Interfaith Network Provides Housing, Food For Homeless

FROM VALLEY VOICE page V8 (Saturday, July 26, 1997): Correction Spokane Valley United Methodist Church is a supporting member of the Interfaith hospitality Network of Spokane. The church was omitted from a story published in the Valley Voice on Thursday.

Wiley was fired because he had the flu.

He felt sick and needed to go home to rest. When he did, he lost his job.

That left 22-year-old Wiley and his partner, Dawn, who asked for anonymity, without any money to pay the rent for their Wenatchee home.

Desperate for work, they moved to Spokane with their newborn daughter, Anastasia, and bounced from shelter to shelter. But there were no breakthroughs. No jobs. And for a while, it seemed, no hope.

Then they found salvation: the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Spokane, a group of 33 Spokane churches that takes turns providing shelter to the homeless families.

“I get my first paycheck next week,” beams Wiley, who just found a job as a maintenance worker.

“He’s gonna take me out to dinner, if we have enough left over,” jokes 18-year-old Dawn.

In the last two weeks, five Valley churches have helped shelter Wiley and Dawn, along with three other homeless families.

Valley Baptist Church and St. Mary’s Catholic Church serve as host churches providing overnight accommodations to families. Opportunity Free Methodist, Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, and Opportunity Presbyterian provide support.

Support churches bring toys, diapers, soap, books, linens and food to the families. About 50 volunteers from mixed congregations share the task of putting up families under their roofs.

Each morning, Wiley and Dawn eat a simple breakfast and head downtown in search of housing and work.

When they return at night, church members are waiting to greet them with a hot meal. Tonight, they’ll eat meatloaf, green beans, watermelon and chocolate chip cookies.

After dinner, they can relax.

Wiley’s muscular arms snugly wrap around Dawn’s shoulders - his Levi’s are streaked with paint from his new job. Blue-eyed Dawn, 18, holds a bottle of warm baby formula and coddles little Anastasia.

“It’s been scary, especially with the baby,” admits Dawn, who wants to be a homemaker after she earns her GED. “It’s not something we wanted to do, but we had to.”

The Spokane Interfaith chapter started in March. Since then, churches have served more than 2,400 meals and provided 825 bednights to homeless families. It costs each church about $200 to shelter the families for a week.

Known as “mom” by many families, T.J. Sather is a member of Opportunity Presbyterian and the director of Spokane’s Interfaith Hospitality Network.

“This really does work, and it can work because of a common goal, rather than discussing theology or faith differences,” says Sather. “The goal is to provide temporary shelter for people who need it. There is no hidden agenda.”

Homeless people are just like everyday folks, volunteers say.

“I’m one that sterotypes really easily, and it’s helped me realize that we’re all one in God’s eyes,” said Laurie Munson, meal coordinator for Valley Baptist Church.

The program also fulfills a basic tenet of the Christian faith.

“The major teaching of Jesus is about loving God and neighbor, and sometimes your neighbor needs a home,” said the Rev. Bob Burchell of Valley Baptist.

There are now 44 Interfaith networks in the United States, with 34 more in development, said Karen Olson, executive director and founder of the national organization.

She was inspired to start the network in 1986 while commuting on the streets of Manhattan. She saw a homeless woman and stopped to buy her a sandwich.

“Behind her disheveled appearance was a real human being,” said Olson, “I looked beyond the stereotypes and that changed my view of homeless people.”

The sun is setting behind St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and the dusky night sky is charged with warmth.

Wiley stands in the parking lot to say goodbye. Tears well up in his blue eyes. There’s something he wants to say.

“Will you please …” he pauses. “…Please just tell people that if it wasn’t for this program, we’d be on the streets.”

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