LCSNW hosts hundreds of guests on 27 winter nights (so far) in Bellingham
Photo at right: A group of pastors walks a labyrinth inside the Whatcom County severe weather shelter, lit by candles, and prays for the shelter’s guests. The former church is owned and managed by LCSNW.
It’s easy to remember when Lutheran Community Services Northwest took ownership of the old Central Lutheran Church property in Bellingham, Washington. It was February 14th, 2024 — Valentines Day.
One year later, the re-purposed church building has provided scores of vulnerable people with warm beds on the coldest winter nights. The severe weather shelter has also provided nutrition, mental health and medical care, safety and community for those who need it most.
“It’s been eye-opening,” says Marc Hander, LCSNW’s on-site Community Engagement Manager. “They’ve become more than just our shelter guests. These are our neighbors.”
The numbers from early December through February 13th show a tremendous need for these services, as well as a terrific community response:
- 27 nights open
- 2,233 overnight stays
- 4,466 meals served
- 351 staff shifts
- 191 volunteer shifts
- 108 wound care treatments
Under an agreement with Whatcom County, LCSNW is hosting the county’s designated severe weather shelter when temperatures drop to 32 degrees or less. Services are provided for up to 90 people experiencing homelessness. LCSNW stepped forward when no private organization volunteered to operate a severe weather shelter this season. It will continue to be open into March.
LCSNW purchased the downtown Bellingham church property in early 2024, a few months after the 133-year-old congregation held its final worship service there.
The purchase marked the agency’s first venture in Whatcom County and our first time buying a church property. LCSNW leaders continue to explore other ways to help fill unmet needs in the community 20 miles from the Canadian border.
The shelter is staffed and operated by Whatcom County. It is activated on consecutive nights when weather forecasts indicate the temperature threshold will be met. The longest stretch was 12 nights in a row, ending on February 13th.
Marc has volunteered to do five of those shifts, in addition to managing the property and handling community relations for LCSNW. For him, the rewards come in the form of the relationships that are built. Not to mention meeting guests’ pets like Zeus the German Shepherd.
“I see that our guests feel safe here,” Marc says. “Even among the people with the most high-acuity needs, we hear many, many thank yous.”
Community Engagement Manager Marc Hander
