Our History
By Volunteer Susan O’Patka
The shelter opened in 1998, when three pastors of neighboring Ballard area churches met to plan an ecumenical Thanksgiving service. They longed for a bigger mission that none of them could do alone. Soon, they got their wish.
Mona Tschurwald, with the Access Program in Fremont, was looking for shelter opportunities for their clients. She contacted Josephine Archuletta from the Church Council of Greater Seattle, who then contacted one of the pastors, Dennis Hughes of Northminster Presbyterian Church. The pastors met the challenge and the rotating shelter was created.
The shelter has been located in addition to Northminster Presbyterian & Crown Hill United Methodist at Trinity United Methodist Church in Ballard. Other area churches have joined to provide volunteers including Woodland Park UMC, Ballard First Lutheran, Our Redeemer Lutheran, Phinney Ridge Lutheran, Woodland Park Presbyterian, and Fairwood Assembly of God.
A steady core of 100-110 volunteers a month is required to keep the shelter going. Not only do people host and overnight, volunteers provide the meals, do the laundry, transport the guests from Community Psychiatric Clinic in Belltown, schedule the hosts and overnighters and call to remind volunteers of their duties.
While the days and locations have changed, many volunteers have remained and are an important part of the continuation of this shelter. We hope to continue the shelter for many more years to come.
By Volunteer Susan O’Patka
The shelter opened in 1998, when three pastors of neighboring Ballard area churches met to plan an ecumenical Thanksgiving service. They longed for a bigger mission that none of them could do alone. Soon, they got their wish.
Mona Tschurwald, with the Access Program in Fremont, was looking for shelter opportunities for their clients. She contacted Josephine Archuletta from the Church Council of Greater Seattle, who then contacted one of the pastors, Dennis Hughes of Northminster Presbyterian Church. The pastors met the challenge and the rotating shelter was created.
The shelter has been located in addition to Northminster Presbyterian & Crown Hill United Methodist at Trinity United Methodist Church in Ballard. Other area churches have joined to provide volunteers including Woodland Park UMC, Ballard First Lutheran, Our Redeemer Lutheran, Phinney Ridge Lutheran, Woodland Park Presbyterian, and Fairwood Assembly of God.
A steady core of 100-110 volunteers a month is required to keep the shelter going. Not only do people host and overnight, volunteers provide the meals, do the laundry, transport the guests from Community Psychiatric Clinic in Belltown, schedule the hosts and overnighters and call to remind volunteers of their duties.
While the days and locations have changed, many volunteers have remained and are an important part of the continuation of this shelter. We hope to continue the shelter for many more years to come.