Tomorrow, October 28, is the fourth anniversary of IHELP at the Palms!
IHELP stands for Interfaith Homeless Emergency Housing Program.
In 2023, The Church of the Palms volunteers and friends of the church number near 75. Since January we housed over 60 adults and accumulated nearly 2,000 volunteer hours. The numbers were similar in the prior years.
Every Monday night for four years, about 15 volunteers provide an extravagant welcome to up to 12 guests who are without their own housing. These guests often begin their conversation with “I never thought I’d be in this situation.” Reasons this happened could be from one or several reasons — a divorce, loss of employment, bankruptcy, health issue, escalating rent, family estrangement, not enough of a safety net. Then they are alone, trying to piece together a way to survive.
The fortunate few find Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest and pass a stringent interview. These adults willing to follow the policies and procedures of LSS sleep overnight in churches. LSS provides case management, life planning, finance counseling, job search and preparation, employment services, health care referrals, vital documentation assistance, enrollment in public benefits.
The guests thank you, the church, and its friends, for:
- A home cooked evening meal, a morning breakfast, and a lunch
- Transportation to and from church
- A bed with clean sheets and a warm blanket or air conditioning
- A place to rest after a stressful day
- A shower from our shower trailer
- A washer and dryer to use
- A safe shelter
- Being treated with dignity and caring
- Acceptance
Volunteer opportunities abound. If you are interested in providing a meal, driving the bus, being a monitor, helping with laundry, or have questions about the program, please contact Nancy Mueller.