Housing for Homeless PDF Print E-mail

Inn Between Volunteers Neededinnbetweenphoto

Peace, Justice and Whole Earth Ministry has some exciting news regarding housing for the homeless. The Inn Between, which provides transitional housing units for the formerly homeless here in Longmont, has purchased a 17-unit apartment building.

This apartment building will be used specifically for families because it consists entirely of 2 and 3-bedroom units. All of the units are being refurbished with grant money, but volunteer workers are needed. The work will consist of installing bath tubs and toilets, tiling tub surrounds, some electrical work, flooring, painting walls, and installing doors, handrails and kitchen cupboards.

The work will begin very soon on one unit, taking it to completion and then beginning another, continuing until the entire building is refurbished.

If you would like to be a part of this effort, please communicate with Don Alspaugh, giving him your email address and times when you are available. There will be work for all skill levels, it will be fun and it will be rewarding.

Update: Only six days after our work calendar was posted, 3 people from our congregation began painting the walls in the first apartment. We are so proud of you!

The Inn Between's mission is to provide transitional housing and services for homeless individuals and families to help them achieve self-sufficiency. Please check out the Inn Between Work Schedule to find a time to volunteer and also www.theinnbetween.org.

Restoring the Hope

Last spring Peace, Justice & Whole Earth Ministry's plan for the Housing for Homeless focus was to help 3 agencies: Housing First, Habitat for Humanity’s Brush With Kindness and the Inn Between. Because of internal decisions at Habitat for Humanity, the Brush with Kindness program is not available to us at this time.

Peace, Justice & Whole Earth Ministry decided to fill that void in our plan with the Warming Center and Day Shelter at the OUR Center. The Warming Center is open to receive the homeless on wet nights when it is 30 degrees or colder. The Day Shelter is a multi-service program for homeless adults and those persons living in marginal situations.

Peace, Justice & Whole Earth also decided to divide $1500 of the rummage sale proceeds equally among the 3 agencies to be used for new mattresses and cots. Receiving checks on Sun., Nov. 20, 2011 were: Janet Walker-Ready from Housing First, Pat Zietz from the Inn Between, and Edwina Salazar from the OUR Center.

Thanks to everyone for donations to the rummage sale and to all who work on it. We’ll have another rummage sale on April 26-28, 2012. Donations may be brought to the Fellowship Hall stage area after April 10. Please start saving things! —Marilyn Decker

Please contact Marilyn Decker (303-774-9547 or marilyndecker(at)comcast.net) for more information on this ministry.

Self-Sufficiency Conference - First Congregational UCC Longmont hosted the conference sponsored by the OUR Center and the Colorado Center on Law and Policy on October 28, 2011.

At the May 1, 2011 Annual Congregational Meeting, a sub-committee of the Peace, Justice and Whole Earth Ministry presented a concrete plan for church-wide projects for the coming year and ideas for follow-on years. In 2010, our church adopted a 5 year focus on the topic of "Homelessness", as an outgrowth of church activities in recent years, the increasing need resulting from the economy, and the interests and endeavors of many church members.

"Life in and Out of the Alley ... a Tapestry of Stories"

Church members along with Cabinet attended the community awareness event on Nov. 16, 2011 from 5:30-8:00 pm at First United Methodist Church - 350 11th Avenue (11th & Emery). The evening started with a light supper at 5:30 followed by keynote speaker Dave Philips at 6 pm. Plus stories from local employers/employees of their experiences.

Phillips is co-founder of Cincinnati Works and husband of Lianne Phillips, co-author of "Why Don’t They Just Get A Job?" You will hear stories from Dave about his experience in a community that helps people living in poverty and moving to self-sufficiency. Later in the evening, smaller groups heard stories from local employers/employees that have experienced a similar partnership and about the challenges and successes. Thanks to all for lending your voice to finding solutions for our Longmont community. Please see www.ucclongmont.org/content/documents/LHOT_2011.pdf.