This feature is one in our series of contributions from our area-aligned Mission Directors who are helping connect IS caregivers to Mission service opportunities and enrich our IS connection to the Mission under the leadership of Chief Mission Integration Officer for Enterprise Shared Services, Sr. Susanne Hartung. Each feature focuses on a Mission Director sharing an inspiring Mission service activity underway in their area. In August, we kicked off with Tracy Brown, Mission Director for the King County area. This month, we hear from Spokane area Mission Director Rene Campagna.
I have been a Mission leader within Providence for over 21 years and recently started a new ministry with Shared Services in Spokane, including Information Services. I quickly learned that caregivers in the acute and ambulatory sectors of IS have been volunteering at House of Charity for over a year.
On the first Friday of every month, five to seven caregivers join the House of Charity staff to serve a meal to nearly 400 homeless.
After arriving at 10:30 a.m., the caregivers put on an apron and start with any meal prep that is needed for the kitchen. This includes sometimes chopping onion, potatoes, or chicken that will be used for the next meal. When the time draws near, volunteers take their station at the serving line and are assigned a portion of the meal that they will serve on the tray that passes them. The kitchen staff make sure there is a balanced meal, including protein, vegetables, whole grains, and even dessert. There is laughter and interaction with the guests who pass through the line.
Sasha Wellington, a clinical informatics lead, has been heading up the volunteer opportunity since it started. In her role she supports clinical informatics at the Providence House of Charity Clinic that is only a few blocks away. She often recognizes that several of the patients of the clinic also show up for lunch at House of Charity. She is impressed by the overwhelming gratitude of those who are served at both places. She comments, “There are some very sad situations, but I have to remember that everybody has a story, and I can’t be judgmental.”
Our core value of Dignity states that “We respect the inherent dignity and worth of every individual.” The IS caregivers who volunteer at House of Charity are living this value every time they step away and put on their apron to serve the guests for lunch. One thing they find is that the gratitude that is expressed to them by the homeless cannot be contained. Gratitude spreads to their own hearts as well.
More about House of Charity
Part of Catholic Charities Eastern Washington, the House of Charity provides services, including meals, shelter, and case management to an underserved population of homeless, transient, and poor men and women in the Spokane area, while ensuring preservation of individual dignity. Additionally, the Providence House of Charity Medical Clinic, founded as an outreach of Sacred Heart Medical Center, is one block away from the shelter, offering special hours to care for this community.
Learn more about the House of Charity on their website.
Contact Sasha Wellington, sr. clinical informatics specialist lead, if you’re interested in getting involved.