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A true connection at Project Homeless Connect
Yesterday, on September 1st , I had the pleasure of volunteering at the first ever Skagit County Project Homeless Connect. I chose to volunteer as a guest guide, and was paired with a woman named Carmen and her two little children; Rodrigo, age five, and Jaymina, only one and a half years old.
Carmen is a very kind, patient 27 year old who left her home in Mexico at only 19 years old to discover a new world of opportunities. She was able to secure a job immediately and worked consistently until being laid off just four months ago. Initially, I was slightly concerned that she only spoke Spanish. I am bilingual but lack the vocabulary necessary to discuss medical, dental and vision needs in detail. To my surprise, every service that my guest needed had a Spanish speaking professional on-hand. I quickly realized that the organizers of the event had paid attention to details, and was able to relax and enjoy the company of my new friends.
Switching my focus from services to the relationship between myself and my guests enabled me to personally experience the “connect” in Project Homeless Connect. Carmen and I joked together, talked about our lives and friendships, and the recent hard times she has fallen on. While Carmen was receiving medical and dental services, her son Rodrigo and I played tag, practiced the alphabet, and ran a series of carreras, or races, to keep him entertained. By the end of the day I was no longer just a volunteer escorting a stranger from service to service; I was spending time with a friend and her family.
When the time came to say goodbye, Carmen and I exchanged phone numbers and made plans to meet up for coffee. Rodrigo gave me a hug and told me that maybe one day I would be able to beat him in a race, laughing.
Project Homeless Connect truly is about more than the services provided. Having access to services one is typically unable to receive because of transportation, insurance or financial issues makes a difference. Establishing a friendship can make a life-long impact.
Teens Participate in ‘One Week’ of Service
By Aly Hoover
Students from several Catholic churches convened at Assumption this past week to participate in community service projects. The program, called One Week, recruited teens from Seattle, Everett, and Arlington to dedicate a week towards making Bellingham a better place. Whatcom County students also participated to benefit their home town. They painted a fence, gardened at the Foodbank Farm, and assisted seniors and adults with disabilities through the Chore Program. Read the rest of this entry »
House 2 Home success story
A success story about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded House 2 Home Network from the Washington State Commerce Department: Read the rest of this entry »
A growing opportunity in the community
Who knew that taking a position at Whatcom Volunteer Center as the Outreach Coordinator would result in funky tan lines, calloused hands and a black and blue fingernail. While my hands may be less than aesthetically pleasing at the moment, I smile every time I think of the project responsible. For the last two months, I have been working side-by-side with Max Morange from the Bellingham Food Bank and several wonderful volunteers to build raised garden beds and make a new gardening project in our community a reality. Read the rest of this entry »
Another successful Human Race!
At 4 p.m. on Friday, June 11 we discovered that our 10K route for the Human Race was being torn up by construction. This is not the kind of news you want to find out the day before a huge event. Not only are there hundreds of race participants, but we spent months tirelessly organizing the event and getting everything in place. Read the rest of this entry »
Out of School and Out to Volunteer
Explorers Member Mows Lawn for Chore Client
The Chore Program would like to thank the Explorers Club for spending their summer free time to help people in need. On June 12th, this wonderful group of girls spent several hours weeding, mowing, trimming, and raking for two adults with physical disabilities. The beneficiaries Read the rest of this entry »
Serving on the Senior Police Force is Fun!
Submitted by Rick Bruland, Bellingham Senior Police volunteer
I will retire soon and want to occupy my time and have fun. I have always been impressed with the Bellingham Police Department because they respect the citizens of Bellingham so much. My nephew is a Bellingham officer and he gave me the idea and the connection to join the Senior Volunteer Police Program. Read the rest of this entry »
HAVING A BLAST IN THE PAST
Posted by Susan in Blog, Hot Opportunities on May 24th, 2010
It’s the season for picnics, walks in the park, ball games in an open field with your friends—Hovander Park! Read the rest of this entry »
House 2 Home Network receives $5,000 grant!
When we arrived for our Whatcom Community Foundation site visit, I was nervous. I was there because my supervisor, Dan Hammill, along with Greg Winter of the Whatcom Homeless Service Center, had applied for a $5,000 grant for House 2 Home Network through WCF. It was my job to tell WCF how H2H works day-to-day. Read the rest of this entry »
Why I volunteer
It was my mother who first got me into volunteering. As a high school student I tutored children at the school she where she worked. Read the rest of this entry »
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