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Volunteers are the foundation to our mission. We are able to continue the amazing work that our organization does through the thousands of volunteers who donate their time each month.

Randall is a very special volunteer who works in the HOC kitchen 15 hours a week. He is very familiar with HOC because he used to be a patron.

Before coming to HOC, Randall had never experienced homelessness. After his first few nights at HOC, he saw patrons working through the Resident Client program. Randall wanted to help! He asked around and connected with the RC program and began working (while simultaneously applying for jobs throughout the city). After applying to over 30 jobs he interviewed with an amazing local restaurant and was hired! He loved his job and worked for 9 months until COVID hit.

Unfortunately, he was let go due to staff layoffs. That didn't stop Randall! He continued his RC duties and then found a job at a local gas station and has worked there the past 10 months. Randall saved and was soon able to afford his own place! He loves it there, but loves HOC more.

Randall now works and still makes time to volunteer at HOC each week. He credits 99% of his success to the amazing team at HOC. He has built incredible relationships and friendships with other patrons and loves the community.

Send your Mission Moments to Communications with the subject line: Mission Moment for submission in an upcoming newsletter.

Would you like to recognize a Catholic Charities staff member for going above and beyond? Complete a WOW Nomination Form and if chosen, the staff member will receive a $25 gift card and will be featured in an upcoming newsletter. Gift cards can be collected at the front desk!

Interested in learning more about the organization? View our newsletters that are sent to the public.

Perhaps like me you recently found yourself drawn to watching many Olympic events. While it appeared that Beach Volleyball must be THE global sport as it seemed to be on whenever I tuned in, I found significant enjoyment around the excitement of the games, more so than I remember in years past. It is possible that I needed a jolt of triumph after almost 18 months of COVID heaviness.

Amidst all the pomp and circumstance associated with the Olympic games, one of the most talked-about events was the decision by Simone Biles to withdraw from the competition. I was both energized and deeply saddened by the opinions shared in response.

Amongst the positive was an empathetic spotlight on mental health. Other Olympic athletes came forward and expressed their own choices to focus on their mental health instead of sacrificing it. Some even relayed that they believed this choice ultimately made them better athletes.

Growing up in a household that valued hard work and looked down upon “laziness”, I’ve often considered grit with the utmost admiration. We’ve seen athletes carted off with injuries and thought highly of their commitment to the sport. In the workplace we commend the staff who take on extra work and manage despite added pressures and strain, however, one must question the costs associated with pushing ourselves so hard physically and mentally and disregarding self-care.

 In our work staff tend to focus on the needs of those they are serving, neglecting their own needs. While we want staff to serve consumers well, this way of thinking has led to rampant burnout.

The last year and a half have been hard, however, I think it has taught us some valuable lessons and primed us to start prioritizing health more. I know for myself being forced at times to slow down and rest knowing my decisions could have grave impacts on my family was a much-needed nudge.

I am encouraged that elite athletes whose accolades typically come from physical accomplishments are prioritizing their mental health despite any critics out there, and I hope that as a society we can move towards affirming this practice for all. In the meantime, I hope each of you will consider yourself as a whole person who needs holistic care and that you will give yourself permission to prioritize your wellbeing.

Shannon Boniface

Have you seen a group or department doing awesome work? Email communications, and we will give them KUDOS in the next newsletter.

The DEI Committee is committed to learning more about the world around us. We would love to share that learning with you. Here are some dates in September that shape the world we live in now. Please take a few moments and look up something you didn’t know about one of these holidays and share it with a friend or colleague.

Yom Kippur is the holiest, most important day of the year in Judaism, known as the “Day of Atonement.” It begins at sundown Wednesday, September 15th, 2021, and ends Thursday evening, September 16th, — the last of the ten days of penitence that began with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Yom Kippur commemorates the day Moses came down from Mount Sinai after seeking God’s divine forgiveness for the Israelites who sinned against him by worshipping a golden calf idol.

Throughout the 10 Days of Awe (Repentance) leading up to Yom Kippur, those practicing Judaism have been reflecting on the personal aspects of the past year, deciding how to improve, seeking forgiveness and showing compassion to others. Traditionally, the belief is that after judging a person by their deeds over the last year, God decides who will be sealed in the Book of Life (to live for another year) and who will die.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 and ends October 15, as it has every year since 1989. It's split across two months because September 15 is a key date in the history of several Latin American countries: It's when Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua declared their independence from Spain in 1821. Want to know more about what Spokane is doing for Hispanic Heritage month? Check out the Spokane library page at: https://www.spokanelibrary.org/blog/hispanic-heritage-month-2020/

We plan to use the space provided for us in the chat to begin an honest dialogue within the broader agency, so please feel free to reach out to us with any comments, questions or ideas at [email protected]. 

STAFF SPOTLIGHT