Page 5 - November 2018

Social Action ACTION
Winter Hospitality Overflow (W.H.O.)
The 15th season of WHO begins November 1. WHO provides 75 additional beds during the five coldest months to people experiencing homelessness. It operates through the collaboration of volunteers from 50+ faith communities (including our team, ‘Kol Ami and Friends’), Council for the Homeless, SHARE, and two Lutheran churches where guests stay overnight. It’s an overnight-only program, with entry to people who have been vetted and assigned either to the 24-cot men’s facility at St. Paul in downtown Vancouver, or the 50-cot facility for women and families at St. Andrew in Orchards.
Guests are assigned a week at a time, and may re-up as long as they follow program guidelines. Entry is at 6:30 p.m. nightly; each cot is supplied with bedding, a hot meal is served, there is time to relax with TV and games, and lights out is at 9:30 p.m. Wake-up is at 6:00 a.m., breakfast is available, and exit is by 7:00 a.m. (weekend mornings are 8:00 a.m.)
Last year 10,000 bed-nights were utilized, with input of 14,000 volunteer hours. Kol Ami and Friends staffs at St. Paul in three shifts over a one night period:
6:00 – 10:00 p.m. Greeting shift
Provide hospitality to the guests
10:00 p.m. – 5:30 a.m. Overnight shift
Keep watch over the premises while doing a few loads of laundry and visiting with the other volunteer(s), or reading, watching a movie, playing cards, etc.
5:30 a.m. – 7:45 a.m. Morning shift
Provide hospitality; assure the place is exited, cleaned, and locked up.
We calendar a few nights at a stretch. CKA will host at St. Paul Sunday night, December 23 through Thursday morning, December 27, then again Sunday night, March 10 through Sunday morning March 17.
When Kol Ami hosts, we can provide snacks, cold cereals, milk, cleaning supplies, 1-5# sugar, toilet paper, paper towels, and garbage bags. Guests enjoy DVDs or VHS tapes, magazines, and puzzles. We can bring in gently-worn clothes for cold weather. Used belts are particularly valued. Collection for WHO clothes and supplies is in the CKA lobby.
Most of all, WHO guests would like to share an evening with you. Please consider volunteering. Ages 10+ may do so with an adult. Volunteer sign up with shift details is at http://tinyurl.com/WHOhosting.
Questions? Contact Sue M.
Sukkah building
Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who came out to dismantle the Sukkah on a rainy Sunday. Over the putting up and tearing down of the Sukkah there were 21 members involved; 14 who assembled, and 15 who dismantled. I believe this may be a record, certainly for taking it down. Thanks to all for the great cooperation in getting the job done. We would appreciate any comments on ways to improve the operation.
Men’s Club Dinner at Sushi Land Wednesday, November 14, 6:30 p.m.
Sushi Land is located at 1401 SE 164th Avenue in Vancouver. Please RSVP to Joel R.
“Kehillat Olam” is the official cemetery
of Congregation Kol Ami
Besides offering at-need services, Northwood Park offers a full line of pre-arrangement plans for both cemetery and funerals. Call today for one of our counselors to answer all of your questions. We have prices and programs to fit each individual need.
We are conveniently located near I-5, across from the Clark County Fair Grounds
16407 NE 15th Avenue, Ridgefield q 360-574-4252 northwoodparkfh.com q Locally owned and operated
Congregation Kol Ami
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