January 2023 Newsletter
Northwest Hospitality’s different programs allow us to serve our unhoused neighbors in a variety of ways. This month, we are highlighting the Environmental Hospitality program. You may have participated in or have seen photos of Northwest Hospitality’s clean-up events. At these events, volunteers work together with unhoused people to clean up outdoor areas where people live. Without trash service, people living outdoors have very few options for trash disposal, causing trash to build up. The goal of the environmental hospitality program is to care for the environment while showing our neighbors that we care about them.
Photo is of a pathway in Veteran’s Memorial Park, Port Orchard, WA. Housed neighbors and park residents worked together to keep this park clean during winter and spring 2022.
In the winter and spring of 2022, Northwest Hospitality set up a trash service for the residents of Veterans Memorial Park in Port Orchard, WA. Volunteers distributed trash bags to park residents and designated a location in the park for residents to place their bagged trash. Each week, park residents and Northwest Hospitality volunteers loaded the bags of trash into a dumpster that had been placed at the park. Many park residents also assisted with cleaning up trash that had been at the park long before they started living there. Weekly trash removal allowed residents to keep their outdoor living spaces clean and build relationships with volunteers. Forming connections with our unhoused neighbors through clean-up events helps us connect them to resources and lets them know that people in their community care about them.
If you would like to participate in the next clean-up, follow Northwest Hospitality on Facebook and keep an eye on our events page on the NW Hospitality Website. We will also post upcoming volunteer opportunities in our newsletter!
Most of what we 'know' about homeless people is garbage.
By Galena White, NWH Board Member
12% of Americans are at risk of becoming unhoused only because they humbly serve the rest of the country in jobs that 44% of the United States economy depends on for small businesses, or because they are disabled or elderly. That’s why, except for during the COVID years when eviction was illegal, the consistent homeless population of the USA has been around 1,593,120 - or 1/25th (the fraction of people living in poverty that are statistically likely to become homeless every year) of 12% of the population. The numbers correlate directly with poverty - not mental illness, not drugs, not crime - just the poverty of honest, hardworking people. Please read, sign, and share this petition to end homelessness in this country.
Partner Spotlight: PO Helpers
If you live in the Port Orchard area, chance are you are already familiar with the Port Orchard Helpers. Michael, Simon, Erica, Curtis, and Amy (also our NWH Treasurer) make up this organization. They donate their time helping out, wherever help is needed in the community. NWH has been fortunate to partner with the PO Helper on countless occasions. Whether it is coordinating Environmental Hospitality clean-up events or helping inventory clothing for the Mobile Supply Closet - the PO Helpers live up to their name.
Thank you, PO Helpers!!
Thank you to everyone who supports our work of helping those in our community that are experiencing homelessness or unstable housing. We couldn’t do any of this important work without your support.
Ways to get involved
Volunteer - nwhospitality.org/volunteer
Donate Funds - nwhospitality.org/contribute
Donate Items - Contact us for our current needs