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!”