Jesus or John?

 

I passed a church the other day—you know, one of those with the reader board out front. They often post funny or inspirational sayings along with notice of events and times. I am often laughing as I pass them by on my way to work in the morning, but this message really struck a chord with me, so here are my thoughts on this pearl of wisdom:

“It is easy to act like a Christian, but harder to react like a Christian.”

Since my job literally demands that I act like a Christian you would think it would be easier for me than it often is. After all, practice should make perfect, right?   Ha Ha, I hear Him laughing right now. J Every morning before we open at Hope House, we offer prayers for kindness, compassion and patience. It’s the last word that gets me every time---patience. Oh Lord, please bless me with patience!

Without patience, my reactions to angry, demanding and stressed out clients can be very reactive and non-Christ like. My staff says I end up using my “Mom voice” to redirect clients into polite behavior. I say I just lose my cool and am too demanding of people who are already struggling with life on a moment-to-moment basis—much to my shame.

I also saw a t-shirt advertised online that said “I’m part Jesus and part John. Get closer so you can see which one I am today” I love it, but I tend towards John almost every day. I am brash, outspoken (often without thinking first!) and direct for the most part---but I do love all of the Body of Christ so much! I hope He understands that (I’m sure He does!)

Blessings, compassion and patience from Hope House.

 

Where did the time go?

                                                                                                             

 

It’s hard to believe that we will be having our 21^st year of Hope House anniversary in October! Twenty one years!!!!! I remember thinking when we started that this was a small attempt at helping with a HUGE problem and wondering if we would ultimately make any difference at all.

Well, I would say that we have indeed made a difference—in many ways and for many people:
·         In our community, the chance to reach out to those of our neighbors who need assistance in times of stress---or just to help make life bearable—has led to an unexpected benefit Hope House offers to our clients. That benefit is the chance to feel like part of a community, a “family”! Our waiting area is often the home to recipe exchanges, resource sharing and even good natured sport ribbing.
·         To our clients, our Market window, our clothing and household items, books, puzzles, games and toys mean that often they can make their rent that month, or buy the shoes their child so desperately needs. Helping them stretch their budgets feels wonderful!
·         Our mostly volunteer staff. Wow, I don’t even have words for how awesome my staff is—truly they are angels. Always willing to fill in and work extra shifts, always prompt and friendly. Don’t get me started on how far they will go to find just what a client is in need of (let’s just say that once in a while, one of the staff goes missing in the middle of the shift—only to reappear with size 4 diapers because someone needs them and we are out!) I am constantly trying to get them to go with what we have out on the shelves, but they are too compassionate not to look further.
·         Our donors. Just wow. So many wonderful people who think of those in our community with less than they have. So many bags of clothing, food, household items, diapers and hygiene. Monthly online donations to us, seasonal chunks of change, memorial donations when one of our loved donors passes…….just thanks seems so small, but it is all I have to offer…………

We are truly blessed at Hope House, and I can’t even wrap my head around 21 years of blessings!

I work on the presumption

that if you are doing God's work,

it is God's business to look after you.

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome back!

 

So close! So very close to “normal”. Or as normal as it will be for a while around here….

So, Hope House will be CLOSED July 1-7^th to give our volunteers well deserved time off. We are hoping to reopen on July 8^th with more expansions in service:

·         15 people allowed inside at a time—both shopping and waiting are counted.

·         Children will be allowed again, but if you are here with children, your time to shop will be 15 minutes maximum, as your children will be taking up some of those 15 slots.

·         Unless you can show us your proof of vaccination, all clients must wear masks. No exceptions.

·         One of our restrooms will be available for use.

·         We will still be limiting visits to once per month per family unit.

We are full of “stuff” and looking forward to seeing all of you! Let’s have a great summer and get back to our wonderful Hope House community again!

Blessings to all of you,

The staff of Hope House

Our long nightmare.......

 

The long, long wait is almost over. With any luck (and blessings from above) we will soon be able to throw our doors open, put out the coffee and cookies, turn on a children’s movie and get back to “normal”!! Just in time for summer Friday afternoons of children writing in sidewalk chalk outside, moms chatting and everyone enjoying the warmth of the sun. Blessings!

We have been so blessed with donations from our wonderful donors and supporters over the last year—even when we were closed, we were able to accept diapers, toilet paper, etc. We are, however, very, very full of clothing—particularly women’s and infants clothing. So right now we are not taking those items. Keep watching our Facebook page for a return to unlimited donations.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Since it sounds like the schools will be open in the fall, we are going to need to be able to offer school supplies and backpacks to our families in late August. Back-to-school is such a budget buster when you are on a limited income! New underwear and socks are also appreciated for all ages of children. J

Looking forward to “normal”!!!!!

Waiting for normal....

 

Hope House has always been more than a “store” to our clients—it is a social gathering spot, a community center for those who don’t feel comfortable and/or welcomed in other places and valuable lifeline for those in need. This has become more apparent since we re-opened from the pandemic closings. We are slow these days—much slower than normal.

Granted, we are only able to allow 6 people in to shop at a time, due to social distancing guidelines and we are unable to accommodate children and, most importantly, I think, we have no waiting room available! We have turned our beautiful and welcoming waiting room into the men’s clothing department. Gone is the coffee cart, baskets of cookies and treats and Disney movies on the television in the children’s area. Our waiting area was often filled to capacity with moms chatting, children playing and adults sharing resource information and recipes. It is so quiet. It is so sad.

The fact that we are very slow these days presses home the point that the social aspect of our waiting room was a big draw. Here’s a prayer for a quick return to “normal”!!!

 

Hope House will be closed Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday so that our wonderful volunteers can spend much needed time with their families. We will re-open on Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Happy Easter!

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.

Think Happy!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I have the best job in the world! Today is a typical Thursday, busy, crazy, noisy and crowded; and yet, somehow it works out and feels homey around here. When I wander out to the buzzing waiting room, I find laughter, teasing and sharing of resources and information. I ask if we are having a party and I get lots of smiles in return. It probably helps that at this time of year, we are blessed with extra goodies to share in the waiting area—people bring us candy, cookies, oranges—and that makes everyone smile. I am always amazed at the patience my clients share with each other and the “system”.

On Monday mornings, our waiting room becomes the “morning after” football discussion and critique. Our clients are huge Seahawks fans and we wear our colors proudly! When the occasional Bears or Cowboys fan wanders in, the teasing begins, but we all have fun with the whole subject. I wish the Seahawks could see how much they mean to those with little else to brighten their days.

So what’s the point? The point is that Hope House is family to those who need our services. We are a place where people feel valued and welcome. We are a community within our greater community and we are proud of it! Our clients love coming in and being greeted by name, they like that we know who their children are and what they are up to. They love the teasing and laughter they find to go give them armor to face the rest of their day.

At this time of year, to borrow a phrase, “Hope House is one of the happiest places on earth!”

A Grace Filled Day

A couple of days ago, I had what I call a “grace” day at Hope House. What is a grace day, you might ask? I love my job so much because, hello, I get to give to those in need!!! How much more blessed than that can you get at work? At any rate, a “grace” day is one in which the rewards are particularly obvious. Here are the rewards I received the other day:

·         First in was a young woman who has not been here for a couple of years. She could be my daughter, and her story was so sad. She has gone from being housed with her husband and children to being homeless and alone. She cried and said it hurt to be here when the last time she was in, she was so much happier. I can tell she is working on getting back to that life, but she told me that our support has always been vital to her and her family.

·         A regular client brought in a t-shirt with a beautiful faith message printed on the front—he said the message described me for him! So sweet.

·          A man fresh out of prison was so incredibly grateful for new clothing and hygiene items to start his job search.

·         And finally, there was Gracie. An adorable, intelligent and articulate little 4 year old charmer. She absolutely brought sunshine into Hope House. Gracie lives in a car with her mom and dad, who are keeping things bright for her while they find work.

All in all, a wonderful, fulfilling day at Hope House! As I always say—I love my job!

Little Things....

I can’t believe it has been almost a year since we opened in our beautiful new building! This place has been a blessing to so many people in our community, and so much of what we do is dependent on the support of our wonderful part of the world.

Sometimes it is one of the little things we do that causes the most joy to one of our clients. For instance, we allow homeless individuals to have their mail sent here until they find housing. Many of them are expecting new ID cards, birth certificates, etc., so this is a worthwhile service, no matter how much of a hassle it can be (some people only check their mail once every 6 months or so!). At least once per week, you can hear me threatening to discontinue this program due to the time it takes.

But then, you get a day like today. I was swamped with work on my computer, many voices calling my name for questions, etc.---in other words; a typical Friday! When a small, quiet young woman came to my office door to ask if she had any mail, I sighed and started searching through the stack. When I found the one, hand written envelope with her name on it, she teared up and held it close to her chest. Turns out her husband is in jail, and she is homeless herself—the only way he can communicate with her is through the letters he sends to her care of Hope House. She is so appreciative, and I am so contrite to realize how much something that irritates me just makes her day.

The little things—or maybe not so little?

Full of the Spirit

It’s been a lovely morning here at Hope House! Everyone is all smiles at the sunshine, no one is cranky or loud. Then there is this:

A client comes in to intake and announces that he now has an address. His smile is huge and he is so thankful for Theresa Meurs, who not only works at the Opportunity Council in the Homeless Service Center, but also volunteers on Mondays at Hope House. He states that it is because of Theresa that he is in housing after an extended period of homelessness—his joy is palpable and contagious.

Into the intake office walks one of our faithful elderly donors with a question about what we need—while this client is still in there. He offers admiration for her large cross necklace and they have the most touching moment contemplating the Holy Spirit together

……

Where else can you work that offers daily evidence and influence of the Holy Spirit? Love, love, love my job!

The most valuable thing at Hope House is.....

Recently, I needed to find a “bright spot” in the past year for a major funding source. Here is what came from my heart:

Trying to find one bright spot in a year like this last year is almost impossible. We demolished our old building, spent several months working out of our shed down the alley and finally opened up in our bright, shiny new building. So where do I start?

How about with a common denominator in all of these—our volunteer staff. When we were getting ready to close down in the old building, they worked like troopers to sort, pack and carry goods/donations to appropriate resting places. Their common sense and discriminating taste helped make the process quicker. When we had to downsize our staffing because we were in the shed, they hung in there and worked when needed, even in the cold and heat!

But the true value of these wonderful people, many of whom are retired and elderly, came when it was time to prepare and “load in” in the new building. Thanks to a generous grant from a local foundation, we were able to completely furnish the new Hope House with new racks, bins, shelving, desks, chairs, etc. Expecting a massive delivery from the store we bought from, and anticipating a week’s worth of hard work, I scheduled us to be closed for one week right before opening day.

Having told the staff I would be there every day from 9-3 and to come when they could, I didn’t know what to expect. I certainly didn’t expect for almost every single volunteer to show up almost every day. Many came every day, all day, until we were done. The work was hard and physical, and yet, there were no complaints. Not only did they help unpack, put together and set up the furnishings, they helped to decide where the best placement was for each piece.

 I cannot say how much this show of support and love from my beloved volunteers meant to me. It was truthfully the brightest spot in the past year for me! Without this wonderful staff, we would have no Hope House. Truly, my greatest treasure at Hope House is my awesome staff.

Home of the Cookie Monster(s)

Part of what makes Hope House so welcoming to our clients is our long time practice of offering coffee and cookies in our waiting room. So welcome on cold days! One of my front desk staff commented recently that she is pretty sure many of our clients are “eating breakfast” at Hope House, lol! We love making the smallest contribution to a better day with whatever it takes. So, needless to say, we go through a LOT of cookies.

Last week, we had a day where we were out of cookies---once in a while it happens. I scrounged some graham crackers out of our food bag area and we were trying to make do. However, God always has different ideas for us—we call them “Godshots”---direct, inspired divine assistance to a need as it happens.

So, I am working on paperwork in my office, which is centrally located with multiple windows (my own little fishbowl), when I hear someone saying, “I need to see Cheri”. From the window to the warehouse, a parishioner appears with a gallon baggie of fresh homemade cookies—oatmeal with butterscotch chips, to be exact! She is sharing them with us on this day when we need them most. Godshot! I can’t tell you how good they were and how appreciated by all of our clients. I love my job……

Join our cookie brigade and have a baking party—we’ll take care of the eating. J

Little things.....

I love my job so much! You are all probably tired of hearing me say that I have the best job in the world, but it is true. Even when we are crazy busy and ramped up for the holidays; when my stress level is on maximum overdrive—I love this job. Today God reached down to show me, once again, what Hope House means to people, and how little it takes to change someone’s life.

In the midst of the Christmas carols playing, the tree in the corner and the bustle of the end of the week, God showed us the way.

There once was a girl……..who drove us all crazy with her quirky, and often demanding, personality. She had decided over the last weeks to focus her passive aggression on me—to the point of driving me nuts! Which I kind of think is what she was trying for? Every visit (and there were many!) turned into a tug of war over what she could and couldn’t do/get. She pushed, I stood firm, she pushed again, I got irritated and she won. What was consistent in her requests was the need for a phone. Homeless, not welcome in many places and often alone, she wanted a phone more than anything.

Last time she was in, I tried being overly solicitous and helpful and she left in a good mood with a minimum of trouble. Today, I was on intake duty when she appeared. As she sat there looking despondent and wondering how she could get a phone, the Holy Spirit said to me “give her a phone”. Knowing that our Assumption Financial Assistance people had given out almost no money today, I approached them with the idea of calling Fred Meyers and seeing how much it would cost.

Long story short, it was reasonable and Fred’s takes our vouchers, so we broke our rule about no phone help and wrote out a voucher for a phone from Freds. You could hear her crying all through the building. She was so touched and so happy and promised to call her mom as soon as she had the phone in hand.

We’re hoping a call to mom will lead her home……in more ways than one!