Housing & Homelessness Volunteer Corps
Join Us In Making a Positive Difference in Our Community
CONTACT Carolyn Read St. Leo’s Homelessness Working Group readcarolyn@comcast.net or (253)722-7004
Joel Hellencamp St. Leo’s Social Justice Commission (253)222-6308 St. Leo Parish has a long history of outreach and action to address the challenges of those in need who come to us for help. The Housing and Homelessness Volunteer Corps is a new and collaborative way to address one of the most pressing needs of our time – establishing affordable housing for all and addressing the homelessness crisis.
Our mission is to promote access to adequate shelter and other basic needs in Pierce County. To do this, we work with volunteers providing training and basic skills for working with those who are homeless. We partner with various agencies to link volunteers with direct service or advocacy work to address the affordable housing and homelessness issue. It is our vision that everyone has a safe place to sleep, and have other basic human needs met. As with all social justice issues, both working face-to-face and being advocates to all levels of governmental bodies is needed to get results.
We believe that this training will help volunteers become comfortable supporting organizations that help the homeless, and also build community. We are hopeful that as more people volunteer to help those unhoused face-to-face, they will also become strong advocates for longterm solutions. Hence, the training is designed to give volunteers confidence and knowledge, along with a community to discuss their experiences and have questions addressed. St. Leo Parish has a long
history of outreach and action to address the challenges of those in need who come to us for help.
Volunteer Corps Resource Links
Homelessness 101: CLICK HERE
Substance Use Disorders and Motivational Interviewing: CLICK HERE
Reflection in Action: CLICK HERE
News and Upcoming Events
PIERCE FAITH WORKS
A collective impact network
- Wondering how homelessness became a crisis and if “Shelter for All” is even possible?
- Looking for ways to engage your parish or other group in the work of ending homelessness?
- Considering volunteering at a local shelter or homeless service agency?
We offer Homelessness 101 as a place to begin:
Homelessness 101 Addressing Homelessness in Pierce County 2021
Fall/Winter Schedule NOTE: this is not a series; all three dates are for the same session. Register via Associated Ministries.
- October 5
- November 2
- December 7
Session Presenters: Rosemary Powers & Theresa Power-Drutis; New Connections Reflection in Action Facilitator: Joel Hellenkamp
6-7pm Homelessness 101
Orientation for persons interested in working with local shelters, safe lots, or other shelter options as staff or volunteers
7 -8pm Reflection in Action
Session participants and ongoing volunteers are invited to join us for guided reflection on the challenges and joys of this work.
Additional Sessions
Contact us to request specific sessions of interest to your group or agency:
Trauma informed care & vicarious (secondary) trauma
Substance use disorders & motivational interviewing
Mental health disorders & de-escalation
Collaborating with others for collective impact
Creative use of church property to shelter people experiencing
homelessness (safe lots, micro shelters, 1 church/1 family, etc.)
Special topics (by request)
We require a minimum of 8 participants for supplementary trainings – check with us about scheduling a training with another group if your group has fewer than 8.
Contact: Carolyn Read: readcarolyn@comcast.net Theresa Power-Drutis: tpdrutis@nctacoma.org
For updated information on this parish ministry check this ministry page often.
Also, you can directly contact the volunteers listed above for more information and how to get involved. Thanks!