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Q: Who benefits from a transitional shelter being located in their community?
A: We all do.

Lake Oswego United Church of Christ; Lake Oswego United Methodist Church; Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church; and Our Savior's Lutheran Church.) Under the guidance of a local church coordinator, volunteers from each of these churches offer daily contact and support during 2-week rotations. Services offered to families may include: transportation; life mentoring in shopping, budgeting, housekeeping, and parenting; babysitting, tutoring children; taking children to local parks and after-school programs; helping to collect donated furnishings as families leave and prepare to move into their own housing. Perhaps the greatest gift volunteers offer guest families is simply "being there" to listen. Volunteers are trained to work with the families so as not to compromise the family's self-sufficiency goals, but to encourage and support their transition to independence. Guest families regain a sense of identity, belonging, and a sense of hope from "ordinary people" who honestly believe in their ability to get back on their own feet again.

Volunteer Benefit: Volunteers receive a great deal from the opportunity to interact and work with guest families. Volunteers learn to take risks. Volunteers enjoy the support of their individual church communities. Volunteers discover the human face of homelessness. Volunteers discover their connections to other churches, crossing denominational lines. Volunteers might not choose to travel to downtown Portland to work with homeless families, but they have come to recognize a need in their own community and that need is to families very much like their own. Volunteers with the ministry invariably claim that they receive much more than they give in their effort to demonstrate that they care.

For more information, please contact: Charlie Corey

In the past 14 years 38 transitional shelter families have included mothers with newborn babies, an attorney, fast food workers, a land developer, a chiropractor, developmentally delayed three year old twins, former Sunday school teachers, many single parents, a nurse, a man recovering from heart by-pass surgery, a family who lived in a campground until a few hours before their baby was born, children who have been in four schools in six months or no school at all for most of the year, persons in recovery from physical, sexual, emotional or substance abuse, families where both parents are working and still unable to afford a place of their own, many who have known very little kindness in life...

History:

In September of 1988, a coalition of Lake Oswego churches, in partnership with Clackamas County Social Services and the Annie Ross House Outreach Program, opened a transitional shelter for homeless families. This ministry came about when representatives of several churches in the Lake Oswego area began discussing the possibility of providing a shelter for the homeless. Two years of research on the needs of homeless people found that there was no transitional housing for families available in Clackamas County. The Lake Oswego United Church of Christ offered its facility to become the transitional shelter. Volunteers installed a shower in an old Christian Education office, then converted the rest of the room into sleeping quarters; a Church School classroom which continued to be used by students on Sunday mornings was offered as the weekday "living room" and "family space;" and guest families were allowed access to the large industrial church kitchen and bathrooms down the hall.

In June, 2002, a new self-contained shelter was dedicated. This shelter, built with the help of the Community Development Block Grant from the county, is a one-bedroom facility with its own living room, kitchen, dining area, bathroom, and washer-dryer.

Accomplishments:

Seventy percent of the families who have stayed in our shelter have gone on to maintain permanent housing on their own for at least a six-month follow-up period. This is a high percentage compared to most transitional shelters. Unlike most transitional housing shelters where a caseworker stops by once a week, guest families receive daily contact from volunteers. Many of the guest families have stated that it is the love, kindness, and generosity of ordinary people volunteering to lend a helping hand, believing that they can get back on their own feet that has made the difference in their lives.

The "Lake Oswego Model" as it has come to be known, has been presented to churches throughout Oregon. The model has been replicated in Aurora, Milwaukie, Beaverton and Estacada, Oregon and Pocatello, Idaho.

Organization Description:

The transitional shelter provides housing for families after they have lived in a short-term emergency shelter. Transitional shelters provide housing from 60 to 90 days in order to stabilize the family situation as they save money for a deposit and first/last month rent for permanent housing. The Churches of Lake Oswego Family Transitional Shelter work in a three-way partnership between eight local churches, the Annie Ross House and Clackamas Social Services. Representatives of the Annie Ross House - Outreach Program screen the families for the church transitional shelter. Professional case-management, long-range planning for permanent housing, employment and health insurance is provided by a Self-Sufficiency Social Worker from Clackamas County Social Services. The churches provide direct support services to the guest family while living in the transitional shelter.

Each of the eight churches has a coordinator, who manages the volunteers from their church to work with the guest family. The services to the guest families are equally shared among the churches and their volunteers. Services are provided in a non-institutional manner including daily contact; transportation support; life mentoring in shopping, budgeting, housekeeping and parenting; babysitting; bringing fresh cooked meals; collecting furnishings; tutoring children; taking children to local parks and after-school programming; and most importantly listening. Volunteers are trained to work with the families so as not to compromise their self-sufficiency goals, but to enhance and support guest families in their transition to independence. Guest families regain a sense of identity and sense of belonging.

The Homeless Ministry Task Force meets on a monthly basis to discuss policy, planning and the particular needs of the guest family in the shelter. Networking among the churches, the volunteers and the case-manager continuously occurs during the month to ensure that the needs of the guest family are met.

Our Approach to This Ministry:

In 1947, a hospitality worker set an enduring and wonderful tone for the kind of work we do at our shelter:

This is the ideal of hospitality: Being sister to sister, brother to brother, children of the same Parent. Not scientific social work hospitality. Not haughty superior dealing with 'problem cases'-hospitality. Not condescending judge dealing with errant accused-hospitality. Hospitality is derived from the Latin word for 'guest'. It expresses a relationship between equal people: host and guest. It is bound by the rules of courtesy and human companionship, and ruled by the law of love.

There are always men and women who need hospitality, for one reason or another. There are, in an imperfect world of imperfect men and women, always those who need a calling back to life, a restoration of personality. There are always lonely people, in all times, in all places, who need the knowledge of being respected as men and women, of living with other men and women with dignity, of sharing their own burdens with others and bearing some of the burdens of others.

Hospitality reminds people that they are sisters and brothers, children of God, dependent on others and capable of being depended on by others. (Written by John Cogley in October, 1947.)

Ours is primarily a ministry of presence, not a ministry of evangelism. A Hospitality Minister appreciates the fact that, in meeting people in their need, they are not so much exercising the effort of taking God to others, but experiencing the privilege of meeting God as God comes to us. As we hear from the rabbinic tradition:

"When the Holy One loves someone, the Holy One sends a present in the shape of a poor person, so that s/he should perform some good deed to that person, through the merit of which s/he may draw a cord of grace." (Zohar, Genesis 104a)

From Islam comes a similar lesson:

"On the day of judgment God Most High will say, 'Son of Adam, I was sick and you did not visit Me.' He will reply, 'My Lord, how could I visit Thee when Thou art the Lord of the Universe!' He will say, 'Did you not know that My servant so-and-so was ill and yet you did not visit him? Did you not know that if you had visited him you soon would have found Me with him?'" (Hadith of Muslim)

And when Jesus taught that he would be found in the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and imprisoned, his commendation was for those who provided the simple hospitality by addressing him in those basic needs. (Matthew 25:31-46)

We remember that the needs of our guests will far outdistance our ability to give. Our primary objective is to provide a place for people to stay where, after having experienced severe setbacks in their lives, they may work their way to a rung of self-sufficiency in an atmosphere of love and respect. We often find that the most valuable contribution we are able to make as a "giver of hospitality" is an ability to listen, to give friendship, and to communicate warmth and acceptance.

It is said that Tibetan Buddhist monks greet strangers to their temples with the words, "Welcome, friendand from what noble tradition do you come?" (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life, New York: Scribner, 1996, p. 197)

Such an attitude communicates the essence of hospitality. In adopting such an open, welcoming attitude toward our guest families, we receive as much as we give.

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If You Are Interested in More Involvement...
Contact our Homeless Ministry Coordinator: Charlie Corey

2. To help guests learn how to sustain themselves independently We remind ourselves as volunteers that transition to independence is the goal of our guest families. It's often a bumpy road. We are most helpful we stand them as a support and for the most part, LISTEN. We need to resist (as best we can) urges to jump in and rescue, knowing that this is often counterproductive to our guests needs.

3. To make the expectations of the shelter very clear so guests won't inadvertently jeopardize their opportunity to stay with us. The families that come to us need this place to stay. As difficult as it sometimes is to be "up front" about our expectations and rules, if we are not clear with them, they may lose the opportunity to stay with us. Staying with us offers just one more lesson about the world being a place where everybody has to take responsibility for his or her own actions.

Other ideas:
* Do what you already do well and what's natural for you-be who you are. If you are past the age of dealing with diapers, don't volunteer to baby sit-volunteer. Tutor, help families move into their new apartments, help locate clothing for families / furnishings as they get ready to move on, or do some cleaning, provide transportation...

*Keep communication lines OPEN in all directions-If you have any concerns about anything, call your church coordinator. DON'T HESITATE to call the Overall Ministry Coordinator or other listed emergency numbers-if your coordinator is not available.

*Stay connected to the overall ministry-Few of us want to go to any more meetings than we have to, but all volunteers from any church is always invited to attend the monthly coordinator meetings held at rotating churches on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. The meetings begin at 7:30 and usually last until 9:00. It's a terrific group of people and a way to connect to the whole process.

*Know your own limitations and be clear about them-There are so many opportunities to serve, don't worry about declining an opportunity, there will always be another one. If don't feel comfortable driving at night, say so! If you'd rather not be asked to volunteer on the weekends make that clear, just let your coordinator know. Your needs will be respected.

* Just a couple of "BE CAREFULS"...

* Acceptance To tell you the truth, my mother's standards of messy/neat; healthy/not healthy and mine have varied a bit overtime. The same is true of our families. You may not approve of a mother allowing her child to have sugary cereals, but we've found it best to choose our targets carefully. There may be more important issues than sugar. Of course, if you should ever have any genuine concern about issues such as health, safety, or child rearing practices, discuss this with your coordinator immediately.

* Confidentiality Maintaining confidentiality is the ethical obligation of every volunteer. Our guests have a right to privacy, and we must do our utmost to protect it outside of our ministry contacts. If you have information you feel you need to share or genuine concerns, ask your coordinator or CCSC* for advice about how to handle it. In general, do not disclose last names of family members and or discuss sensitive issues with others.

* Self-determination At the risk of repeating ourselves, families need to learn to make their own choices and handle the resulting consequences. We need to refrain from directly or indirectly interfering with that learning. Families in transition from homelessness are very vulnerable to advice. We help most when we encourage families to ask their own questions and examine their options they see them...using the same sorts of active listening skills that our own best friends use with us when we "think out loud"

* Money Most of our families need help with budgeting and handling money. We must be clear that volunteers are not typically a source of money. Learning to prioritize and make little money cover lots of needs is not an easy task, but it is one that must be learned if guest families are going to learn self-sufficiency during these difficult times. If there are emergencies (e.g., immediate need for a bus pass), we usually it handle as a payday loan. If there are genuine needs (e.g., car insurance, medical bills, specific clothing needs) bring that to your coordinator's attention and coordinators make a collective decision with CCSC's help about our group's financial support.

* Defer When in doubt, defer! Say you don't have an answer but you'll get back with the information. Put a call in to your coordinator, if she/he is not in, call the overall coordinator, and she/he might then contact the CCSC. We need to do our best to make decisions with the "whole picture" in mind and checking with our CCSC about a family's short and long term goals allows her to shape and monitor their progress and make recommendations.

QUESTIONS WE HAVE NOT COVERED?

Clackamas County Self-Sufficiency Case Manager, professional case manager for families

PAST This ministry sprang from meetings called by Our Savior's Lutheran Church beginning in1986 when representatives of several churches in Lake Oswego began discussing the need to "do something about" the homeless. Two years of research suggested that the greatest need was for transitional housing options. At the time, no transitional housing was available for families following emergency shelter placement in Clackamas County. The Lake Oswego United Church of Christ offered its facility as a site for the shelter. With donated labor and furnishings, volunteers from 7 congregations converted a small office into a bedroom with a shower for guest families. A living room was created from an adjacent Church School classroom. Families shared the use of the church kitchen and rest rooms with the congregation. In partnership with the Annie Ross House and Clackamas County Social Services, the Ministry opened the shelter's door to the first guest family in September l988.

PRESENT Churches currently involved in the ministry include: Episcopal Church / Christ Parish, The Church of Christ, Scientist, Lake Grove Presbyterian Church, The Lake Oswego United Church of Christ, The Lake Oswego United Methodist Church, Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, and Our Savior's Lutheran Church. In the 15 years of the ministry, 37 families have been served including 55 adults and 60 children. Of these families, 18 had women as single head of household, 3 had men as head of household, and 16 families had 2 adult caregivers. Guest families have been 92% European American, 5% African American, and 3% Hispanic American. Seventy percent of the families served have maintained permanent housing for at least a 6 month follow-up period, a high percentage compared to most transitional shelters. Unlike many transitional shelters where a caseworker has time to stop by once a week, our families receive daily contact from volunteers. Many of our guest families have stated that it is the love, kindness, and generosity of ordinary people volunteering to lend a helping hand, believing that they can get back on their own feet that has made the difference in their lives.
The "Lake Oswego Model" of church-supported transitional shelter ministry has been presented to churches throughout the metro area and beyond. Some form of the model has been replicated in four locations in Oregon and one in Idaho. A handbook was created to facilitate volunteer engagement and training. Based on experiences meeting the needs and challenges of guest families, ministry coordinators have revised the widely distributed handbook 4 times since it was first published in September l988. Nine orientations for prospective volunteers from churches and the community at large have been offered in the past 14 years. Materials and information about our ministry have been mailed to those requesting it throughout Oregon and 3 other states. All services offered by the ministry have been offered at no cost. The shelter ministry employs no staff and is operated entirely by volunteers recruited from sponsoring churches. Funding for the day-to-day operation of the ministry comes solely from the coalition churches and unsolicited individual donations.
The Lake Oswego Transitional Shelter Ministry functions in a 3-way partnership with the Annie Ross House and Clackamas County Social Services. Our transitional site provides housing for families after they have lived in a short-term emergency shelter. Representatives of the Annie Ross House Outreach Program screen families for placement in our apartment. Housing is typically provided for 90 days (sometimes longer, on a case-by-case basis) in order to stabilize the family as they save money for a deposit and first / last months' rent for permanent housing. Professional case-management (e.g., long-range planning for permanent housing, employment, health insurance, and other social services) is provided by a Self-Sufficiency Social Worker from Clackamas County Social Services. Volunteers from ministry churches provide direct support services to the guest families during revolving 2-week periods. The time spent by individual volunteers supporting guest families varies widely on a daily basis (e.g., from 1 volunteer transporting the family to a grocery store for 45 minutes after work one evening to 12 volunteers collectively supporting a family's move to a new apartment for a 5-6 hour time period on a Saturday.) Each of the coalition churches has a representative who coordinates the volunteers from their respective churches. The services provided include: daily contact; transportation support; life-mentoring in budgeting, shopping, parenting, and housekeeping; tutoring children; facilitating child care; providing enrichment experiences for children; and most importantly, listening. Volunteers are trained and monitored to work with guest families to encourage their self-sufficiency goals and support their transition toward independence. Many guest families have reported a regained sense of worth / belonging following their stay and success in moving forward with their lives. Some former guest families have returned to offer support or possessions to current shelter residents. Coordinators from the ministry meet on a monthly basis to discuss shelter policy, planning, and the particular needs of guest families. Communication among the churches, coordinators, volunteers, and the case-manager occurs continuously to ensure that the needs of the guest family are met.

FUTURE In May of 2000, the loose coalition of churches was reorganized as a non-profit 501 (c)(3) with a Board of Directors made up of representatives from each of the supporting churches. The newly formed non-profit coalition applied for and was awarded grants by Clackamas County (a Community Development Block Grant) and The Lake Oswego Junior Women's Club to construct a new shelter. Cash and in-kind donations from member churches and community partners amounted to $32,788, well in excess of the 20% matching funds required by the Block Grant. The brand new, fully furnished 1 bedroom apartment meets ADA requirements and will allow accommodation of a family member living with a disability for the first time. Currently there is a 6-month to 5-year waiting list for affordable housing in Clackamas County. Additional transitional shelters are sorely needed. Our ministry provides a proven model for committed trained volunteers supporting the needs of homeless families when partnered with professionals from social service agencies. Many families from emergency shelters need extra help to stabilize their lives and transition successfully into permanent housing. Our ministry has enjoyed broad-based community support, but the need for the increased community awareness of families in crisis is great. The benefit offered by this ministry is truly multidirectional. Both those served and those who serve in this ministry find themselves understanding better our mutual need to connect with and care for others in community.

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