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21 2013
First-year Zoey Kapusinski (left) and sophomore Jacqueline Bonilla get to know locals while volunteering at the STEP shelter for homeless women and kids. Photos by Von Clemm
Building STEP Community from STEP SHELTER, page 1
Volunteering consists mainly of hanging out with the women, talking with them and occasionally watching a movie with them. The volunteers are responsible for checking out dishes to the women and generally keeping the peace between them. Sophomore Jacqueline Bonilla got involved with the shelter about a year ago and has had a great experience so far. She was inspired to volunteer when she heard that a lack of volunteers means the women have no place to stay on the weekends. Once she started volunteering, she found that she enjoyed her time at the shelter. “It’s always nice to get away from the Whitman bubble. There’s usually an activity scheduled for the ladies [run] by others who also donate their time. We’ve had a few spa and yoga activities set up. You also have the freedom as a volunteer to set up your own activity you want to do with the women,” said Bonilla. During the weekends, the volunteers are on duty, and a paid staff member is on call in case any problems arise. According to Beckmeyer, the women who stay in the shel-
ter really appreciate the time volunteers put in to ensure that beds are available over the weekend. All women are accepted to the shelter as long as they follow the basic rules. A few have stood out specifically in the volunteer’s minds. “We had a woman who came to us a little over a year ago who had been working two jobs, lost her first job and was struggling to pay her bills and take care of her kids. She then lost her second job and her apartment. She came to us in about August and was focusing on getting her life together. In the span of a year, she was able to purchase a house, get her kids back and then we actually hired her on as a consistent night manager for us and she has a second job,” said Beckmeyer. Even though she has only been volunteering at the shelter for a short time, Kapusinski has formed relationships with some of the women, and even their children, whom she will play with sometimes. “One of the women who is really nice is a bus driver, and often times she’ll get a night shift, so it’s really nice for her to sleep during the day,
and she’ll usually wake up during my shift, and we will just talk about our day or our week,” said Kapusinski. Lyman Resident Director Molly Knell is the volunteer coordinator for the shelter. She believes it is important for Whitman students to get involved with issues within the community so that they can learn to respect people from all different backgrounds. “I think what’s tough for me is that Whitman students are really aware of social justice issues, but people will still make homeless jokes and I’ve noticed how we just don’t humanize people who are homeless. It’s not fair. Some women are born into family situations that are abusive. A lot of them are not coming into life with the same opportunities that we have,” said Knell. She frequently visits women at the shelter, and encourages volunteers to get to know them better as well. “No one is coming from the same background — different education, different family backgrounds. Some people have no history with substance abuse or mental illness and others do. You learn that you can’t really generalize. For some, the sys-
tem has failed them or social services haven’t been great,” said Knell. Beckmeyer agrees that mutual respect is one of the most important qualities to have at the shelter. “The number one part of the rights and responsibilities we have is respect — to respect other people staying there, to respect yourself and to respect the staff and volunteers,” she said. This respect is especially important because the shelter is not only a safe place for women to stay, but also a community for them to be a part of. “You really get to know people over a period of weeks. It’s supposed to feel like a family. Generally the ladies are very thankful that we’re there on the weekends because they understand that it’s volunteer work,” said Knell. Without volunteers, the shelter wouldn’t be able to offer the day hours that the women value so much. “We’ve had a really great relationship with Whitman students,” said Beckmeyer. “We’ve had a lot of volunteers from Whitman. We’re just really fortunate to have such a great connection.”
Interfaith Coalition on Poverty hosts 3-day event to educate Walla Wallans about hunger by Serena Runyan Staff Reporter
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he County of Walla Walla Homeless Resources reported a count of 400 homeless individuals in Walla Walla in 2013. Fifty-two percent of these individuals are under the age of 25. Almost a quarter of them are under the age of 13. This week is National Hunger and Homeless Week, and as families prepare for Thanksgiving celebrations, Walla Walla’s Interfaith Coalition on Poverty reminded the community of a broader context of hunger and homelessness during their nightly events on Nov. 18–20. Each event took place at the Land Title Plaza from 3 to 7 p.m. and sought to bring awareness to hunger and homelessness issues in the Walla Walla area. Attendees listened to live music and poetry readings and donated food and beverages. Walla Walla Community Harvest has been working with the Interfaith Coalition on Poverty for the past two years, and they contributed to this event. WWCH mobilizes volunteers from the Walla Walla Valley to collect and distribute surplus food produced by local farmers and gardeners, simultaneously reducing agricultural waste and increasing food security in the community. “WWCH’s work helps to increase food security for those struggling with hunger and
poverty by bringing in donations of healthy, fresh produce to area food pantries. In a wider sense, WWCH’s mission and work creates a space for increased dialogue around hunger, an issue that remains largely hidden in our nation,” said WWCH Gleaning Coordinator Laura Engelman in an email. WWCH has helped plan events and promote awareness of the ICP Hunger and Homelessness event. Additionally, they’ve asked other groups in the community to plan their own events to bring awareness to hunger and homelessness issues in Walla Walla. “The most important aspect of the week is for community members to understand as fully as possible the state of our community,” said Engelman. Engelman brings up an important point: The ‘awareness’ part of the title of this week points to the fact that hunger and homelessness is often swept under the rug in the eyes of the rest of the community. Those who put on this event seek to shine light on the causes and the results of hunger and homelessness. Alcohol and substance abuse, tied with family crisis, was the biggest reported cause of homelessness. Twenty percent reported mental illness as a contributing factor. “Hunger and homelessness are not easy issues to talk about, and thus many in Walla Walla do not see the great need that exists on a
The Interfaith Coalition on Poverty and Walla Walla Community Harvest gleaners worked together to put on this informative event, at which people can ask questions to find out more about hunger and homelessness in Walla Walla. Photos by Von Clemm
day to day basis,” said Engelman. “The event ... serve[d] to bring these issues to the forefront of people’s minds and begin a dialogue that will lead to increased efforts to tackle hunger and homelessness.” Abby Juhasz, the community service coordinator for Whitman’s Student Engagement Center, discussed the importance of education about hunger and homelessness issues. “The Interfaith Coalition on Poverty’s events are building awareness around these important social issues and highlighting the needs of our community. Every member of the Whitman community is a member of the Walla Walla community, too. It is important for people to understand the issues that affect so many in our community,” said Juhasz in an email. Whitman’s Student Engagement Center is encouraging students to participate in the ICP event before Whitman’s community service social on Wednesday. “We are encouraging participation in this event because it rep-
resents an intersectionality of issues that our programs care about — hunger, homelessness and poverty all go hand-in-hand to propagate a lot of the problems that we see in our communities. Being aware of these issues in Walla Walla and supporting those in the wider community who are doing something about them is very important,” said Katie Steen, Whitman’s community service intern. One way students participated in the event was with a performance by one of Whitman’s a capella groups, the Testostertones. “I happened to be at the ICP booth last night when the T-Tones showed up and gave a really phenomenal concert, which gathered a good sized crowd and drew a lot of passers-by to the info display to learn about the issues. The group was a wonderful additional Whitman contribution to this community effort!” said Assistant Dean for Student Engagement Noah Leavitt in an email. Hillel Shalom has also been involved with the ICP in the past
and this year is strongly encouraging its members to participate. “One year we volunteered with Blue Mountain Partners Habitat for Humanity efforts, helping build a home for someone,” said Sharon Kaufman-Osborn, the adviser of Hillel Shalom. “Some students have attended [ICP] meetings, and we met with the group when they were just starting up. I hope that students will attend events this year as well.” Hillel is also donating its collected tzedakah (charity) to the Hunger and Homelessness event. Juhasz and Steen encouraged Whitman students to reach into the greater Walla Walla community and participate in this week’s events. “It is only through this understanding that effective responses and outreach efforts can be initiated. Our hope is that Whitman students participating in this event will be inspired to take action and become active, engaged citizens within their Walla Walla community,” said Juhasz.