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 were: Janet Walker-Ready from Housing First, Pat Zietz from the Inn Between, and Edwina Salazar from the OUR Center.

Thank everyone for the donations to the rummage sale and all who worked on it. We’ll have another rummage sale in April, so 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" - November 16

Church members along with Cabinet attened the community awareness event on Nov. 16 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.