Unsolved Mysteries: Annie Anonymous

As we continue to share some of our most perplexing mysteries, I want to share the story of Annie Anonymous. Annie (as we came to call her) showed up at the Breakfast Church wanting to talk to a pastor. This was when I still worked there and when random people showed up- it was usuallyContinue reading “Unsolved Mysteries: Annie Anonymous”

Unsolved Mysteries: In the Beginning

This is the first in a new series about all the people we encounter through outreach and shelter, who then disappear and we are left wondering what happened to them. This is the story of the first mystery of this type I encountered, which was the beginning of my calling to this ministry. –Pastor ColletteContinue reading “Unsolved Mysteries: In the Beginning”

Hard To House: It’s Complicated

After five years of sheltering unhoused people in our area, we thought we had a pretty good handle on the issues we might encounter and what to do about them. But one guest this season put all our skills to the test, having a set of complicating factors in his story that made him notContinue reading “Hard To House: It’s Complicated”

Hard to House: Criminal Records

Have you ever made a poor choice?  Gotten tangled up in a bad situation?  Done something stupid and lived to regret it?  For most of us, those choices have a limited time span for their consequences and we can move on.  This is often not the case for our guests who are experiencing homelessness.  TContinue reading “Hard to House: Criminal Records”

The Story of Stuff: We Don’t Want Your Stuff

We get lots of calls at the shelter.  Many calls are asking about space and resources, but many people call  asking if they can donate their stuff to the shelter.  These are the calls that often leave me a little salty.  Let me explain… When a guest arrives at the shelter,  one of the firstContinue reading “The Story of Stuff: We Don’t Want Your Stuff”

The Story of Stuff: Magic and Unicorns

While we never like to see families need the shelter, staff and volunteers usually love having kids around.  Even most guests enjoy the shift in energy that kids bring.  This past season, we were blessed to walk with a sweet family made up of a mom, a teenage son and young daughter.  B had aContinue reading “The Story of Stuff: Magic and Unicorns”