With a little more than a month left until Winter Hospitality Overflow shelters open at two Vancouver churches, the program finds itself short of a couple key components: volunteers and a day shelter space. WHO shelters are open from Nov. 2 through March 31.
Last year, about half of the women and families who stayed overnight at St. Andrew Lutheran Church off Gher Road also went to a day shelter at the nearby Giving Closet, said the Rev. Jim Stender.
“It gave them a place to go other than the library or the mall,” Stender said.
People could stay out of the elements and work on projects, such as résumés or apartment applications.
The Giving Closet, which gives clothes and other basics to those in need, has grown and simply doesn’t have the room anymore, Stender said.
“There’s just not a good space this year that we know of that we can all afford,” he said.
Proximity to St. Andrew and the bus line is important, as not every WHO participant has a reliable car.
St. Andrew looked into buying a building and refurbishing it, but didn’t have enough money. The church put a bid on another nearby building, but it was too low.
Share, the homeless shelter, sends case managers to St. Andrew and the men’s shelter at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Both shelters are predicted to be at full capacity this year. Judging by the tents outside Share’s downtown Vancouver shelter, there will be plenty of people needing to get out of the cold, said Katie Louis, Share’s supervising shelter assistant director. St. Paul can host 24 people, and the Share shelter has space for another 30 in the cafeteria, if needed.
“We just expect we’ll be full from Day 1 till the day we close,” Louis said.
The growing tent city has put the need for shelter space in public view, she said. WHO volunteers may still be shocked by the number of people who turn up for shelter.
About two-thirds of the volunteer slots between Nov. 2 and March 31 have been filled, Stender said. Often, volunteers are part of the faith community,with churches rotating their volunteers and money to help make WHO happen.
“You don’t have to be affiliated with a church; you just have to have a heart to give back,” Louis said.
Cold-weather clothes such as coats, blankets, hats and gloves are always needed.
“That and coffee. You would be surprised how much coffee people go through,” Louis said.
On Thursday, people interested in learning more about WHO, possibly volunteering or donating supplies can attend a kickoff event at St. Andrew. It starts at 6 p.m. at the church, 5607 N.E. Gher Road.
A flapjack fundraiser at Vancouver Applebee’s locations is set from 8 to 10 a.m. Oct. 17. Half of the proceeds from the pancake, sausage and egg breakfast support WHO.
