Leadership Institute Session #6
Friday, March 19, 2010
Serving Our Community
Amy Schweim talks to the group about the Puyallup Homeless Coalition and the Freezing Nights Program.
The day began at Immanuel Lutheran Church in downtown Puyallup. The group was introduced to the Puyallup’s Freezing Nights Coalition panel led by Amy Schweim, was comprised of inter-faith Freezing Nights Coalition volunteers. Amy graciously met with our group on her day off. Her passion for this program and its intentions were quickly made clear. Included in her panel were Freezing Nights “graduates” who are now living in safe, warm housing. One challenge that the homeless have is that even when they are willing and capable of getting and keeping jobs, it is hindered by the lack of a home address, a place to shower and take care of their needs.They need the safely of shelter before they can get the means to pay for it.
The Freezing Nights program began in 2004 with several Churches and concerned citizens. The reality that there is no emergency shelter in the City of Puyallup led these groups to organize a volunteer program that would house shelter-less individuals in local church buildings on nights when the temperature drops below 40 degrees.
There are 3 pickup sites where guests of the program can get a ride to that evening's host church. The shelter is open from 7 pm to 7 am, with dinner and breakfast served. You can follow the Puyallup Homeless Coalition on Twitter at Puyallup Homeless.
Renne' Gilliam shares her passion for helping local teens at theYMCA's Youth Investment Center.
Next up was a visit from Renne’ Gilliam and Kelly Culver from the YMCA Youth Investment Center located in Puyallup. This program is a collaboration between the YMCA Friends & Servants Program and Tacoma Area Youth for Christ. They work with youth in Jr. High through High School in the Puyallup area. Both Renne’ and Kelly spoke from their hearts about their own challenges in growing up with odds stacked against them. The team was preparing to take a group of local youth on a five day backpacking trip. You can follow their adventures on their Facebook page.
It was time to head over to the Saint Francis House a few blocks away for a tour and lunch cooked up by members of the board. What a treat to sit together with Sister Pat Michalek and share a meal (with those unforgettable yellow tomatoes) prepared by community members that spend their time helping those that have come across hard times. This organization is helping the community by providing a clothing bank, where families can come and “shop” for gently used clothing. In addition they provide classes in ESL (English as a Second Language), a furniture bank, an emergency food bank and a meal program.
Sister Pat explains how the Saint Francis House provides gently-used clothing, household items, and furniture.
Sister Pat Michalek welcomes the group to the Saint Francis House for lunch prepared by volunteer board members.
After lunch the group was given a tour of the house by boardmembers Rich Zech and Nancy Polich while given the opportunity to ask questions. The lunch tour is offered on a regular basis and is a wonderful opportunity for friends and family to see how they might make the Saint Francis House a part of their lives. They also have a Facebook page for you to become a fan and stay up to date on their events and announcements.
Cisco delivers a semi truck of food donations to be distributed to several area food banks.
After the tour the group headed over to the Puyallup Food Bank on West Stewart Street in Puyallup. They were met by the Board Vice-President, "Jill of all trades", Shanna Peterson. Shanna is passionate about feeding the hungry in Puyallup and will step in to lend her support and also her fork-lift expertise to do just that. The Puyallup Food Bank acts as a distribution center, taking in at times literally semi-truck loads of donated food. They have a new facility that is 10,800 SF and allows donations that can be quite large, room to work, office space and a place for clients to wait, out of the cold and rain. Unfortunately this new space has increased costs in a time when donations and support is down, but need is higher than ever. The Puyallup Valley Food Bank serves ten tons of food a week and over sixteen thousand people a year by the generosity of the community.
One feature that is convenient is that donations can be made online, with a credit card and as little as $25 you can feed a family of four for three days. While the group was here, Shanna showed off her skill as a fork-lift operator and unloaded a large delivery from Cisco distribution. If there was one takeaway from our visit at the food bank it was their need for more funding. If you were a friend or associate of former council member George Dill, his family has asked that Puyallup FISH Food Bank accept memorial donations in George's name.
Shanna Peterson offloads a delivery using a forklift generously donated.
Our final presenter of the day was a panel from the Kiwanis Club of Puyallup. Guests included current Foundation president Greg Jones, Foundation Director’s Larry Bargmeyer and Ben Heeb. It was a poetic ending to an emotionally charged day, in which many of the organizations we had heard from that are helping those facing hard times in Puyallup/Sumner have benefitted from the support of the Kiwanis. An incomplete list of groups that have been benefactors of the Puyallup Kiwanis Foundation grants are: Mel Korum YMCA, Friends & Servants, F.I.S.H. Food Bank, NW Medical Teams Dental Van, Canine teams of the Puyallup Police Dept and Pierce Co Sheriff's Dept., Salvation Army, Puyallup Play Care, St. Francis House, Playground enhancements and Helping Hand House.
"I came away with a deeper understanding of how our local’ services and programs are connected by the people they serve. Contributing or volunteering to one organization helps to strengthen the overall service to our community's most vulnerable citizens." Sally Zeiger Hanson, Executive Director of the Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce
Nancy Polich of the Saint Francis House explains how they serve the community with the goal of helping people get back on their feet.