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Local shelter addresses homelessness through the eyes of the church

Children wearing bookbags and carrying lunch boxes climb the stairs and scurry through the wide double-doors. In the lobby, the children gather around a cardboard box of pumpkins. "I've got a pumpkin," a small tow-headed girl exclaims proudly. One by one each child chooses a pumpkin until the box is empty. They walk away, chattering about their new-found treasures. These children are homeless. They live with their families in a shelter called Open House. Open House, located in Vancouver, Wash., houses nearly 100 homeless men, women and children. Fifty percent of the shelter's residents are children.

Open House Ministries first opened in January of 1989 in an old boarding house located near the current building at 900 W 12th St. According to John Greholver, executive director of the shelter, Open House was a product of prayer. In 1986, members of a Vancouver Bible study saw the need of the homeless and began praying for a way to help. The Bible study members began distributing blankets and food and realized that while some street people preferred to be homeless, others had families that were miserable on the streets. Out of that realization, Open House was born. In 1990, after the Bible study opened the first shelter, those running the shelter asked John Greholver to fill the position of director. Mr. Greholver, who had years of experience working at the Salvation Army, agreed to accept the position.

Although the first shelter successfully aided the homeless, the boarding house was small and in disrepair. At that time, the city passed an ordinance that no new shelters could be constructed in Vancouver. However, the shelter's board of trustees discovered they could expand at their present location. Then they learned they had 10 days to submit a building permit for a new shelter. Mr. Greholver said they took a leap of faith, investing in the $3,000 building permit. He said more than 600 men and women in the area helped to construct the 33-apartment shelter. And more than 90 churches helped with the project and contributed funds. The massive new shelter cost $1.5 million to build, but miraculously, in December of 1996, they dedicated the completed building debt-free.

Mr. Greholver said homelessness is a growing problem in urban areas. According to Clearing House, a homeless referral and placement service, last year 3,300 homeless people lived in Clark County, where Open House is located. One-third of those were children. Mr. Greholver said families are driven out on the street for many different reasons, including violence, abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, injury and mental illness. "Homelessness isn't about not having a home," he said. "It's about why you don't have a home; there are reasons they're homeless. Sometimes they have a lot of problems they haven't dealt with."

He said his vision is to address these problems and provide resources that will help people get their lives back together. Open House has a medical clinic, counseling services and a children's classroom. The shelter also offers mandatory classes that include job training, parenting courses, the 12-step program and Overcomers, a program for abused women. The shelter also encourages residents to get involved in a church community and offers a chapel service on Sunday. Mr. Greholver said one of the ministry's primary goals is to address the spiritual needs of the homeless and provide them with accountability. "We're serving the poor in a biblical way," he said. "This is a place that is a doorway to the kingdom of heaven for those who are homeless.

"Our program is the church's approach to dealing with a very serious problem. When people come to our door, we don't see victims. When they come to our door, they're adults who have to take responsibility for their problems." At Open House, each family has a case manager who holds it responsible for taking the next step in getting off the street. Mr. Greholver said Open House is unique because it doesn't limit the time a person can stay at the shelter. "As long as they're taking the next step, they can stay here. They can stay here a week at a time for as long as it takes, but there's always accountability," he said. Jana Nickerson, an Open House resident, said she's grateful for the absence of a time limit. "You don't have to worry about your time being up in 30 days," she said.

Ms. Nickerson has been living at the shelter since July with her three children, 6, 9, and 11. She suffered in an abusive relationship until she and her children were evicted from their apartment. She moved in with her aunt and uncle for two months, but her uncle verbally abused her children, and she knew she had to find another place.

"I was planning on getting a tent and moving out," she said. "I told the kids, 'We're going to live in a tent if we can't get in a shelter." Ms. Nickerson said the shelter's programs are helpful, and she appreciates the homey atmosphere of the apartments. Each apartment is fully furnished and contains a bathroom, two bedrooms, a living area and a kitchenette. "It's more like your own little house than other shelters," she said. "I'm glad there are places like this; it's a lot better than living on the street." Ms. Nickerson, who works as a receptionist at Open House, said she's gaining experience that will help her find a job to support her family.

Greholver said 85 percent of those who come to the shelter leave with jobs and homes. He attributes this to the process of accountability the shelter provides. The shelter helps its residents learn to budget, set up bank accounts and find jobs. In 1997, 206 families stayed at Open House--a total of 556 individuals. One hundred sixty-five families left the shelter with jobs and homes.

"Big Jim" was one of those helped at the shelter. Mr. Greholver said "Big Jim" came to the shelter after sitting in the rain in a wheelchair for four days. Jim suffered from "giantism" and had lost a leg to diabetes. "Big Jim was 7 feet 8 inches tall, weighed over 450 pounds and had a big bushy beard--not somebody you'd like to meet in a dark alley," Greholver said. "The first night he came, we had to put two box-springs end to end on the floor to give him a place to sleep." Mr. Greholver said "Big Jim" was angry with God for his condition, but during his three months at the shelter, he worked through his anger. The shelter helped him find a group home, where "Big Jim" has lived there for more than a year.

According to Mr. Greholver, Open House is the most cost-effective shelter in Clark County. Washington State University and George Fox College students staff the shelter's medical clinic and counseling services. Open House receives volunteer service while these students receive credit hours. Open House has become internationally recognized for its excellence and efficiency. Mr. Greholver will be traveling to Russia during October to help officials set up a shelter in Kasan.

Because half of the shelter's residents are children, Open House also provides a classroom to help homeless children catch up in their studies. The Vancouver School District staffs the classroom with paraprofessional educators through a program called Homeless Outreach Promoting Education (HOPE). Linda O'Neel, who has 12 years of experience teaching homeless children, has taught the after-school program at Open House for two years. Her class meets Monday through Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Kindergarten through fifth grade meets during the first hour, and sixth through 12th meets second hour.

The classroom time is mandatory for the children living in the shelter. Ms. O'Neel helps students individually with their homework and helps them brush up on academic skills through the use of educational computer games. Ms. O'Neel said her biggest challenge is filling in the children's educational gaps. She said homeless children have a hard time focusing on tasks and completing them because they have so little stability in their lives. "This is part of the healing process," she said. "Part of breaking the cycle of homelessness is getting these kids to do something consistently. We don't want to see them back here as adults."

High school students volunteer and help Ms. O'Neel with the after-school program. Megan Clark, a freshman at Columbia River High School, first volunteered at Open House for an eighth-grade service project. She enjoyed helping so much she has continued to volunteer. "It's rewarding to see you've helped the kids," she said. Approximately 20 children attend each classroom session. Ms. O'Neel said she couldn't effectively run the program without volunteers. According to Mr. Greholver, Open House is primarily run by volunteers. The shelter employs a small staff of Christians as case managers and office workers, but many volunteers donate their time and resources to the shelter.

Many churches and individuals contribute to the ministry, Mr. Greholver said. The shelter publishes a "needs list" in its monthly newsletter and people drop off boxes of food and clothes. Volunteers sort and organize these donations and place them in a store located in the shelter. Once a week, residents may visit the store and choose the things they need. Local benefactors also donate money to keep the shelter running. Mr. Greholver said he believes Open House is a ministry of the corporate church. "More than 100 area churches worked with us over the years to make this place live and breathe," he said. "There's no one church that could produce anything like this. This is just the tip of the iceberg. When the church comes together as the body, there isn't any problem that it cannot solve."

The dedication plaque located in the lobby of Open House exhorts those who have been involved in the ministry: "God knows your names. Through you He has faithfully provided this magnificent testimony of His love and compassion to those in need. Great is your reward. May you find joy and peace in the knowledge that you have been a partner with the living God."