April 2020 Newsletter

1. Guest Services Desk

Marlon, Tony, and Guest in Men’s Center on Veterans Day.

Marlon, a retired physician, is one of our 20+ guest service volunteers. When Marlon started two years ago he was in a behind-the-scenes role, but now he is in the heart of our Men’s Center and one of the first faces our guests see when they enter our doors. In this position he not only distributes toiletries and other basic necessities, but also has the opportunity to talk to guests who want to chat. One of Marlon’s favorite parts about this role is working and learning alongside our guest services supervisor Tony. Marlon’s faith plays a big role in why he serves. He shared, “It’s commanded, but I don’t do it out of a sense of command, it’s what our Lord would want us to do.”

2. Kitchen

Amanda explaining why she started volunteering at The Mission.

Amanda, a retired but still very active violinist, serves lunch every week in our kitchen. She began volunteering at the Mission during our big Thanksgiving meal. “I thought it was great that we served a beautiful meal. Everybody was sitting down with table clothes and tableside service. It was very special.” Amanda has been serving ever since, and enjoys being able to talk to the guests who come through the lunch line and getting to know their names.

Serving three meals a day to almost 1000 people requires a lot of hands! Whether it is dishing up a delicious and nutritious meal like Amanda does, helping wash and chop hundreds of pounds of veggies, or organizing our food donations, there are plenty of spots for people to get involved. If you like having short conversations with hundreds of people, this is the spot for you. We look forward to the return of volunteer shifts when the COVID-19 precautions have been lifted.

3. Moms and Kids

Elizabeth smiles at 6 a.m. as she arrives at the Mother’s and Children’s Center to begin the “getting ready”.

When Elizabeth arrives on our campus at 6 a.m., our guests are just beginning to wake up. She has the awesome task of helping all of our families get ready for school. Getting one family ready in the morning is a challenge. You can imagine how getting eight families ready is an all-hands-on-deck event. Elizabeth helps kids get dressed and eat before the school buses arrive and is also available to play and read with them while their mothers are preparing for their day.

One of Elizabeth’s favorite memories from serving at the Mission is when she was scheduled to work in the food warehouse. As she was working, a boy staying in our Mother’s and Children’s Center saw her from across the kitchen and ran up and gave her a hug while asking if she could stay and play with him. “It just warms your heart and makes you feel like you are doing something that matters to someone.”

4. Clothing Rooms

Hal sorting in the warehouse as guests arrive to receive donated items.

Kathy and Kellie volunteer in the clothing boutique located in the Women’s Center. Clothing donations are essential to our guests who often arrive at our doorstep with little more than the clothing they are wearing. Kathy and Kellie work together on Wednesdays to sort through donations and stock the boutiques very much like a clothing store. Items are hung and folded by size and category and guests are assisted in selecting the items they need. There are also volunteers who sort donations in the central warehouse and additional boutiques in the Men’s Center and Mother’s and Children’s Center. Donated clothing (in good condition) provides a basic need while also giving our guests a sense of confidence and dignity.

5. Warehouse

Kathy and Kellie smiling in the Women’s Center Boutique.

“It’s not just a job, it’s a joy.” Motivated by a calling to feed the hungry, Hal began interacting with the Mission by donating food. Over time he saw one of our newsletters requesting a warehouse volunteer and coming from 32 years of warehouse management, Hal knew this was a perfect fit. In the warehouse he assists the staff with receiving donations, inventorying the materials that come in, and keeping things organized. Hal also assists former guests in picking out furniture and other household necessities when they move into stable housing. He says that “waiting on the people who have successfully accomplished getting off the street and have a place to go they can call their own’’ is the most rewarding thing he does at the Mission. After the COVID-19 precautions have been lifted, the Mission looks forward to again receiving donations of furniture and housewares in good condition and suitable for small apartments.

6. Life Change

Charlie sharing his passion for mentoring Life Change members.

Charlie has been volunteering at the Mission for a little over three years and is an avid runner and biker. Along with his two shifts in the clothing boutique, he has been leading a physical activity class for the men in our Life Change program. Now eleven years sober, he says, “I always wanted to do a run/walk class for people in recovery. I know how it helped me.” Charlie views every chance he gets with the Life Change men as church, taking every opportunity to mentor and grow with those around him. “We encourage one another, that’s what we do here at the Eugene Mission.”

7. Drivers

Randy returning to the Mission with a truckload of donated items.

Randy, who has served over 1,200 hours at the Mission, does many different things on our campus, but spends most of his time behind the wheel. Six days a week we have trucks and vans driving to stores all around Eugene and Springfield picking up food for our kitchen. In addition, Randy also assists with delivering furniture to our guests who have moved into stable housing. Oftentimes when our drivers go out on their routes, a guest will accompany them. This is a great opportunity for volunteers to connect with our guests on a deeper level. When asked why he serves, Randy said, “Faith is dead without works; works are dead without faith. Faith is the cause, work is the effect.”