Nostalgic for "Normal"

 

I still have the best job in the world, but it is not so enjoyable these days. This pandemic has caused us to:

•          Close --- which was very, very hard for all of us. Staying home, knowing people needed things was excruciating.
•            Open to distribute hygiene, food and diapers from the doors. At least we felt we were helping.   
•      Open to limited full shopping, which is where we are now. Only four clients in the building at a time, one person per family (no children), masks and social distancing, 15 minutes to shop. Not ideal at all!

Anyone who has ever been to Hope House during “normal” times would not recognize it right now. No coffee, no cookies, no movies and toys for kids to play with (no kids! L ). We are not comfortable offering the restrooms yet, either, so they are not available. Hope House has always been a community gathering space for those in need, and the needs are not just physical “Stuff”. The friendship and comradery, the listening ear and hugs of comfort, the sharing of information, resources and, yes, recipes with each other.

I have always loved the sound of a full house, with laughter, kids giggling and a Disney movies going in the kids’ corner. The opportunity to not only admire a new baby, but to hold and cuddle that precious angel is the best perk of my job!

Those of our regular clients who struggle with mental health issues often get comfort, hugs and acceptance here. Recently, in this new version of service, one of our long time clients appeared in full bipolar manic mood, tempered with deeply felt depressed gaps. I have always been able to calm her, offer her hugs and send her on to her therapist for services. This time I could only watch helplessly without the ability to hug her, talk quietly to her in a private place and hope to make a difference in her day. Thankfully, I have seen her since, and she made it through.

We need to pray so hard for healing from this pandemic! People are hurting all over, and being a low income person/family only makes it worse. I am so looking forward to the day we can throw open the doors and welcome our “family” home again!

Pretty Please!

Just when the world seems so hard and so messed up, we have a bright spot in our lives. I’d like to share a bright spot in our day here at Hope House.

 We are still only handing out hygiene, food and diapers through our front door, and will be until at least the end of July. With a mostly elderly staff, we need to wait out the current spikes, and are unable to allow clients in to shop for clothing, which has been difficult for some of them, particularly the homeless.

So this morning, when I checked our mailbox and found a handwritten note among the other items, I was pleased (I’m always glad to hear from our clients—good or bad). This particular note was from a homeless woman who is very well known to us. She was asking for a shirt she could see through the window that she was sure would match her new “Frozen” backpack. She asked “pretty please” could we save it for her. I love it! I immediately went over to the rack to find what she was talking about (a silvery blue shirt) and couldn’t see one, so I went outside to look in and see if I could identify it. Sure enough, a silvery blue shirt was peeking out among the others, so I went inside and saved it in my office for our client.

We were so happy when she showed up this morning at our door, and she was ecstatic to see that I had her shirt for her—I SO wish you could have seen the joy this brought her. She even said to me that it just made her day.

This is why Hope House is so important to our community and why I LOVE MY JOB!!!!!!!

Sometimes it feels like the world has gone crazy. I have even begun to wonder if we are in the “end times” (not really—I have more faith in humanity than that). However, between the pandemic and the awful vision of George Floyd dying our hearts are so hurting. We are in need of His grace and mercy more than ever.

It’s been heartbreaking for us to not be able to serve our clients—I ache for those who are stuck in small spaces with many people. I ache even more for those who are stuck someplace alone. Suicides are on the rise---Covid is killing in more than one way. Hunger is a very real issue, although our food bank is so on this—thank you God for those volunteers and donors!

We have been distributing hygiene, cleaning and baby items through our doors, as well as emergency food. This is OUR “phase 1”---we hope to move to our phase 2 as soon as we get all of our Plexiglas barriers in place. At that time, we will be allowing clients to come in and shop for clothing, although at a rate of only 4 people in at a time. More details will be posted when we are ready for this phase.

In the meantime, please know that we (I have an amazing cadre of volunteers, who are all prayer warriors!) are praying for all of you, for our city/county, for our state and nation and for the world.

God be with all of you!

Welcome Back!

 Welcome back!

Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9-11 am (not 11:30). 

NO FRIDAYS.

·      

      **********You will not be entering Hope House.*************

Hygiene, baby diapers/wipes and emergency food only.

NO CLOTHING FOR NOW

·       ONE visit per month.
·       Keep porch and front steps clear at all times.
·       Please only ONE person per family in line. Leave children and animals home.
·       Social distancing is REQUIRED. Line up on yellow dots.
·       Please wear masks for everybody’s sake.
·       No loitering after receiving your order.
·       No Financial Assistance at this time. Hopefully, in a few weeks.

If bunching and grouping occurs, we will be forced to close. If that continues, we will close again until things are better. We are trying to serve you the best we can—please be patient and follow the procedures.

I am sorry to announce that Hope House will be closed indefinitely due to the current Corona virus crisis. Both for the sake of our senior volunteer staff and also to avoid groups of people waiting for assistance. With schools also closed, children would also be with their parents, as well as our senior and homeless clients. We cannot take any chances at this point. We will be donating our diapers, wipes and feminine hygiene products to the Bellingham Food Bank until this crisis is over.

Please stay home, stay safe and we’ll see all of you soon, we pray!

Cheri Woolsey

 IMPORTANT NOTICE!

Hope House will be closed today (Friday) and Monday, the 16th. We will reopen on Tuesday, the 17th with LIMITED SERVICES.

With limited services, only one client will be allowed inside HH at a time, for only hygiene, diapers or food. No clothing or household at this time. This service will be confined to the front door area. Our volunteer staff are all elderly and some are immuno compromised--the population most affected--so we will try to still meet basic needs as we can.

Hours will be shortened, as well. Mon--Tues--Thur will be 9-11, Friday will be 12-2. There will be no Financial Assistance until further notice.

We may need to close altogether soon--we hope not, but it may be something we need to do. Keep checking our Facebook page and this page for details as we go.

Also, for donations--all we need at this time will be diapers, food and hygiene products. We will not be accepting clothing or housewares.

 God bless you all--please keep safe and pray for each other!

Writer's Block

Sometimes it is hard to discern what to blog about. Sometimes I go through a dark and dry spell in which I feel “apart” from our Lord. Calling it “writer’s block” seems too temporal and secular for the path I have chosen for my life. But it is true that it often is hard to blog with any passion.

However, lately our morning prayer before opening has been “flowing” better for me, and I think the dry spell is almost over. Here are a couple of non-materialistic interactions I have had lately at Hope House:

·     A longtime client (and friend) is having a difficult time with something from his past causing him emotional pain. He spends time with myself and with Bonnie venting his anguish and anger. When I tell him I wish I could help, he states that I do—by listening.

·        A client from long ago makes a new connection with me. We had a very serious “not ok” relationship in the past. Back then she was homeless and high. Now she is clean and sober and housed. I almost didn’t recognize her, and we came together to heal our relationship. I’m so proud of her and all she has done to heal herself

·        A young woman who painfully reminds me of someone I know with the same problems, often comes in to try to get some clarity about life and her challenges. We listen, offer common sense advice and off she goes.

These are just a few examples of other ways that Hope House and the Hope House Community offers non-material assistance. Sometimes just knowing that someone will listen, sympathize and even “mother” them a little goes a long way. I like to think that we are helping in the moment, where they are and what they need at that time.

Hope House is not just “stuff”. It is also a haven for those who need it.