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Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council Minutes September 9, 2008
NEXT MEETING: CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was opened and conducted by EISCC Co-President Rev. Rick Russell. OPENING PRAYER: The meeting was opened in prayer by Marcia Bean of the LDS Church of Redmond, Sammamish, Carnation and Duvall MINUTES
Brian Anderson (425) 653-1652. Minutes for the July 8, 2008 meeting were accepted as printed. SELF-INTRODUCTIONS: Self-introductions were made by 28 members and guests.
PROGRAM: Congregations For The Homeless: New Directions in Overcoming Homelessness. Steve Roberts (206) 295-7803) and staff
Congregations for the Homeless Executive Director Steve Roberts explained that the CFH provides emergency shelter and permanent housing to homeless, single men on the Eastside. There have been many important developments over the last year. A new trailer has been outfitted to house shelter resident’s belonging, sleeping mats, and other shelter necessities. The old trailer will soon see new life as a home to shower and laundry facilities for use by host churches that lack them. David Johns Bowling is now full-time shelter director and has taken over complete responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the CFH shelter. The challenge that remains for CFH to raise funds for enough rent subsidies to house all of the men who qualify for the program. CFH Treasurer, Pat McDermott (425) 643-7759 presented a history of CFH funding that demonstrated that although the financial situation has been very stable (reflecting how well managed the program has been through the years), as the program expands its services and places more and more men in subsidized housing, funding too must expand. CFH currently has the funds in place to house 30 individuals in permanent housing. The latest reports indicate that it would take some 800 units to house every man who is homeless on the Eastside. David Johns Bowling, CFH Shelter Director, reported on the continued success of CFH’s shelter operation. The shelter is staffed by 3 regular site managers (along with a fill-in site manager) making for a well-supervised, safe environment for clients. CFH has worked to better address the unfortunate reality that addiction issues too often follow clients into shelter life. Because shelter policy is that men cannot be in the shelter when under the influence, in the past there was little they could do for these individuals but ask them to leave. With the addition of case managers, CFH is now able to guide these men into treatment. The men living in the shelter are becoming more and more invested in the community, taking increased responsibility for both their shared living situation and for each other. The shelter is anticipating that 150 men will have gone through CFH’s shelter program by the end of 2008. Helping this many men as they struggle with homelessness and all of its attendant issues has been a huge benefit to the Eastside community and has real and lasting impact on the men themselves. The CFH shelter provides the men with a community that cares about them, looks after them, and is interested in their future. Transitioning from the streets to a shelter and from a shelter to permanent housing is a difficult process. Bruce Boremans, one of CFH’s full-time case managers, noted that one of the reasons for the success of CFH clients is that CFH provides in-depth, comprehensive case management—taking clients to appointments, helping them fill out paperwork, teaching them how to create and keep to a budget, and helping the men connect with other community resources that help address their concerns. One of their core values is the ability to set aside pre-judgments and really seeing each client as capable of achieving their goals. In addition to two full-time case managers, CFH has ten active volunteer Life Coaches working with the men. This has been a real key to the success of the program. It is the supportive nature—looking at a client’s strengths and being future-focused—that resonates with the men, enables them to overcome barriers, and helps them build success in the future. Sterling Bentsen, CFH Housing Director, reminded EISCC that it was only one and one half years ago that CFH placed their first client in subsidized housing. At present, there are 28 men in CFH supportive housing. (Only one man has ever left and he is in housing elsewhere.) Sterling reiterated that the key to success is the case managers, the life coaches, and the fact that if there is a problem with a client, CFH will handle it within 48 hours of the report of the problem. That is their promise. Again, success brings with it its own challenges and as CFH has expanded its services, the program will need to expand its fundraising efforts as well. Congregations interested in helping support a man in housing (it costs about $400.00 per month) should contact CFH Executive Director Steve Roberts, (206) 295-7803 NOMINATING COMMITTEE:
ANNOUNCEMENTS: EISCC members may share announcements pertaining to their congregations/agencies. If you wish these announcements to appear in the minutes, please make them well in advance of any event that you are publicizing and to help insure accuracy please provide them in writing to the recording secretary. Among the announcements at the September 9, 2008 meeting:
Please join FACES East – an early childhood education and school readiness networking group in East King County – for a Legislative Candidate Forum on Thursday, October 8, 2008 from Join us for a presentation of key issues in early childhood education and school readiness, followed by a question and answer session with legislators and challengers in District 5, 41, 45, and 48. This forum is co-sponsored by the Eastside Human Services Forum, (SOAR) – helping kids reach for the sky, and the United Way of King County. For more information please contact EASTSIDE OVERNIGHT WOMEN’S SHELTER: An interfaith group is forming to provide a much needed overnight shelter for single women on the Eastside. As the YWCA Eastside Women's Center continues to see increased numbers of women, we are trying to prepare for winter shelter needs by having a pilot shelter from December 1st, 2008 to March 31st, 2009. The First Congregational Church of Bellevue is spearheading this effort and if your community would like to participate, we welcome you. Our plans are to work with a service organization for staffing needs and to host the shelter at FCCB from Sunday through Thursday throughout the period. The United Methodist Church of Redmond has stepped up to be one partner to act as weekend host and we are looking for at least one more community who would like to serve in this manner, St. Thomas Medina has offered to work to procure material needs and we are looking for a partner to coordinate meals with the aide of the whole community. Please feel free to contact Helen Leuzzi at outreach@fccbellevue.org or (425) 653-5893 for more detail! MAYORS’ DAY OF CONCERN FOR THE HUNGRY – Volunteers are still needed to help staff local grocery stores for the Mayors’ Day of Concern for the Hungry food drive to be held on Saturday, September 27th. This day of fun and fellowship, supported by the mayors and city councils of 24 King County cities, the governor and the King County Executive, calls attention to the plight of our neighbors who struggle to put healthy, nutritious meals on the family table. If you or your faith community can spare a few hours to help collect food for the increasing numbers of households pushed to the financial brink by the souring economy and high food and fuel costs, please contact Brian Anderson at the Emergency Feeding Program at (206) 329-0300 or brian@emergencyfeeding.org. FALL FOOD FOOD DRIVE – In addition to Mayors’ Day, the Emergency Feeding Program is encouraging congregations to join them in collecting food for their Fall Special Diets Food Drive. This effort targets items such as low-sodium soups and vegetables, no salt peanut butter, vegan soups, jars of pure beef and chicken baby food, and sugar-free instant pudding—foods that used by individuals on restricted diets. These are items that it is difficult to maintain in adequate supply. For additional information and promotional posters, please either visit the EFP website at www.emergencyfeeding.org or contact Brian Anderson at (206) 329-0300. TOGETHER WE BUILD - The 7th Annual Together We Build project for Habitat for Humanity will take place at Snoqualmie Ridge in Snoqualmie, Washington, on October 10-12 and October 16-18, 2008. Together We Build is an Interfaith Coalition of Christians, Jews, and Muslims seeking to find common ground and learning from one another as we work together to build houses for low-income families in our community. For additional information or to sign up to help, please visit www.togetherwebuild.org or contact Habitat for Humanity of East King County at (425) 869-6007. INTERFAITH SERVICE – In conjunction with the Together We Build project, an Interfaith Devotional Service is being planned. The time and place of the service will be announced at October’s EISCC meeting. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE – The annual International Day of Peace Celebration will take place REMINDER: EISCC meetings in October and November will be held at Eastgate Congregational UCC Church, 15328 SE Newport Way, Bellevue. CLOSING PRAYER – A closing prayer was offered by Steve Roberts of Congregations for the Homeless. Brian Anderson
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| Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council P.O. Box 662
Bellevue, WA 98009-0662 (206) 295-7803 contact us |
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