Burien’s Hospitality House will be holding its 10th annual ‘Walk for the Women’ fundraiser starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24th.

The event will start at Burien Town Square, and you can register by downloading a PDF here.

“I was so depressed when I became homeless and I saw no future or hope for myself. I now have a future because of your care,” said Sherrie M., a Hospitality House client.

If you can’t participate in the walk but want to help out, you can donate directly online here.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Hospitality House’s 10th annual ‘Walk for the Women’ fundraiser.

WHEN: Saturday, September 24, 2011; Registration begins at 9:30 a.m.

WHERE: Burien Town Square, located at SW 152nd and 5th Place SW in downtown Burien.

INFO: 2011 Walk for the Women Sponsors include:

• Linn, Schisel & DeMarco
• Burien Chevrolet, Inc.
• Burien Toyota
• Exchange Club of Highline
• H & R Block Burien
• Valley Medical Center
• Tradewinds Freight Forwarding, Inc.
• Law offices of Nancy L. Sorensen
• Air Wave Express
• William Thompson DDS Ps
• Radison Hotel Airport
• 909 Coffee and Wine
• Bayview limousine Service, Inc
• Seahurst Dental Design
• Collins Chiropractic

(Click Here to download a PDF sponsorship form)

Be sure to “Like” Hospitality House on Facebook here, or visit their website here.

Here’s a video with more info about this worthy, local non-profit:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Burien’s Hospitality House will be holding its annual Spring Fling Dinner and Auction on Saturday, March 5th at Highline Community College.

“2011 is a special anniversary for the House – Ten Years,” they said in a statement. “In this time, over 700 women residents have been served, over 45,000 bed nights were provided and an equal number of home-prepared, evening meals were delivered with love and care. Residents, with staff assistance, prepared detailed weekly plans to take them from homelessness to stable housing and hope.”

Here are the details:

WHAT: Hospitality House’s annual Spring Fling Dinner and Auction.

WHEN: Saturday, March 5th, doors open at 6pm.

WHERE: Highline Community College Student Union building (2400 S. 240 Street in Des Moines).

INFO: From their website:

Join us in celebrating this milestone at our Spring Fling Dinner and Fundrasier at Highline Community College on March 5th.

Join us in our continued commitment to this greater community effort to help Homless Women to find Home, Health and Hope.

PARTNERS:

• Women’s Program at Highline
• Three Tree Point Yacht Club,
• Poverty Bay Sail and Power Squadron

SPEAKER: Erin Hennessey, News Director at KPLU (NPR radio in Tacoma)

MUSIC: Mary Magdalene Choir; The Church of Mary Magdalene is a diverse Christian community of homeless and formerly homeless women. Their Choir provides music at their worship and at away events.

MC: Stacie Latimer

TICKETS: $50 per ticket, Tables of 8, 7 and 6 are available for $50 per ticket (capacity: up to 300).

Tickets available for purchase online here.

by Theresa De Lay

Homelessness is a huge problem all across the country. In recent years, the economic downfall of our society has caused countless more men, women and children to call the streets their home. Just within Seattle, there is an estimated population of more than 6,000 homeless people.

Being homeless is a devastating and vicious cycle. With no place to clean their clothes or take a shower, it often proves difficult for the homeless to acquire and maintain jobs. Homeless youth are at higher risk for depression, rape and abuse. Dropping out of high school, turning to drugs and resorting to a criminal lifestyle are all too common.

Spending a wintry night outside is most assuredly a death sentence in other areas. Thankfully we live in the Pacific Northwest, an area known for its ‘mild’ weather. Try telling that to a Seattle-area homeless family as they are huddled together to keep their children warm.

It’s difficult to fight homelessness. With the economy in shambles, most of us don’t have a penny to spare and the local government is scrounging to fit budgetary needs with very little money. Job openings are hard to come by and financial assistance is even harder. Sadly and quite obviously, this is a predicament with no easy fix.

Venessa Stiffarm

Amidst the uphill battle against homelessness, I’m proud to bring you news about the Forgotten Friends Project. It began when Venessa Stiffarm humbly dreamt of giving 20 homeless ‘friends’ a small holiday gift this December; a card with $5 and a scarf to stay warm.

Venessa was born and raised in West Seattle and attended Chief Sealth High School. Known for her loving and generous nature, she lived on the streets for two of her teenage years. When asked about this experience she said:

“I know what it is like to be hungry and have no food. I was forced to steal it from the grocery stores. Many days, I didn’t eat at all. I remember my first night out, and how cold I was and scared. It was September of 2000 and it was just the start of the rainy season.”

It’s only natural for her to reach out to others now. Seattle is her home, and the people of Seattle are her family. After telling her friends and family about her plans for the FFP, it took on a life of its own.

The goal of the FFP has shifted, but only slightly. The FFP is now collecting holiday cards, small monetary gifts to include in the cards, hats, scarves and gloves. On December 11th, FFP volunteers will pass out the cards and small gifts to the homeless people of Seattle.

With a month to go before The Big Give Away Day, the FFP will be able to reach out to a lot more than the 20 people Venessa originally thought of. When asked about her vision for the FFP, Venessa said that she wants to “show those who are homeless that people really do care about them. Maybe by raising awareness more people will be willing to work on creating lasting solutions to the problem.”

Take a moment to imagine the impact if each person donated one dollar or told one friend about this project. Imagine the smiles, the warmth and the compassion that we can give others! Consider the difference we can make in someone’s life – no matter how small.

Find out more about the Forgotten Friends Project on Facebook:

“We could change someone’s life by the simplest act of kindness; a holiday card to those who would otherwise be forgotten this season.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Alex O’Neal

On Saturday, Sept. 25th, Burien’s Hospitality House will be holding its annual “Walk to Stomp out Homelessness,” its annual major fundraiser.

The walk, which starts at 10am, is a lively two miles through the heart of Burien to benefit Homeless women in South King County. Hospitality House is a 9-bed shelter for homeless women located in Burien. Its mission is to help women find Home, Health and Hope. Each year they “graduate” approximately 80 women from a comprehensive 90-day program designed to help residents find employment, improve their life skills, and secure a safe, affordable place to call home.

It will start and end in the same location as Discover Burien’s Octoberfest, so it’ll be a great way to start your weekend, as there will be food, music, a beer garden and carnival going on as well.

Cost is $20 if you register before Sept. 21st, and $25 afterward or on the day of the event. Walk-up registration starts at 9:30am on Saturday, Sept. 25th at the Hospitality House table near SW 152nd at Burien Town Square; if you have sponsors, bring your completed sponsor form and money to the registration table before the walk.

In addition to helping a great, local cause (Hospitality House helps local homeless women), there will be prizes for top money-raisers, so get going now!

Here’s more info:

• Get your route map and list of Sponsors from the registration table, take time to stretch and warm up.
• Walk starts at 10am.
• Return to the stage after the walk to see if you win one of the numerous prizes. Top money raisers can select their choice of prizes.
• If you cannot participate but would like to help Hospitality House, please charge through Paypal on their Website Site at: www.hospitalityhousesouthking.org

Or mail your check to:

Hospitality House
Attn: 152nd Street Walk
15003 14th SW
Burien WA 98166

To register, click here to download a PDF of the registration brochure, which is filled with information as well as your chance to start obtaining sponsors.  For early registration, click here for a PDF form.

To learn more about Hospitality House, check out this video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

According to their website:

Since we first opened our doors in 2000, Hospitality House has helped hundreds of homeless women get their groove back.

Most years, we graduate about 70 women from our program, successfully moving them on to stable housing of their own.

More than that, we give them the hope they need to take positive steps towards independence.

For more information on Hospitality House, check out their website here.

This year’s walk is sponsored by:

• Exchange Club of Highline
• Group Health Cooperative
• H & R Block – Burien
• Burien Chevrolet
• Burien Toyota
• Goldbloom Advisory
• EdwardJones/Steve Johnson
• Air-Wave Express
• Hiline Frame & Wheel Alignment
• Northwest Aire Services

Burien’s Hospitality House will be holding its Spring Fling Dinner and Boats for Beds Fundraiser on Saturday, March 6th at the Cove in Normandy Park beginning at 6pm.

Located in Burien, Hospitality House is a shelter and place of transition for homeless women in south King County. The Women of Hospitality House are supported by more than 12 local churches and organizations as well as by our local communities. Home-cooked meals are provided 365 days per year by volunteers. With the staff case workers, over 70 women each year develop and work their individual plans to find home, health and hope (see hospitalityhousesouthking.org to learn more).

Richard LeMieux, the author of “Breakfast at Sally’s,” will be the featured speaker, and according to a press release:

”Richard has lived in Washington State since 1981. He ran his own publishing company, producing medical directories and university student directories for 14 years. When his business failed, he lost his livelihood, his home, his possessions, and his wife of 17 years.

Richard was homeless in Bremerton, WA, with his dog, Willow, for a year and a half. He lived in his minivan while writing Breakfast at Sally’s with a second-hand manual typewriter at picnic tables in parks around the city.

While he was homeless, Richard and the other homeless people he portrays in his book regularly visited Sally’s, the soup kitchen at The Salvation Army in Bremerton.”

Today Richard has committed himself to sharing the story of homelessness with people of all backgrounds and of all ages across the country.

A short film about Hospitality House will be premiered at this dinner and a former resident will also be sharing her story.

Three Tree Point Yacht Club will be partnering with Hospitality House to raise funds with Boats for Beds. Guests will have the opportunity to purchase “the boat” or individual seats aboard one of several sailboats. It will be a fun afternoon of racing Saturday, June 26 out of the Des Moines Marina. What better way to celebrate a graduation, Father’s Day, girls’ day out, engagement or anniversary, than as crew, passenger or ballast aboard one of these special sailboats and with this fun-loving community of people? The boats are each photographed and featured on the Hospitalityhousesouthking.org website.

Tickets are available for purchase online at this website.

As homelessness grows with tough economic times, a local non-profit organization, Light Under The Bridge Homeless Ministry, is successfully affecting homelessness one person at a time.

Light Under The Bridge began last October by husband and wife founders, Kevin and Hope Kerkof.

“It began with us just making 6 sack lunches and going to Occidental Park on a Saturday morning. We just wanted to remind the homeless they are not forgotten. To look them in the eye and treat them with respect as human beings,” Kevin explained. “We had no idea what a mission this would become.”

What began as 6 lunches, has now become a team of volunteers and about 40 lunches every Saturday. “The need is overwhelming,” Hope explained, “With approximately 1,900 unsheltered people in Seattle, its easy to get discouraged and think what difference can one person make? However, our strategy is to affect the lives of the homeless by establishing relationships built on trust and respect, one person at a time. We bring them food, clothing, supplies…and as we build relationships with them, we continue to visit them when they are sick or injured in the hospital, and visit them in jail. And through our networking with other ministries, we are able to help get the homeless off the streets and the help they need when they’re ready.”

Light Under The Bridge goes where most charities will not go – under the freeways, bridges, and into the woods looking for the homeless that are not involved with the missions, shelters, and soup kitchens. These are the homeless that indeed feel forgotten, that is until they meet the volunteers from Light Under The Bridge.

Light Under The Bridge goes out every Saturday morning, on the same route-thereby visiting the same people, at the same time. The homeless look forward to their visits as one homeless man, William Johnson tells, “I’ve lived in 49 states, and in all those states, meeting Hope & Kevin is the first time I’ve ever been shown real love. Everyone out here on the streets is always asking me when the Christians are coming back out.”

As a result of Light Under The Bridge and their volunteers building relationships with the homeless, some have left the streets and are getting the help they need. Part of Light Under The Bridge’s mission has been to establish networking relationships with other faith based programs that offer rehab, housing, food, clothing, job skills, and eventually integrates them back into society. One such program that Light Under The Bridge has partnered with is The Freedom House.

The Freedom House is located in Des Moines and is a year long faith-based program that provides a discipleship program for men and women suffering from addictions. There are three phases of discipleship. During Phase I Temporary housing is provided which occurs in the first 30 days. During this time men and women are able to stay in a drug and alcohol free facility. Those that are committed to change continue into phases two and three and provided permanent housing. The program is an inclusive program, providing lodging, food, clothing, biblical teaching, life skills and an alternative life to drugs and alcohol abuse. At the end of the year, these men and women will have established a job, been taught how to budget and have savings, and will have a place to rent. Several of Light Under The Bridge’s success stories have sought treatment and are now residing at The Freedom House.

Kevin & Hope Kerkof compare Light Under The Bridge to a search and rescue team, and The Freedom House as a hospital with long term care.

“It’s a fantastic system which is affecting lives one person at a time.”

Both ministries operate from donations. 100% of all donations received by Light Under The Bridge help the homeless.

Hope adds:

“We are in great need of donations. Tangible items such as clothing or groceries can actually be left off at our church office at Shorewood Foursquare Church marked for Light Under The Bridge. We need socks, gloves, hats, and jackets are most in need, especially since the weather will begin to cool off very soon.

We get help and donations from The Freedom House in Des Moines, and Hope Fellowship Community Church in Burien which has a community outreach clothing closet every Sunday. Volunteers are always welcome. We ask them to give us a call first and to check out our website www.LightUnderTheBridge.com.”

You can also donate by sending checks to:

Light Under The Bridge
224 SW 153rd St #146
Burien, WA 98166

For further information, you can visit their website at www.LightUnderTheBridge.com.

The seventh annual “Stomp Out Homelessness” Street Walk is this Saturday, Oct. 4th, starting at 9:30am at the corner of SW 152nd and 6th Ave SW (see map below).

The cost is $20 to participate, the walk goes for two miles, and leashed dogs are welcome (no word yet on whether your canine companion can pull you along, but don’t forget a leash!).

And yes, there will be prizes for raising the most money with sponsorships!

All proceeds benefit Hospitality House Women’s Shelter, which is located at 15003 14th Ave SW in Burien.

So get your good foot up there, bring your four-legged best friend, and walk for some good!

For sponsorship forms or more information, call 206-243-9975.

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