St. Stephen’s gathers food and other items year-round for distribution by several organizations that are serving our neighbors in need.
We also volunteer our time to sort items for distribution and to serve food.
Elizabeth Gregory Home (EGH) serves single homeless women in the greater Seattle area by providing transitional housing, a day center and case management services. Elizabeth Gregory Home provides a welcoming and respectful refuge where homeless and at-risk women have access to compassionate care.
Items Needed
Year-round food drives
The Outreach Group teams with our youth for food drives year-round. Red collection bins arealways in the Narthex. And we occasionally collect at a local supermarket. Over the last 14years, St. Stephen’s has collected 64,000 pounds for these food banks.
Our Sand Point Housing campus provides transitional housing, affordable permanent housing, and onsite support services for formerly homeless families and individuals. The stunning campus, located in Seattle’s Magnuson Park near Lake Washington, is on land that was surplussed by the U.S. Navy. It includes historic renovated buildings and new construction totaling 175 town homes and apartments.
Since 1999, more than 3,000 people have stayed at Sand Point Housing in their journey from homelessness to stability. Today, nearly 500 people (including almost 250 children and youth) live in a thriving community with onsite support services at Sand Point.
This year the congregation donated and delivered prepared Thanksgiving dinners for 50 residents.
Items needed continuously
For more information visit the Solid-Ground website
Operation Nightwatch reduces the impact of poverty and homelessness, in keeping with Jesus’ teaching to love our neighbors.
Street Ministry – Ordained priests, ministers, and religious workers who participate in our street ministry walk the streets of Seattle during the evenings, visiting bars, shelters, and neighborhood gathering places.
Dispatch Center – Operation Nightwatch operates a Dispatch Center open every night of the year. We serve a meal and locate available shelter for the night, serving between 120 and 190 homeless people 365 nights of the year.
After local shelters have closed their doors for the night, Operation Nightwatch performs a critical service, by making calls to area shelters to locate any potential space available. Our clients are placed at shelters that report open space and are given a bus ticket to get there. In addition to filling up shelters, Operation Nightwatch funds space for 108 men at off-site locations.
Food Program – Every night at our Dispatch Center we provide a meal for our homeless clients.
Food is supplied by Nightwatch supporters, volunteer groups, local churches, Food Lifeline, Northwest Harvest, Dick’s Drive-Ins, Starbucks, and community groups, such as Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs.
Senior Housing – Operation Nightwatch manages an apartment building for 24 low-income seniors. Many of our apartment residents have special needs.
Items Needed
Visit Operation Nightwatch website for more information.
Serving homeless teens a delicious dinner
Teen Feed is part of University Street Ministries.
Church members plan, purchase, prepare and serve an evening meal the first Monday of every other month to 40-60 homeless youth at University Lutheran Church. 2024 is our 28th year of participation in this program.
Tasks:
Three teams of 2 people make a meal of baked garlic chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, a vegetable, vegan soup and brownies. A 2nd team of 4-6 serves an average of 50 teens and cleans up.
Commitment:
About 3 hours a month.
Time:
First Monday of every other month.
Wellspring Family Services
One less financial burden for vulnerable families
For families in crisis, it can be difficult to access the essential items all parents need to keep their children healthy, safe, and confidently prepared for school. The Wellspring Family Store provides a welcoming place for families experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless to shop for free clothing and other necessary items for children ages 0-17.
Most of our customers are referred to the store by a Wellspring staff member or a case manager with another community organization. However, at this time, families without case managers may reach out to us directly or take advantage of the Personal Shopper program implemented during the pandemic.
Items Needed:
• Only donate items that you would be proud to give to your own child or a child you know and love
• Baby Gear
• Blankets & Bed/Crib Sheets (twin size bedding only)
• Books
• Clothing
• Diapers & Pull-Ups
• Formula (must be unopened and not expired)
• Hygiene Products (Full size, NEW and UNOPENED only)
• Pack n’ Plays
• School Supplies
• Shoes