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UPCOMING OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES AT FCC
Our church-wide service
project helping homeless families through Phoenix Housing Network is ongoing several weeks throughout the year. We house
families two times a year. A lot of work goes into it, but we feel it is well worth it to help people who are motivated
to change their lives and give their children better opportunities. Those who have been involved in this outreach say
serving PHN families has helped them as much as they have helped our guests, in that these families are just like ours, that
"there but for the grace of God go I."
As before, we will need plenty of volunteers to
assist with this outreach effort, including people set up on Saturday and take down the room dividers and bedding
and kitchen supplies, dinner preparers, dinner hosts, overnight hosts, and breakfast hosts, and there is always plenty of
laundry to do!
Also, we can
always use blankets, sheets, towels, dishes, etc., and, of course, food donations and/or money for expenses. If
you would like to help with this fun very rewarding experience, please contact Sue Wiseman at 759-7181.
Did you know that Phoenix Housing Network now has fifty transitional housing units in Tacoma and surrounding areas? Families go though the phase one or crisis part of the program where they move from
place to place each week for about two to four months. During this time they
are getting counseling and working on the problems that have caused them to be homeless.
Then they can move into subsidized housing for up to two years while they are achieving stability. They still see social workers periodically. Thus the program
combines the essential help of the volunteers with experienced case workers in a long term program to get families back on
their feet.
Lately there have been some changes in personnel at the Day Center. Alan Brown
is the new director, replacing Debbie Cato. Alan has been a long time employee
of Catholic Community Services working mostly with Family Preservation. He also
works in the theater. In the fall of 2002 he wrote and staged an emotionally
compelling play for Homeless Awareness Week. There are new case managers and
a new volunteer coordinator, Adrienne Heim, who comes from Puyallup United Methodist Church where she was the Executive Secretary
for five years. Some of us met Adrienne when we hosted the families in late November. She is warm and gracious, and willing to help the host sites in any way she can.
Phoenix
Housing Network is planning a volunteer appreciation dessert on Sunday, February 26 from 2 to 4 pm. It will be held at the Day Center, 7050 South G Street. There
will be goodies and Adrienne is rounding up some neat door prizes. This would
be a good time to see the center and meet the new staff.
First Church is actively involved with the following community groups
CONECT
FISH
Phoenix Housing Network
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