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From Don Fornoff, Bishop’s Task Force on Homelessness:

A week ago Saturday, your Diocese of Olympia Task Force met at our monthly Zoom meeting to discuss and agree upon (usually agree but not always) actions needing to be taken to make a positive difference in the crisis of homelessness. Since the loss of our missioner Jeffrey, I can sense a strong motivation in our corps to be more certain in our approach. Included in our review were presentations at Convention and other venues, more contacts with parish leaders in outreach, improving our resource information, continued advocacy, support of interfaith efforts regionally, continued E-news information and motivations, making sure our website is active, accessible, and helpful, and above all, being connected as well as possible with parish outreach volunteers.

Who is the Task Force? All have many years of outreach service, several in different parts of the country. A few are leaders with interfaith coalitions, thereby strengthening the good works of service. One is a priest, also with many years of outreach service. One is a Senior Warden who has experience with a sophisticated feeding program. One is a trainer in compassion care. Most have experience with multiple methods of outreach, such as shelters, feeding preparation, and food and clothing distribution. All are volunteers who believe in what we are doing for the good of God’s world. In all actions, the support of local parish programs is at the heart of everything we do.

Currently, several members are calling parishes to update contact and outreach program information. Our purpose is better service and communication. We also wish to recognize parishes for what they are doing and to counsel those desiring to improve their programs.

Advocacy is present in earnest. House Bill 1217 (rent stabilization) has passed out of the Housing Committee and is heading to appropriations. A full floor vote will take place soon. In the meantime, companion SB 5222 had a hearing in the Senate Housing Committee on January 22. Stay tuned. The Task Force supports this bill. Go to the Washington State Legislature website to voice your concerns.

As lack of housing or homelessness points out, the basics of housing lie at the root of preventing people from becoming unhoused. Those who have lived unhoused help us all determine that those basics are:

  • Security of Tenure
  • Availability of services, materials, and infrastructure
  • Affordability
  • Habitability
  • Accessibility
  • Location
  • Cultural Adequacy

The basics help us decide how to address the issues and reality of homelessness. It is towards these ends that we reach out to our unhoused neighbors.

Allow me to leave you with the prayer for peace of St. Francis of Assisi.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
were there us sadness, joy;
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love,
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Be well, do good works, love one another,
Don Fornoff
Member and chair of the Taskforce on Homelessness

Updates from the Bishop’s Task Force on Homelessness

One thought on “Updates from the Bishop’s Task Force on Homelessness

  • January 25, 2025 at 2:32 pm
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    I am interested in training and a place with a few computers to navigate housing for temporary emergency through full perm housing. Could we get some kind of regional help, Lay people trained to work the system. I would volunteer for this if a few computers could be provided. I do street ministry for Saint Paul’s and I am sure other parishes have people looking for shelter that only need techical help and actually are housable. Forget “safe” available emergency housing it seems to not exist. It is 3 years for senior housing and monthly check ins, at least we could put people on lists. How about the elusive Caseworker? The first question who is your caseworker? Could we build a small team as Lay caseworkers with computers to do this. I would volunteer for this. Know of anyone who might be interested in this? Maybe this is already happening?

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