(From left) Shirley Walker, Kathy Davidson and Margaret Yowell measure out applesauce to serve to hypothermia prevention shelter guests at Burke United Methodist Church. Photo by Barbara Nowak
This week, the doors at Burke United Methodist Church (BUMC) swing open a little wider. Each year since 2006, the congregation at BUMC has hosted a hypothermia prevention shelter in its large fellowship hall. The church is one of nearly 30 faith communities in Northern Virginia running shelters in partnership with FACETS, the Fairfax-based nonprofit fighting local poverty.
From Dec. 15-20, the church expects between 45-50 clients to come in each night. They arrive around 5:30 p.m. to warm up and eat healthy snacks, receive a hot homemade dinner, spend the night on sleeping mats and leave with a sack lunch each morning by 7:30 a.m.
The meals are all made on-site and include ham, meatballs and gravy, chicken breast in cream sauce or barbecue, and salad. To run the kitchen and shelter for the week requires 140-160 church volunteers.
“We try to practice radical hospitality, that is what our faith calls us to do,” said the church Minister of Missions Rev. Judy Fender. “It’s going beyond just throwing two pans of frozen lasagna in, preparing a homemade meal you would serve to your own family.”
Burke resident and BUMC member Wendy Breseman was the first facilitator and organizer for the shelter in 2006. Fender said FACETS approached them because no other facility was able to host a shelter the week before Christmas. Breseman and BUMC agreed they could do it.
For the past four years Burke couple Gerry Staudte and Barbara Nowak have been the facilitators. The Long and Foster real estate agents also deal with housing issues outside of the church, according to Fender.
While guests are enjoying the comforts of the church shelter, representatives from FACETS (in conjunction with the Fairfax County health department) are able to provide them light medical care and other outreach services like job and housing counseling.
“That’s the beauty of it for sure, getting that support there while they’re there,” said Margi Preston, who recently took over as executive director of FACETS. “It’s life-saving for people, not just a great service.”
Preston said last year they had 261 total individuals take advantage of their hypothermia prevention shelter program. And of those, they were able to help move 31 into permanent housing.