next to Bellevue First Congregational Church.

The Sophia Way Companion Program is another great way to become involved.  Often, all it takes to make a difference in someone's life is to be available, accepting, and a good listener. We invite you to become a companion for one of our clients on her journey from life on the street to independence, stability, and wholeness.

What is a Sophia Way Companion?  A woman who:

• Acts as advocate, partner, supporter, confidante, self-esteem booster, nurturer of possibilities, fellow traveler, and most of all, helpful, caring friend.
   
• Works to foster a safe, trustworthy relationship with her partner and help her partner build and participate in a supportive and sustaining community.
   
• Offers presence, deep listening, empowerment, encouragement, and skills to support her partner’s personal growth and help identify and build upon her gifts and abilities.
   
• Spends 1-2 hours once a week with her partner, and is willing to commit at least 6 months to the program.

Before being paired with a partner, companions will attend a training session where they will learn about issues related to homelessness and specifically homeless women. Companions will also learn a variety of skills including listening, hospitality, boundary setting, and communication, and spiritual practices that support soulful relationships, mindfulness and compassionate presence.

To get more information, please email: companions@sophiaway.org

Current Building Projects

The Sophia Way continues to work to extend its mission of serving single homeless women on the Eastside.  There are two exciting new building projects in the works:

The Holly House, a property of East Shore Unitarian Church, will be a home for 6 Sophia Way women to live in the community.  Renovations are going wonderfully and it’s almost ready for move-in day!  There will be an Open House held on Sunday, April 17 at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to celebrate this amazing partnership between Jubilee Services, East Shore Unitarian Church, the Newport LDS Church, and the Sophia Way. 

Sophia’s Place at St. Luke’s is slated to open in 2012.  Currently, only there is room for only 12 women at a time in the Sophia Way shelter housed at Bellevue First Congregational Church.  Once the space is ready, the shelter will be located to St. Luke’s Lutheran Church and will serve 20 women.  At Sophia’s Place at St. Luke’s the women will each have a bed (instead of a mat) and more personal space. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

HELP SHELTER HOMELESS YOUTH ON THE EASTSIDE:The Landing, operated by Friends of Youth, is the only overnight shelter on the Eastside for homeless young adults ages 18-24. The shelter is open Monday – Thursday nights, with a 15-bed capacity and operated in partnership with the Bellevue YMCA. Friends of Youth provides intensive case management and referral, including health services provided by the Public Health Department and mental health and substance abuse counseling. A dedicated team of volunteers prepare, deliver and serve hot meals each evening to the youth. Following dinner, Outreach Workers meet with clients to create a case management plan that includes goals for obtaining stable housing. Youth can access showers and laundry and are provided bus tokens, if necessary, to provide transportation to referral services, work and housing opportunities. Youth can access the shelter for up to 30 consecutive nights, with extensions possible when working toward meeting identified case management goals.

Currently, The Landing is only open 5 nights a week.  Due to programming conflicts on Friday and Saturday nights, the YMCA cannot host the shelter for the entire week.  We have been actively seeking for many years to expand our shelter to 7 nights a week so that there is always a safe and stable place for homeless youth on the Eastside.  Friends of Youth is looking for Eastside congregations willing to explore the possibility of hosting the shelter on Fridays and Saturday nights for a timeframe that makes sense for each individual congregation.  Please think about how you can help them realize the dream of a 7 night emergency shelter for Eastside youth!  For more information, please contact Julie McFarland at juliem@friendsofyouth.org or 425-869-6490 x314.

CULINARY JOURNEY 2011: TOAST THE SUCCESS OF FORMERLY HOMELESS WOMEN - Join the Sophia Way at a very special dining event to be held April 28, 2011. Twelve of the area’s finest chefs will prepare a five-course menu for twelve tables. Participating chefs are from bin on the Lake, El Gaucho, the Icon Grill, the Library Bistro, Monsoon Bellevue, Sazerac, the Waterfront Seafood Grill, Tallant House, Thoa's Restaurant & Lounge, Sullivan Steak House, Woodland Park Zoo-Lancer Catering and the Woodmark Hotel.

Be one of the 132 guests to partake in this unique event to be held on the shores of Lake Washington UNDER THE TENT at the Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland. The event will feature paired wines from Washington vineyards and will be preceded by a wine, beer social hour along with hors d’oeuvres prepared by our participating chefs.

A wine silent auction will be conducted during the cocktail hour and a mini live auction with a culinary and travel theme will take place during dinner.

This fund-raising event brings us together to celebrate the success of The Sophia Way and raise operating funds to continue to assist eastside homeless women connect to permanent housing.

Culinary Journey is truly an inspired collaboration in support of unforgettable, real-life success stories which people like you make possible. If you can come to one dinner this spring, share our Journey.

Unable to attend?  There’s still a way for you to participate.  A Holland America 7-day cruise for two to Alaska is being raffled off at the event and you need not be present to win. 

The winners will be able to schedule the cruise at a time convenient for them and will sail from the Seattle waterfront through the beautiful Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca on their way to Alaska’s deep green islands, ice-blue glaciers and charming frontier towns.  The lucky winners will enjoy a luxurious ocean-view and verandah stateroom.

The trip is valued at $4,500.  Tickets are $25 each.  Get yours now as only 500 will be available. 

HEARTS AND HAMMERS: Hearts and Hammers, the annual one-day blitz to repair and rehabilitate the homes of those physically or financially unable to do so alone, will take place on May 21, 2011.  If your congregation is interested in participating, please contact Sandy Lewis at 425-562-1228.

CROP WALK: The annual Bellevue CROP Walk sponsored by Church World Service which raises money to combat hunger both locally and globally, will be held Sunday, May 15th at 1:00 p.m. in downtown Bellevue.  For more information, visit www.bellevuecropwalk.org.

BRIDGE DISABILITY MINISTRIES :Bridge Disability Ministries will hold a Sunday Evening Celebration for people living with disabilities and friends Sunday, May 1st, 4-6pm, at 1st Baptist Church of Kirkland, 701 1st St, Kirkland, 98033. Dinner will be provided.  There is no charge, everyone is welcome and volunteers are very much appreciated.  Call (425)885-1006 ext#118 or email  lindam@bridgemin.org for more information.

Bridge Disability Ministries will hold a Sunday Evening Celebration for people living with disabilities and friends Sunday, May 22nd, 4-6pm, at Highland Covenant Church, 15022 Bel-Red Rd, Bellevue, 98007. Dinner will be provided.  There is no charge, everyone is welcome and volunteers are very much appreciated.  Call (425)885-1006 ext#118 or email  lindam@bridgemin.org for more information.

In May, Bridge will also be hosting a breakfast event - Biblical Justice & Right Relationships with Justice Charlie Wiggins. This event will explore biblical justice and its role in society, and will be held Friday, May 20th, 7-9am at the Harbor Club, 801 2nd Ave, Seattle, 98104. Call (425)885-1006 ext. 113 or email events@bridgemin.org for more information about tickets.

CLOSING REFLECTION was offered by Dave Emery of Bridge Disability Ministries.

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

PROGRAM: CONGREGATIONS FOR KIDS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BELLEVUE SCHOOL DISTRICT – MAKING SURE THAT ALL KIDS ARE READY TO LEARN.
LOCATION: BRISTOL HALL, ST. MARGARET’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 4228 FACTORIA BOULEVARD SE, BELLEVUE (ACROSS FROM NEWPORT HIGH SCHOOL)

Brian Anderson, EISCC Secretary