Shelter News 22

It’s been an eventful week at the Phinney Ridge Winter Men’s Shelter. The weather has been warm even for this time of year in Seattle which is good since the Shelter closed for the season Thursday night and many of the men will be camping and looking for new lodging. Our guests, and I, are very thankful for the time we’ve had together under the roof of Emmanuel Church. One expression of that thankfulness happened at our Thursday night closing party. Sarah, Keldon, Krista, and Julia showed up with an overwhelming goodness of food and fellowship. After the first wave of pizza Dan, a staff person with the UGM, called us to attention for the first annual Byron award (a red apron) which  went to Sarah. Byron had “Sarah” embroidered on it. Lovely. A very touching gift and well deserved. Every one signed it.

We fired up both ovens for the party. Pizza in the big Lang oven. My fun was to use the big pizza shovel and bring pizza sizzling hot to the table. I think the DiGiorno  stuffed crust disappeared the fastest. The little white oven did the job for the delicious dump cake (peach cobbler, sort of). And there was ice cream. I think I saw some French Vanilla going around, some hazel nut, chocolate chocolate.  KAPKA left us some pints of frozen dairy/not dairy desserts.   We had chocolate nut bars from Julia. Orange soda from Keldon. The men, and some of the volunteers, will be starting weight loss programs this week.

It’s not too late to volunteer. Please visit the Emmanuel website and The Emmanuel Trumpet, or just call or email me about the deep cleaning party, and next fall. The Shelter News will continue from week to week, but I think I see the sun shining. Maybe I’ll catch a sunset or two with Eileen.

Ben Paul 5-3-2015