Mission Statement of Christ Church To the glory of God, the mission of Christ Church Parish is to serve Jesus Christ and all the people of God; to encourage and facilitate spiritual development for people of all ages; to grow as Christians in a loving and forgiving fellowship, thereby confirming, witnessing, and leading others to the faith by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2

I hope that you are enjoying our moderate coastal summer, denied

to many who live in other areas!

Summer is time for camping. We offer two camps for children and

young adults. Camp Living Waters serves children 9-15 and is staffed

by young adults as well as local Episcopal clergy. Please see Mother

Susan by July 7 for registration. Music and Arts camp offers children

the opportunity to experience new things. Contact the office for

registration.

Sister Diana has been ordained as a priest and will join us in early

July. Hallelujah!

We are exploring a possible third service, to provide access for those who find Sunday mornings

a difficult time to attend church. Stay tuned!

Lets remember that God is always doing a new thing, always breathing new life into the church.

The glory of God, St. Irenaeus said, is the human being fully alive.

Gracious and holy Lord, by your grace and mercy, grant us the desire to know you, see you, and

follow you in the service of your kingdom both now and in eternity. We ask this in the strong name

of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

In Christ,

Mother Susan

3

To survive is important, but to thrive is elegant Maya Angelou

After considering it for several years but always finding a reason

not to, I entered the retirement population in May. As with many, if

they are honest with this transition, I have lost a piece of my identity.

I don't think that is a bad thing. In his book, THE PILGRIM SEASON

(Finding Your Real Self in Retirement), retired Episcopal priest, the

Reverend Roger 0. Douglas, says that "Throughout this transition the

word pilgrimage comes to mind, because that word is a powerful

metaphor for a journey one takes to find meaning."

In the book Douglas gives many examples of retirees turning to the church for fulfillment. Yet, he

says that when he is asked to give a talk on religion and retirement, the invitation is rather vague. He

gives three reasons why he hesitates to speak because his "experience has been that they are looking

for a speaker to bless their present understandings of religion and retirement..."

First, Douglas hesitates because he has never come across the word retirement in the Bible.

"Work, according to the Bible, was more of a sacred calling that a way to earn a living . . . People

were born into their jobs. Their work was inseparable from their very identity...It is interesting to

note that when the disciples became Jesus' followers, they were still identified by their original work

descriptions. The writers of the New Testament never referred to Peter as the 'former' fisherman or to

Luke as the 'retired' physician."

Second, Douglas hesitates to accept the engagements because he does not relish making people

feel uncomfortable. "One of the major themes found throughout the Bible is growth. The great chal-

lenge for people of biblical faith is to keep growing wherever you find yourself in life." Because re-

tirement for many people is seen "as a time to settle back and enjoy the so-called "Golden Years",

settling down is "antithetical to biblical religion." Douglas says that "if I were to say to them that

there is no mistake more fatal than stopping to grow and settling for what is, they probably would not

hear my words, and if they did, they would summarily reject my message."

Douglas also says he would hesitate to be a speaker "because most groups want to know how to

adjust to where they are, rather than finding new possibilities at their stage in life." He continues that

"we humans have a remarkable capacity to adapt to what is. . . we can lose most anything and some-

how keep going as if nothing were wrong. But this talent also can keep us from expecting anything to

change. . . very often we forget that we need not simply adjust. There are other possibilities in

4

retirement. We can change."

Douglas tells us that "Lots of people want their religion to make them feel secure as they enter in-

to retirement. But security is not the goal, and religion is not simply a means to a happier life. Reli-

gion is only the courage and hope to face the unfamiliar and be able to move with hope into an inner

journey of discovery. The last word is to see yourself as a pilgrim on a sacred journey as you face re-

tirement."

On Tuesday, June 23, on the Eve of the Feast of John the Baptist,

catechumen Zachary Rotwein formally became a member of the Christian

community at Sts. Martha and Mary by way of the public liturgy

Admission of Catechumens found in the Book of Occasional Services. A

catechumen is defined as an unbaptized adult. The catechumenate a peri-

od of training and instruction in Christian understandings about God, hu-

man relationships, and the meaning of life is an ancient practice of the

early church that has been making a comeback in recent years to prepare

adults for Christian Initiation into the Church. Over the summer, Zach and

his sponsors, the community at Saints Martha and Mary, are participating

alongside him in catechetical instruction led by the Rev. Nancy Streufert. The Admission ritual was

presided over by Mother Nancy within the context of Evening Prayer following Tuesdays group

study and discussion and culminated in a festive champagne potluck celebration of Zachs new status

at the home of Kathrin and Michael Burleson. (see photo on page 18)

On most Tuesday evenings over the summer, the group meets for Centering Prayer, followed by

instruction and discussion guided by the text Your Faith Your Life by Jennifer Gamber in addition to

the Book of Common Prayer and the Holy Bible. Zach will formally be enrolled as a candidate for

baptism on Sunday, August 30 in preparation for his baptism Sunday, September 13. Mother Nancy

will be the presider for Zachs enrollment and baptism at Sts. Martha and Mary, the parochial mission

of Christ Church in Trinidad.

5

6

July 1, 2015

List of Church Campus Needs:

1. Wash windows, remove mold and paint the windows inside Lewis

Hall. Committee: John Hammond, Katherine Clague, Sanford Pyron

and Beth Powell.

2. Curtains in Lewis Hall to be cleaned or replaced. Estimates to be

gathered by Elizabeth Harper-Lawson.

3. Fortuna Iron to replace and repair the iron fence on G Street side.

Work approved by the Vestry and Fortuna Iron contacted for work.

4. ADA approved restrooms near Heritage Hall work are continuing

with an Asbestos Inspection. Cost approved by the Vestry. Harry

Freeman is following this item.

5. Upstairs and downstairs restrooms to be cleaned and painted for heavier usage during construc-

tion of the ADA approved restrooms. Volunteers are needed.

6. Paint the Youth Room in the Zander Building. Ceiling has leak stains and the room needs refresh-

ing. Volunteers are needed.

7. Garden Committee: Light connection buried on both sides of the H Street sign. The electric outlet

should be uncovered and new lights installed. Plants continue to be removed from around the sign to

be replaced when we have a rainy period. The committee is working with Jill Mefford, paid garden-

er, in keeping up the front on H Street around the church to the office on 15th Street. All are wel-

come to volunteer to pull weeds and clean gutters near the sidewalk.

8. Continuing project: consolidating files found all over the church. So far the older files in the base-

ment have been reviewed and reduced. We are developing a maintenance history of the church which

will include dates of equipment purchases, major construction work and determining replacement

dates. Committee: Belinda Zander, Katherine Clague, Peg Gardner and Beth Powell.

9. Freshen up (clean and paint) the two restrooms in the Education Building and remove the defunct

hot water heater from the boy's room. Volunteer needed.

10. Gutters annual check and cleaning before rain starts. One disconnected pipe on Education Build-

ing.

List of things that would be nice to have:

7

11. Resurface parking lot. A number of hazards need to be repaired. Plus there are two tree holes in

the side walk on 14th Street that should be filled in or new trees planted for safety reasons. Call 441-

4192 (City) again for information.

12. French drain for water flow from sump pump to alley with possible reworking of drainage. Water

flow down the alley needs to have plant removal. Paint that side of the building with water proof

paint to reduce water in the basement.

13. Stain glass window in Nave need to be cleaned, checked for dry rot on frames and new plastic

covers if necessary.

14. Review file on Smullins Building. Possible contractor's report in a file.

(Contract dated 3-29-1996 in Building and Grounds File with Humboldt Shelter for Women for use

of building.)

15. Retaining wall reconstruction between office building and Education Building.

Work completed:

1. City replaced sidewalk on the 14th Street end of the alley and filled in larger holes in the alley.

2. Mold cleaned off ceiling in Nave. Completed by Kathy Clague and John Hammond.

3. Minor electrical repair work in Nave, Heritage Room and upstairs restroom hall.

4. Roof replaced on Zander Building.

5. Cleaned attic over Heritage Room of pigeons and new screens placed over the air vents to keep

the area pigeon free. Thanks to John Hammond (the pigeon whisperer) and to Sanford Pyron.

6. Continually beautifying our campus grounds.

Sundays at 4

Several years ago the Christ Church Concert Series introduced a

summer series of concerts called Sundays at 4 on the last (or

fourth) Sunday of the month, at 4 pm. The "Sundays at 4" programs

are intended to introduce a variety of music and instruments, per-

formed by local musicians, to a summertime audience, in a relaxed

and informal manner. They are usually about 50-60 minutes long.

Audience members are invited and encouraged to visit with the mu-

sicians afterwards in the Nave. We have two exciting concerts

8

planned for this summer please come and enjoy!

Sunday, July 26, 4:00 p.m.: Fanfare, Sonatas, & Vignettes: with Historic Brass, Violin, & Key-

board

Travel back to the 16th-18th centuries at this event shared by a program featuring two groups of mu-

sicians: a2 and Trumpet Consort von Humboldt. a2 is comprised of Bodie Pfost, trombone, Holly

Roberts, violin, and Margret Gries, organist/harpsichordist. The will be playing sonate concertate

from the 17th-century. Bodie is originally from Humboldt County and is currently a student at the

University of Oregon. Some of you may have heard Bodie and fellow musicians in their Musica Po-

etica concert at Christmas time last year.

The second half of the program will be performed by Trumpet Consort von Humboldt, led by Gil

Cline. They will be playing shorter works from the 16th-18th centuries (vignettes) along with a fan-

fare or two.

Sunday, August 23, 4:00 p.m.: "Power of Song"

This program on the history of the Spiritual will be presented by Nathan and Liza Smith (father and

daughter). Both Nathan and Liz have sung at Christ Church as part of past Rhododendron Festival

Choruses. Watch for more information about the program in the August Chronicle.

Foster Friday volunteers at the home of Dan and Merry Phillips

9

Music & Arts 4 Foster Kids

On Wednesday, June 17, the volunteers for Foster Fridays gathered at the home of Merry and

Dan Phillips for a relaxing barbecue potluck and to celebrate the joy this ministry is bringing to each

one of us. Two days later, we held our fourth monthly Friday evening event to provide musical, artis-

tic, and other activities for the children of foster families and to provide respite for their weary par-

ents. Sixteen children were treated to a pizza supper, group singing led by the Gossards, a line draw-

ing project with Marita Musante, musical activities including keyboard and ukulele playing, and a

quiet room for games, puzzles, drawing, and blocks. The evening ended with a video and popcorn.

Many of the same children from the same families are returning and we are getting to know them and

the parents all of whom appreciate this opportunity. The children who attend have ranged in age from

2 to 11.

We will be taking a break from Foster Fridays until September. However, the Music & Arts

Camp in August (10-14) is being offered to these families. If you feel called to participate in this

growing ministry of Christ Church, please contact Mother Nancy or Peg Gardner or any of those who

are already involved.

The Rev. Nancy Streufert

Ryler Maples and Noahs Ark

(Godly Play). (Written permission

granted by Dale Maples to publicly

display photo)

Reese Maples at the keyboard with

John Patton and Helen Hui. (Written

permission granted by Dale Maples

to publicly display photo)

10

Ann Clark and Gary Knudsen July 4 Barry and Rene Ross July 22

Ronalda Carlson July 6 Carrie Hogan July 23

Nick and Anna Smithler July 7 Joan Stewart July 25

Bill and Helen Taylor July 7 Julia Lawson July 26

Gail Freeman July 22

Bowl for Kids Sake 2015

Our church should be very proud of raising the most ever, $1,200.00 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of

the North Coast. This was a team goal to fund a match for a year! As team captain I would like to

thank the team members of the 2015 Jungle Bowl Christ Church Lions for their fund raising and

the members of Christ Church for their generous contributions. Heidi Erickson will be team captain

for the 2016 Bowl for Kids Sake Monster Bowl next March 4 and 5, 2016.

Anne Van Zandt

Christ Church Jungle Bowl team for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the North Coast

11

Camp Living Waters

The garden is nearly planted with a few late summer seeds waiting in the wings. My focus turns to

camp, not just any camp but our own Camp Living Waters. For just over two decades young people

and staff have been making the journey to our CLW Camp. Congregations in our Deanery along with

the Diocese have made generous donations to help with many camp needs from scholarships for

12

campers to buying many camp supplies including the purchase of Bibles for every new camper. If

you want to help with funding for camp write a check to St. Albans Episcopal Church with Camp

Living Waters noted in the memo line.

Emily Armstrong Buck and Mtr. Susan Armstrong have been keeping the planning team on track

with our 2015 monthly meetings as we prepare for this summers camp. One sign of a great camp

is the return factor of both campers and staff and many of the staff were once campers and are now

happy to share their time with the next generation. The week of camp activities will be centered

on the theme, Journey into the world with God.

A note about food. Last year Ben Hart and I gathered together the necessary supplies (including

ten or more loaves of snack time zucchini bread from Bens Mom) to feed fifty hungry campers

and staff during the week. The staff goal was to provide fresh and nutritious meals and to take into

consideration a variety of dietary needs. Campers and staff alike helped to prepare and present the

meals and did I mention washing dishes too! Helping one another with all aspects of camp, crafts,

the glade (Bible lesson), singing, campfire as well as clean-up are all ways we learn to serve one

another and build on the Christian community experience. Speaking of crafts. We need a supply

of paper or plastic milk cartons, all sizes. Just rinse them well and drop them by your church for

camp.

Want to donate? This years donation list includes perishable and non-perishable items. See Rene Ross about the following perishable goods for Camp Living Waters: six dozen cookies and fifteen loaves of coffee breads/cakes (i.e. zucchini bread etc.) Contact Rene by phone 441-4832 or email brross@att.net.

The below items would need to be de-

livered to your local Episcopal Church

no later than Sunday July 12th.

Pasta: Spaghetti and Macaroni

Cereal: (Oatmeal has already been

purchased)

Puffed Rice, Cornflakes, Wheaties

sweet cereals (ex. Lucky Charms, Trix,

Apple Jacks, etc.)

Condiments: Catsup, Mustard, Hot

Sauce, Mayonnaise

Sweet Pickles and Sweet Relish

Dill Pickles and Dill Relish 2014 Camp Living Waters

13

If you have any questions about the list

please feel free to call me (707) 825-0867.

Also, take a look at the website, campliv-

ingwatershumboldt.org to catch up on

the latest news.

So, after the last bean, lettuce and radish

seeds are planted in my garden, I will be

headed to Camp Living Waters to be part

of another garden. A place where our

Christian understanding will grow.

Thank-you,

Cindy Woods

Lay Ministries

Where will you be in August? How about in September and October? Have you ever considered ac-

cepting our invitation to one of the many Lay Ministry opportunities? Its almost time to create our

next quarters schedule and wed love to include you as one of these ministries:

= Lectors and Intercessors

= Acolytes and Eucharistic Ministers

= Announcers

= Ushers and Greeters

= Eucharistic Visitors

= Coffee Hour Hosts

= Contribution Counters

= U Stream broadcasts

Please contact Marty Vega at 443-9782 or send an email to mjv523@reninet.com.

=

Mary McNelis is looking for additional people to fold worship booklets: it would be one to two

hours on a Friday, once every 5-8 weeksas easy as pie! Those who do it find it a soothing and

2014 Camp Living Waters

14

meditative exercise. There is often someone else to help, and it is an under-sung but necessary small

ministry. Call Mary at 822-6466 or email her at bossm@suddenlink.net

=

Julia Lawson writes, Serving is a pleasure. I have only recently starting serving as a Eucharistic vis-

itor. It has been very interesting reading the book about this service. Its been such a joy to get to

know the people involved in this ministry as well as going through the process and then actually put-

ting training into practice. I have been involved along with many volunteers in planning how to as-

sist folks with meals when needs arise. Someone may be ill or returning home from the hospital or

another facility and need a little help to make the adjustment. Everyone has to eat and it can be terri-

bly difficult to prepare food, so were doing what we can to help out. Anyone needing assistance

can call the church office and Barry will make the contact to get the love rolling.

Peace Julie Lawson

=

Irene Hannaford writes, I don't know what more I can say about Hospitality, except that it would

be nice to have someone to ask as a back-up if I'm sick or away for an extended period of time. The

latter I don't see in the future, but one never knows.

Irene Hannaford

=

Collect Kids' Clothing for Foster Kids School Fair

Do you or someone you know have access to gently used, clean and outgrown clothing for school

age children and youth? The second annual Back-to-School Fair for preschool through high school

foster children is scheduled for August. Bring clothing suitable for school to Lewis Hall during July.

Thank you!

Peg Gardner

=

Scholarships

In an old house in Paris

that was covered in vines

lived twelve little girls

in two straight lines.

They left the house

at half past nine

The smallest one was Madeline.

15

In 1939 Ludwig Bemelmans first penned these words in his delightful award winning book Made-

line. The character was based on his only child, daughter Barbara. He went on to write several more

Madeline adventures, all now childrens' classics.

We at Christ Church are honored to have our own Madelinesonly one is Madelon Moore and

the other Madeline Musante. These two outstanding young ladies are each recipients of our $500.00

scholarship award.

Madeline Musante is a second year student at Stanford University. She intends to use the money

toward textbooks. Madeline is also applying to study abroad during her sophomore spring quarter,

and any extra money will go for travel expenses.

Madelon Moore has been accepted at the University of Oregon. Her money has been placed in her

college account and will be used for textbooks and other expenses.

We are pleased to have been able to grant these scholarships and continue to wish our Madelines a

very successful college experience.

Helen R. Taylor, Scholarship Committee

Joan Stewart and Jill Stover

Quilters' +

Imagine the surprise on our faces when Peg and

I were told that we had $500.00 to spend on

fleece for our Foster Children's project and just

one week in which to do it! DID WE EVER

HAVE FUN! We each had a grocery cart filled

with joyful, wild and funny prints: monkeys, di-

nosaurs, kites, sail boats, trains, baseballs, foot-

balls, butterflies, whales and silly animals. We

avoided secondary colors and went for the

bright! At the cutting table we encountered a

few disgruntled customers who had to wait

whilst our huge rolls of fleece were cut. But

when we told them we were sorry for their wait

and that all the fleece would be made into

throws for the Foster Children the smiles were

everywhere.

16

Happy quilters, stacks of quilts: top left Jeanne Fish, Jill Stover, Irene Hannaford, Peg Gardner and Helen Hui. Top right Helen Hui and Peg Gardner. Lower left Jeanne Fish and Irene Hannaford.

As you can see by the pictures, all of us are happy to be serv-

ing the community and our church in its every widening circle

of outreach.

There is joy in our hearts that we are accomplishing a goal in

which we have invested our time and our efforts instead of

just giving money. These children are our future and we want

them to know that there is a bright one with loving friends and

good people who love God and them.

Please join Jill, Helen H, Irene, Merry, Beth, Willie, Gwynn,

Belinda, Jeanne, Rene, Kathy, Sara, Catherine, Ann, Peg and

Joan. Don't recognize some of these names? THEN JOIN US

17

THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH AND FIND OUT WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE

MISSING! The writer apologizes if your name was omitted.

Joan Stewart

Brief Notes

Salvation Army Board Members

I am the Chairman for the local Salvation Army & we are seeking Board Members.

This week the current Lieutenants, Tim & Diana Danielson are heading out with their replacements

on the way. I have found participating on the Board to be rewarding.

In addition I will need some organizational talent for the upcoming fundraiser to be held in Novem-

ber. I appreciate your asking us for input.

Thank you.

Yours in Christ,

Peg Malloy =

Paul Gossard writes, Pam and I are in Salem visiting our kids. We went to a Salem-Kaiser Volca-

nos baseball game, and ran into Tom and Linda Balch! They both look great, and wanted to be re-

membered to everyone at Christ Church.

18

Martha and Mary Celebration of Zachs Admission (L-R): Susan Rotwein, Connie Butler,

Duke Albright, Sharon Ferrett, Zach Rotwein, Lee Albright, Mike Burleson, Mother Nancy

Streufert. Present for the study session and service but not pictured: Kathrin Burleson (who

took the picture), Donald Verwayen, and Sally Renlund.

Bird Rescue

12 Rock Pigeon fledglings, 12 eggs, and 3 babies were rescued from our Christ Church attic on Sat-

urday June 27th. They were taken to the Wildlife Care Center in Bayside. http://birdallyx.net/

=

Book Project Dear Friends,

We wanted to give you an update on the Book Project and Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD).

Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) is the International Relief Agency of the Episcopal

Church of the United States. On it's website, ERD says it is guided by the Church's principles of

compassion, dignity, and generosity "as we work to heal a hurting world". In 2012, ERD reached

more than two million people in over forty countries. Rather than a one size fits all approach, ERD

19

supports local, long term initiatives that address poverty, hunger, disease, economic development and

disaster response where the need is greatest. Partnering with the worldwide Church creates opportu-

nities to serve communities in some of the most remote areas of the world, as well as in urban envi-

ronments where extreme poverty persists.

Charity Navigator, an independent organization, gives ERD an overall rating of 88.48 (out of 100). It

has a Financial Rating of 83.72 of 100 and an Accountability and Transparency rating of 100 out of

100.

You can be assured your donations are going to a worthy organization of the utmost in integrity. We

believe we have raised several hundred dollars at this point since February of this year. If you would

like to make a donation of record, you can write a check made out to Christ Church with ERD in the

Memo line. Please place your check in the Sunday basket or in the Book Project box on the window-

sill in the Parish Hall. All donations are currently being sent for relief efforts in Nepal.

Among the many books now on display is a special table of books from the library of Sister

Alice. She was a great supporter of ERD and we know she would be happy to know how her collec-

tion is going on to help others.

Thank you for your generosity.

Sincerely, Stephanie and Heidi

Betty Chinn Homeless Day Center

Hi! My name is Pam Gossard and I am a candidate for the Dea-

conate in my third (and final) year of study at the School for Dea-

cons in Berkeley. For my community fieldwork placement I had

the privilege to serve as an intern at the Betty Kwan Chinn Home-

less Day Center from August 2015 until May 2015.

Before I visited the center, I might have flunked the following

quiz:

True or False:

The Center is funded by Catholic Charities.

False. Catholic Charities manages some of the paper work and

provides curriculum and support for programs such as Career Education but local individual and faith

communities fund the center.

20

True or False. The Center is burdened with administrative costs.

False. The Center has only three salaried workers paid through grant or local resources. All other

workers are volunteers.

Located downtown on the same block as the Eureka police station, the stated mission of the center is

to honor all of humanity by providing direct responses to immediate needs and helping the destitute

achieve the dignity needed to return to society as contributing members. Their philosophy of care is

a strength-based approach with homeless clients, focusing on individualized care to help each person

bridge the gap to self-sufficiency. They believe that every person deserves the opportunity to change

their life, with their own unique path, while at the same time being treated with dignity, compassion,

and respect. From what I observed, this informs all that is done at the center.

The building that houses the center originally served as a Pentecostal church for the nearby mariner

and fisherman population. I learned that it is now the hub for many program offerings including:

*Street outreach: building trust and providing referrals to the

Day Center

*Case Management: providing referrals to local community services,

on-site housing counseling

*Coach 2 Career: employment readiness program (7-week class),

and a clothes closet for interview clothing

*Learning Center: provides computers for participants to look

for work and housing

*Kids Programs: before and after school services, breakfast, getting

kids to school, tutoring and homework support

*Transitional Housing: opportunity for up to five homeless individuals in

live-in upstairs suites

*Stabilization Services: mailing address, telephone use,

community referrals, life skills workshops

*Mobile Medical: Open Door Health Clinic weekly on site

While some might think that the Center is only about handouts and perpetuating homelessness, after

working there a year I know that is not a fair or accurate assessment. Several of the clients I have

gotten to know now have jobs and stable housing. Many others have been supplied transportation

back home to a relative or support person. All who want a hand up are met with compassion.

I have been graciously served as well. After a class on job skills, a Hispanic client joyfully worked

with me on my rusty Spanish pronunciation for intercessory prayers for a bilingual service in Berke-

ley.

21

Working in this amazing facility, I was constantly reminded of the importance of community.

Although Catholic Charities assists with grant writing and runs the business side of things, it does not

contribute any funding or maintenance necessary to support all the programs. Instead, the Center is

entirely funded by grants and local Christians and other benevolent community members. Several

area churches, representing very diverse denominations, come together and lend support both mone-

tarily and with their time and talents. There is food here for both the body and the spirit. It shows me

there is hope that the body of Christ in all of its diversity can work together to serve those among us

who are last, lost, and least.

Just walking into this place may be one of the most important steps many in our community will ever

make. Betty, once homeless herself, is living proof of the hope that good can be derived from even

the most tragic events in life.

Betty Chinn Outreach: Shelter in the Storm

Wednesday, November 19, 2014, was forecast to be the beginning of several days of intense rain,

with dire flooding forecast throughout the Humboldt county area. Betty knew that many of the home-

less people she cared for lived in wetland areas that would most likely end up flooding. She went to

each of the camps, and at each camp, the group decided who would stay and watch over the camp,

and who needed to go to higher ground with Betty. When Betty was finished, she had 134 people that

needed a place to stay.

At 5:00 a.m., Betty made two phone calls to former homeless people that she had helped get hous-

ing and jobs two years prior. She told them that she needed help, that she had a lot of people that

needed housing during the storms, and she had no where to put them. They told Betty that they would

see what they could do. They started making phone calls, and every hour they reported back to Betty,

giving her addresses of other former homeless people that were willing to take people in, putting

them up in either an extra room or their garage. By 11:00 a.m. they had found 40 places. By 2:00 they

had found a total of 51 host families, enough to fill the need for all 134 people. One family took in

seven people. When Betty objected, saying that was too much, the family told her, "Remember, this

happened to us a year ago." They set up their garage and put some of the people in there.

As Betty and others delivered people to homes from Fortuna to McKinleyville, she told each per-

son that they had to follow the host's rules. She told the hosts that if at any point it wasn't working,

they could call her and she would come pick the people up. Betty thought that this arrangement

would be needed for about a week, but it ended up lasting for more than a month, as the rains contin-

ued.

During this time, Betty visited the different homes, offering to help the host families with extra

food and money for utilities. Betty has always said that God knows what she needs and He provides

it. Unbeknownst to Betty, St. Bernard's school was in the middle of their first canned food drive for

22

her, and the abundance of canned food they collected was delivered to her during this time, just when

she needed it most.

While Betty checked on her clients, many of which have mental illness or medical needs, she no-

ticed that many of their personalities and physical appearances had changed a lot while staying in a

stable place. Betty was surprised to see that even if someone had a mental issue, they could stay in a

house, help out and keep it clean. Most of these people had never lived a normal life, in a clean

house. They had had no guidance in the past, growing up in very dysfunctional families. Her clients

were being mentored in a way that only someone who had walked in their shoes could. Betty knew

she was witnessing such great human love, one to another, for this to be able to happen.

The host families were also teaching them how to budget their money so they could stay off of the

streets. The host families didn't want to have to send these people back to the streets, so they started

looking for ways to help them succeed. As of mid-January, 54 out of the 134 people that Betty first

moved now have permanent housing. Through word of mouth, the host families helped them find a

room to rent or share, and taught them how they can manage to pay the rent each month. The twenty

that have chosen to leave were told by their hosts that they are always welcome to come back.

There is nothing more powerful than human connection. These host families used their own expe-

riences to teach their guests. They told Betty, "I've been in that place and you pulled me out. Now it

is our turn to pay it back." We all have the opportunity each day to plant seeds of human kindness,

and we will never know when or how those seeds will blossom. With all of the sadness that Betty

sees on the streets every day, this experience has fed her soul and recharged her batteries. Our grati-

tude and blessings to everyone that opened their hearts and their homes to people in need. We are

nothing without community. You inspire us all!

Pam Gossard

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Photos from last months Lyra concert

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The Rt. Rev. Barry L. Beisner Bishop, Diocese of Northern California

Staff

The Rev. Dr. Susan J. Armstrong

Priest in Charge

The Rev. Lesley McCloghrie

Resident Associate Priest

The Rev. Nancy Streufert

Associate Priest

Merry Phillips

Organist and Music Director

John Hammond, Sexton

Barry Ross, Administrative Assistant

Vestry

Lyn Klay, Senior Warden

Beth Powell, Junior Warden

Bob Rex, Barry Ross, Lynne Bean, Lin Chase,

Helen Taylor, Elizabeth Harper-Lawson, Belinda Zander,

Peter Hannaford, Katherine Clague, Gail Freeman

Bob Hines, Treasurer, Peg Gardner, Clerk

625 15th Street P.O. Box 861

Eureka, California 95502 Phone (707) 442-1797 Fax (707) 442-5647