We are so grateful for your partnership with Associated Ministries this past year. During 2017 we experienced momentum on many fronts:
- Our Community Quarterly Meetings convened ever-larger crowds throughout the year; in total 187 people from 44 faith communities came together at four gatherings to be educated about homelessness and discuss potential projects and solutions.
- In November we hosted the largest group yet at our annual “Lead the Way Home” breakfast, and attendees responded with record generosity.
- During October we encouraged Pierce County faith communities to take part in the first “Standing United with Compassion” observance, which kicked off at a moving and memorable “interfaith Shabbat” service hosted by Temple Beth El.
- In September we staged an innovative new community event called “Amazing Quest to Understand Homelessness” in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood.
- In March we were overwhelmed by the response to our first-ever Interfaith Women’s Conference as some 400 women gathered for a day of learning, inspiration and fellowship.
These are a few tangible examples of the growing commitment we sense throughout Pierce County to come together to address our communities’ most critical needs.
When it comes to one of those needs – homelessness – we all know we’re facing a crisis. But behind the scenes many of us are working hard to make fundamental shifts in our homeless response system. We must not grow weary in doing good, not when we are making progress towards our preferred future, one in which homelessness is a rare, brief, and one-time experience for those caught up in its terrible consequences.
Truth be told, there have been many challenges to navigate during 2017, including some discouraging – and even terrifying – situations playing out across our nation and world. And yet at AM we remain optimistic as we see people in our community coming together with new-found solidarity and resolve to make a difference. In trying times it is essential to know that we are here for each another.
No matter what happens in the year ahead, Associated Ministries will continue to press forward as we have for 48 years, bringing together people of faith and good will to create a more humane, compassionate and just community. To do that, WE NEED YOU; and more than ever our community needs you. Thank you for showing up and for reaching out!
Michael Yoder, Executive Director
Associated Ministries brings people of faith and goodwill together every quarter to learn about what homelessness looks like in Pierce County, as well as take tangible steps to end homelessness.
Join us during our next Community Quarterly Meeting (CQM):
September 21st from 4 – 6pm
Hosted by St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
7410 S. 12th St., Tacoma, WA 98465
Attendees will be informed and educated about homelessness in Pierce County, gain understanding of effective interventions, and discuss potential projects and solutions.
Speakers will include:
Gerrit Nyland: Homeless Programs Data Administrator for Catholic Community Services. Gerrit will present a clear and compelling understanding of what homelessness looks like in Pierce County.
Tiegan Tidball Bradbury: Systems Analyst for the City of Tacoma. Tiegan will provide an update on where the City is at regarding its emergency declaration on homelessness.
Noah Baskett: Sr. Director of Community Engagement for the Rescue Mission, Tacoma. Noah will discuss potential projects in which people of faith and goodwill can take part.
This is a CALL TO ACTION for those representing a specific faith community (as a pastor or appointed representative) along with anyone else interested in helping to end homelessness. Please plan to attend!
Download bulletin inserts here.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Chief Program Officer, Valorie Crout at valoriec@associatedministries.org or 253-426-1508.
Our Rapid Rehousing team–Team Leader Ivette and amazing team members Mary, Kelsey, and Will–explain in this video a little of their approach to helping people with housing services. In 2016, they helped 375 households go from homelessness back into affordable housing rapidly and permanently.
“We accept individuals and families who are referred by Coordinated Entry. We also assist with some move in costs and very short-term rental assistance. Using the Housing First model we address homelessness and then provide resources to meet other needs clients have.”
“In our program, we meet the clients where they are in life. This program is all about what the clients want and need. They are in charge of their destinies and know their situation better than we do. Families receive referrals to employment services, mental health services, and resources to gain tools for self-sufficiency. Empowering clients to take control of their lives is the key to our Rapid Rehousing Program.”
Landlord collaboration is vital to the success of the Rapid Rehousing Program. Read more about the incredible landlords the team has worked with and honored through regular Community Pillar Awards.
Can you build a shelter out of a pallet, a tarp, some rope and other things you might find by the side of the road within 5 minutes? How many hygiene kits can your team put together before time runs out? These are just two of the fun activities that teams and individuals will take part in at the AMAZING QUEST to Understand Homelessness.
This first time event, on Saturday, October 7th, will bring together people from throughout the community to compete with one another and work together to learn about homelessness, and some of the issues that people experiencing homelessness go through on a daily basis. Teams with the most points will receive prizes and there will be a special prize for the team with the most spirit! Points can be earned by completing the activities, locating individuals along the route who are handing out surprise points, and identifying special points of interest along the route.
You can also earn points by donating needed items and obtaining donations through friends, family and coworkers by having them sponsor you or your team.
- New or gently used: Outside sleeping bag, tarp, wool blanket
- New: Emergency blanket, socks
If you are looking for an easy team-bonding activity for your group, whether business, faith communities, service group, school, etc., this is a wonderful opportunity to spend a few hours together, working as a team and benefiting those that are the most vulnerable among us.
Registration is easy: just to https://www.associatedministries.org/amazing-quest to sign up. For more information about the event, feel free to contact Wendy Morris at wendym@associatedministries.org or 253-426-1501.
Join us at the Lead the Way Home Breakfast for a morning of inspiration and learn about our vision to end family homelessness in our community.
Reserve your FREE tickets by October 27th
AM Executive Director Mike Yoder, along with former Director David Alger and other special guests, will share stories of faith, courage, and transformation.
Discover how you can help families step out of poverty and homelessness and move into a life that offers hope.
November 2, 2017
7:30am – 8:30am
Foss Waterway Seaport 705 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA
(free parking available in the adjacent lot)
The Lead the Way Home Breakfast is a fundraising event; while the breakfast is free you will be asked to make a generous donation to this worthy cause. Proceeds benefit Associated Ministries and its programs that serve homeless families and individuals.
- Create a team to fill some homeless kits with useful items for families experiencing homelessness. Kits will be given to Catholic Community Services’ Family Housing Network.
- Give bus passes and socks to Shared Housing Services, a program that serves youth and young adults, ages 16 – 24, who are experiencing homelessness. These bus passes are essential, so youth can make it to and from important appointments.
These are just two of the many ways that people attending our Community Quarterly Meetings (CQ) have pledged to help support local agencies working with those experiencing homelessness. And we need your help as we take action on the crisis of homelessness in our community.
We hope you will join us at our next CQ Meeting on Thursday, September 21st, from 4:00 – 6:00 pm at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 7410 South 12th Street, Tacoma, WA 98465. The goal of these meetings are to gather people of faith and goodwill to create an energizing space in Pierce County to share knowledge, and act on strategies to end homelessness.
Attendees will be informed and educated about homelessness in Pierce County, gain understanding of effective interventions, and discuss potential projects and solutions through presentations and discussions.
The lineup of speakers for our next CQ meeting includes:
Gerrit Nyland: Homeless Programs Data Administrator for Catholic Community Services. Gerrit will present a clear and compelling understanding of what homelessness looks like in Pierce County.
Tiegan Tidball Bradbury: Systems Analyst for the City of Tacoma. Tiegan will provide an update on where the City is at regarding its emergency declaration on homelessness.
Noah Baskett: Sr. Director of Community Engagement for the Rescue Mission, Tacoma. Noah will discuss potential projects in which people of faith and goodwill can take part.
This is a CALL TO ACTION for those representing a specific faith community (as a pastor or appointed representative) along with anyone else interested in helping to end homelessness. Multiple attendees from your faith community or organization are welcome to attend; we will have three different breakout groups, and you may want to have a person attending each one.
If you have any questions, please contact Valorie Crout at valoriec@associatedministries.org or 253-426-1508.
It’s getting hot out there. For many of us it’s easy to find a cool place, whether work or home, that has air conditioning. Or go to a restaurant, drive in an air conditioned car, go to the mall, etc. People experiencing homelessness do not have those luxuries. In fact, their very survival is at stake.
People who are homeless can be particularly vulnerable to heat waves because they cannot easily stay cool or stay hydrated. Some living on the streets might have medical or substance issues that prevent them from thinking clearly and are in need of extra assistance. Add this to heat and dehydration and you have a lethal combination. Moreover, heat waves are often not perceived as being as dangerous as cold weather.
People living on the street or in their car can take advantage of cooler air in public buildings such as Pierce County libraries, Tacoma Libraries and other public places, however going in to cool off at a local restaurant, coffee shop or movie theater, costs money they don’t have.
Here are ten things you can purchase and carry with you to hand out to people living on the street or in their car during the heat wave:
- Frozen bottled water. Try to freeze (not just chill) bottled water before handing it out. The ice will melt slowly for drinking, but can also be used for general cooling. Freezing the bottles will provide a cold source that people can hold to their heads or necks or between their wrists. “Enhanced” water that has electrolytes added to it is especially beneficial to help replace needs nutrients.
- Water bottles. Consider handing out reusable, durable water bottles that can be refilled from public water sources.
- Sunglasses. To be effective, Prevent Blindness America says glasses should block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays.
- Hats. Baseball hats, straw hats, anything-with-a-brim hats. This keeps the sun off the face and out of the eyes.
- Umbrellas. They will help keep the sun from directly beating down on a person on the street.
- Bandanas. Dipped in water and draped around the neck or head, these can bring down temperatures significantly. When dipped in cold water, the cooling bandana will provide long-term relief and can be reused again and again.
- Sunscreen. Great idea, but don’t give away that bottle you barely used last year. Sunscreen’s protective ingredients expire after 12 months. Don’t be cheap. Buy new bottles. The average adult needs about a shot glass worth of sunscreen per day in the sun to stay totally protected.
- Zinc oxide ointment. This will keep lips and noses from burning and is much easier to carry and apply than sunscreen.
- Bus passes. People in need can ride an air conditioned bus to help stay cool.
- Fast food cards. Where people in need can go in and purchase a meal and sit for a time in a cool place. If they do not purchase food, some establishments will ask them to leave. By enabling them to make a purchase you are helping not only feed them, but keep them cool too.
As the temperatures begin to climb throughout Pierce County, the Department of Emergency Management reminds everyone to stay out of the heat as much as possible, stay hydrated, and check on elderly relatives and neighbors when temperatures soar. They also recommend checking on those with chronic health concerns as they might be more susceptible to heat related illnesses.
Those with low or fixed incomes are also at risk. Many of them are forced to choose between eating or turning on their air conditioner. Food often wins out and in extreme heat a fan is simply not enough to keep someone cool.
Do not leave children or pets in cars unattended – temperatures can quickly become deadly. Take advantage of cooler air in public buildings such as Pierce County libraries, Tacoma Libraries, local malls, movie theaters, and other large stores. People seeking relief from the heat by swimming in rivers risk cold shock and possibly drowning.
Exercise extreme caution and make sure to take care of one another.
What a great Community Quarterly Meeting we had last week! Thanks again to Rev. Eric Jackson for hosting us!
Special thanks also goes to Tiegan Tidball from the City of Tacoma, Mike Yoder, Executive Director for Associated Ministries and Mark Merrill, Executive Director for Shared Housing Services for presenting. Everyone did a great job!
Here are links to the materials we reviewed at the meeting:
To keep everyone encouraged and energized, I would like to share a few results from the breakout sessions. We had three breakout groups this quarter: Catholic Community Services’ Family Housing Network (FHN), Shared Housing Services, and the City of Tacoma, which explored ways the faith community could get involved to support the Emergency Declaration.
Catholic Community Services’ Family
Housing Network Workgroup
The Family Housing Network Workgroup agreed to make some homeless kits filled with useful items for families experiencing homelessness. There was also emphasis on getting the word out in the community about this awesome program, so the workgroup is planning to have Alan Brown, the Director of Family Housing Network, present during scheduled community meetings.
Shared Housing Services Workgroup
The Shared Housing Workgroup took a similar path. They too wanted to get the word out about this great opportunity for the faith community. This workgroup plans to do more outreach in neighborhoods, congregations, neighborhood councils as well as some community gatherings.
City of Tacoma Workgroup
The City of Tacoma Workgroup came up with some pretty creative ideas about how the faith community can get directly involved to support the Emergency Declaration on Homelessness, including safe parking, permanent housing solutions such as rehabbing derelict houses or purchasing tiny houses, and exploring policy changes such as screening practices for rental applications.
The goal of the Community Quarterly meeting is to create an energizing space in Pierce County for people of faith and goodwill to share knowledge and act on strategies to end homelessness.
Please plan to join us for future gatherings. Upcoming Community Quarterly Meetings:
- Thursday, Sept. 21st from 4-6 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 7410 South 12th Street, Tacoma, WA 98465.
- Tuesday, Dec. 5th from 4-6pm at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 4818 East Portland Ave, Tacoma, WA 98404.
Associated Ministries will host a brand new event this fall entitled “AMAZING QUEST to Understand Homelessness.” This unique family-friendly event invites the community to take part in an exciting scavenger hunt-style challenge with the goal of better understanding the realities faced by those who are homeless in our community. It will be a bit like The Amazing Race television show, with activity stations and learning opportunities located at various landmarks throughout Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood.
AM executive director Mike Yoder is excited about the event’s potential to move the needle on homelessness awareness in Tacoma and Pierce County. “There are so many misconceptions about homelessness,” says Yoder. “This event will address these misconceptions, illustrating the daily struggles of our homeless neighbors, while fundraising to inspire change and make a lasting impact.”
The Amazing Quest will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, beginning and ending at People’s Park in Tacoma. Teams of 2-8 people will visit various locations around the Hilltop and participate in challenges to win points. These challenge points will be combined with points earned during a fundraising period prior to the event, with prizes awarded to the winning team. Teams can consist of families and friends, church groups, office teams, and others.
Funds raised before and during the event will benefit Associated Ministries and its work to address homelessness and empower people to live stabilized lives off the streets. “Amazing Quest to Understand Homelessness is our way of not just telling Pierce County residents about the realities of homelessness,” says Yoder. “It’s our way of engaging them in an impactful and memorable way.”
Check the AM website in the coming weeks for more details and team registration information.
