Open House Ministries invites you to adopt a family for Christmas. Your gifts will be a blessing as we share God’s love
and the birth of Christ with residents. We thank you in advance for caring for our families.

Christmas Opportunities at Open House Ministries

Option One: Adopt A Family

To Adopt a Family, contact Claudia Merritt at 360-737-0300 or email claudia.merritt@sheltered.org
You will receive a wish list of toys and clothing for your adopted family.
Please WRAP the gifts for your adopted family.
Gift cards are appreciated for family members over 18.
Please attach the family’s name to the outside of their sealed plastic bag of gifts.

Option Two: Community Giving

You can bless our families with toys and gift cards.
Please DO NOT WRAP these gifts so we can easily share them.
Adults – Gift card(s) such as: Fred Meyer, Target, Winco Foods, Amazon, gas cards
Teens – Gift card(s) such as: coffee, fast food, Game Stop; Ross; Ulta
Other Shelter Needs:
Laundry detergent
Cleaning supplies
Toiletries
Underwear

Questions:
Please contact the shelter prior to December 17th at 360-737-0300. Call before you drop off your gifts to let us know you are on your way!

Thank you for remembering our families at Christmas!

BREAKING NEWS, Sept. 23, 2019

Following is a Facebook message we posted Sept. 23. We wrote about an accident on Sept. 22 that ended this cross-country ride by cyclists Mark and Mike Roskam. You can still donate using the buttons below.

Contact Dina Hovde at dina.hovde@sheltered.org or 360-737-0300 with any press inquiries. 

—–

“The big story here is the goodness of God. We have our brother!” Mark Roskam said of an accident that happened yesterday while cycling “Route 66: Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness,” a fundraiser for Open House Ministries. “Our God is at work. And that’s the Open House story in a nutshell,” he continued.
As brothers Mark and Mike Roskam were cycling Route 66 through Clinton, Oklahoma, yesterday, Mike Roskam was hit by a pickup traveling at about 45 mph. Mark said he thought he was watching his brother get killed. The truck came within inches of Mark. 
Mike was taken by ambulance to — and was discharged from —AllianceHealth, the hospital in Clinton.
“It was a violent collision and Mike was blindsided. We need to get him home,” said Mark. The Roskam brothers and wives have decided to “unplug the bicycle trip” and head back to Vancouver Tuesday morning. 
Open House’s leadership is relieved the men are coming home and so incredibly grateful that the accident wasn’t worse.
As for Mike’s injuries, Mark said, “He’s sleeping all the time — a lot of pain, a lot of festering wounds and his head wound, he’s not thinking very fast or straight — but we’re all of one heart that we need to come home.” 
Thank you for all your concern and prayers! The Roskam brothers had completed about 1,000 miles of their 2,448-mile ride for the homeless before this accident happened. And they had already raised $27,000 of their $66,000 goal for Open House Ministries. Some of that money was donated in by-the-mile pledges. To be true to the by-the-mile idea, please contact Kelly Johnson at 360-737-0300 if interested in a refund.  
Visit www.sheltered.org/route-66/ to read more about the ride or see past coverage about the event.

Sept. 4 – Oct. 11
Seeking to raise $66,000 for operations at Open House Ministries, staffer Mark Roskam and his brother, Mike, will cycle historic Route 66 starting in September. From Chicago to California, traveling more than 2,400 miles, the cycling enthusiasts are hoping for by-the-mile pledges to help motivate them along their way. (Lump-sum gifts are also welcome, of course.)

To donate to “Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness,” call Jean LaCrosse at 360-737-0300 or click on a button below.

Check out these features about Mark and Mike’s big adventure on KGW and in The Columbian and Clark County Today!

KGW coverage Sept. 4

Clark County Today: Biking Brothers: Helping the homeless through cross-country fundraiser

The Columbian: A fresh spin on helping the homeless

A Family’s First 90 Days

Part I: The Perspective from the Sheltered

Have you ever wondered how a homeless family gets into Open House or what happens once accepted? We would like to walk you through the first days of a family’s experience in the shelter.

Generally families are referred to the shelter by partner agencies or local churches.  The journey starts when an Open House case manager calls a family on the shelter waiting list. When they walk through the front door, they are greeted by their case manager to begin the intake process.

The family members share their personal information with the case manager and receive an intake packet explaining the shelter’s program, including an agreement to sign that they will be involved and follow the guidelines. This question is key: “What is it that got you into homelessness?”

Within the next few days new residents meet with their case manager to create a CMAP (Case Management Action Plan).

There is no set standard plan; each one is created to address individual needs. The action plan includes classes that will help them build life skills as well as Bible and finance classes. Daycare is scheduled, students are enrolled in school and bus schedules are arranged.

Contributed by JoAnne Harris