June 25th 7:00PM St Michael’s Parish
From Bread & Roses’ Board President:
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As you may be aware, Bread & Roses is going through a transition. We want to tell you about it and invite you to help guide our future.
I am the new president. On behalf of the new board of directors, I am writing to introduce ourselves, tell you about our plans, and ask for your input.
What has happened with Bread & Roses recently?
In the past few months, almost the entire board of directors of Bread & Roses has changed. The new board has years of experience dealing with local housing and homeless issues.
The board members are:
- Sue Allen, Executive Director, Capital Clubhouse
- Patricia Barron, Stakeholder Representative
- Chris Bauermeister, Professional Academic
- Laura Foster, Stakeholder Representative
- Matthew Green, former Olympia City Councilmember
- Selena Kilmoyer, Executive Director, Out of the Woods Shelter
- Schelli Slaughter, Executive Director, Family Support Center
- Theresa Slusher, Community Services Division Manager, Housing Authority
The previous Bread & Roses staff have left. Advocacy services for guests will, for now, be provided by the Family Support Center. A boardmember will be staying at the House of Hospitality overnight to provide emergency assistance for the guests.
All the guests living at the Women’s Guest House and the rear unit at the House of Hospitality are welcome to stay. No guests are being asked to leave.
Due to the loss of funding, the advocacy center we operated on 4th Avenue in downtown is now closed. Capitol Clubhouse is working to take on some of the services formerly provided there, including shower and laundry vouchers and mail-pickup, but some services – notably street outreach – have been lost.
The board has paid off all debt, imposed new financial controls, and starting writing a new budget and policies.
What are our near-term plans?
In the next few months, we will clean and renovate the House of Hospitality. This includes removing all trash inside and out, and repairing and maintaining the landscaping. Also, we are looking at replacing the dumpster with a set of regular garbage cans.
By August, two long-time volunteers will move in to the House of Hospitality as resident hosts of Bread & Roses. Phil Owen and Meta Hogan have years of professional experience in homeless advocacy, including with Bread & Roses several years ago.
Meanwhile, the board will be working to rebuild a proper administrative system, get our finances under control, and reach out to our donors and the larger community.
Please help us plan our future.
The board is starting work on a plan for the future of Bread & Roses. We invite you to be a part of that discussion. To start, we are hosting a public meeting.
Public Meeting on the Future of Bread & Roses
Thursday, June 25, 2009 7:00 PM
St. Michael Catholic Parish
1208 11th Ave SE, Olympia
At this public meeting, we will answer your questions about what has happened so far and what is happening now at Bread & Roses. Then, we will ask for your answers to questions about our future.
For example, what services are most needed in our community? How we can best provide them? How can we be a better neighbor? What might interest you in being involved with Bread & Roses? We would love to hear your thoughts.
Meanwhile, if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please contact me directly at (360) 402-5529 or matthew.olympia@gmail.com.
The mission of Bread & Roses remains the same: to serve, in love, the homeless, poor, and marginalized people in our community. During this transition, we are working so that Bread & Roses can become a stronger organization in the future, better able to serve people in need, and a better neighbor. Thank you for your support and assistance towards that goal.
Sincerely,
Matthew Green
President of the Board,
Bread & Roses
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