Local credit unions pitch in to give Crosswalk teen shelter a makeover

The chairs at Crosswalk are like those you’d find in many classrooms: industrial, plastic, and a bit too small for the teenagers sitting in them.

For years, the shelter for homeless teenagers had made due with old shelving in its food pantry, no storage space for backpacks and more than one piece of furniture that could stand to be replaced.

On Thursday, volunteers from Spokane’s credit unions came together to give the shelter a top-to-bottom makeover – painting walls, deep-cleaning the kitchen and assembling new furniture.

The project, held to celebrate International Credit Union Day, included a $20,000 donation from the unions to purchase supplies and furniture for the facility.

In the basement, Stefanie Robinson, the director of marketing for Horizon Credit Union, put together a blue locker with help from Chandra Sobosky, a branch operations assistant manager at Spokane Teachers Credit Union.

The pair tried twice to assemble the locker before finally getting it right. Neither had much experience with furniture, they said.

“Ikea and Target, that’s my resume!” Robinson said, laughing. “We’re having fun.”

The lockers will sit by the shelter’s front door and provide teens a secure place to store backpacks, as well as skateboards and other items not allowed inside.

Many of the changes came from a wish list compiled by teens living in the shelter.

“Getting their input, it was the most important part,” said John Robertson, assistant director of homeless youth programs at Volunteers of America, which runs Crosswalk.

More comfortable chairs was high on the list, so the credit unions bought a set of cushier options. One teen sat in the new chair as volunteers painted a nearby wall.

“I can sleep in this,” he said approvingly.

A DVD player, to replace the shelter’s VHS player, is also on the list.

Many of the projects were basic improvements: a new coat of paint, moveable shelves in the food pantry, a deep cleaning of the stove and the beds.

Ed Bedell, the business development officer at Spokane Federal Credit Union and communications coordinator for Spokane’s association of credit unions, was among the organizers for the event. He’s volunteered teaching financial literacy at Crosswalk and other VOA programs, and wanted a chance to support their work on a deeper level.

Bedell had just starting assembling a shoe rack billed as “easy” on its packaging. He stared at it, seeming confused.

“I haven’t fully formed my opinion on that,” he said.

Spokane is home to 20 credit unions, and each contributed to the project in some way. Some sent volunteers; others helped organize or donated funds to pay for supplies. Volunteers, working in two shifts, came from all levels.

“We have CEOs in here. We have tellers,” said Traci McGlathery, community relations manager for STCU. All told, about 50 volunteers were signed up to chip in for the day-long project.

McGlathery said purchasing supplies and new items for the day only cost about $10,000, so Crosswalk will be able to use the remaining funds for more work on facilities or programs.

The local credit unions came together last year for their first International Credit Union Day joint service project: building a playground at the Northeast Youth Center in Hillyard.

Bridget Cannon, the director of youth services for VOA, had retreated to her office by mid-morning to get away from the chaos. She returned to check on progress around 11 a.m.

“I smell cleanliness!” she announced triumphantly as she walked downstairs into the shelter’s main room. She shook her head at the women hard at work scrubbing under industrial the stove burners.

“I don’t even want to know what stuff you’re finding in there,” she said.

Efforts by volunteers have kept the shelter’s doors open for decades, she said.

“We can write lots of grants, but really the way Crosswalk has stayed open since 1985 is the Spokane community,” she said. “I’m just in awe.”