Churches Cooperate To Open And Operate A Homeless Shelter

With winter approaching, a coalition of churches is preparing to open a homeless shelter.

The Interfaith Alliance Hospitality Network of Spokane will host up to five families a week, offering meals, showers, counseling and job searches.

The coalition of 10 churches had hoped to open by Thanksgiving, but it still needs two more host churches and $12,500. Now it hopes to begin caring for families by January.

The money would help remodel a day center and laundry facility at First Covenant Church downtown.

“We have organizations around town begging us to take families,” said coalition spokesperson Ingrid Aderhold.

The coalition is part of a national group started in New Jersey. At least 11 states have similar networks, and St. Vincent DePaul organized a church-based homeless shelter in Couer d’Alene.

Hosting Valley churches include St. Joseph Catholic, St. Mary’s Catholic and Spokane Valley Baptist.

St. John Vianney Catholic is a supporting Valley church.

The network works like a round-robin dinner group, with each host church taking turns housing families in its building. Nine additional churches have signed up to give volunteer hours and money.

Each church would be a host up to five times a year.

The network is designed to give comfortable living quarters while helping homeless families recover.

“These are the houses of God and we part of his family,” said Aderhold. “These families are our guests and we treat them such.”

Prince of Peace Lutheran pastor John Voswig spurred the network last year by hosting Karen Olson, the New Jersey homeless advocate who created the first Interfaith Alliance Network.

Service agency officials said more than 2,700 homeless in Spokane were turned away from over-booked emergency shelters last year. Spokane Neighborhood Action Program homeless office turns away an average of 10 families every day.

To help, call Aderhold at 327-5612 or Sandy Nokes at 838-1083.

, DataTimes