Reflecting on PHFS' History pt. 3
THE THIRD AND FINAL POST IN A SERIES HIGHLIGHTING OUR LONG-TERM VOLUNTEERS!
Name: Sue Palmiter
Length of Involvement: 9-10 years
Sue (L) with another long-term volunteer, Holly (R)
Do you have any specific memories of Goose Hollow or Thirteen Salmon? I have so many happy memories of reading books with the kids, acting out the stories, and doing craft projects around the holidays. The pre-school children were full of life when they were building the Brio train tracks and full of curiosity when I read books about animals. It was always a gift to meet the children and then carry them in my heart when I left.
Name: Wendy
Length of Involvement: 10-15 years
What has inspired you to stay involved for so long? The dignity and respect the guests receive from the staff is inspiring. Having worked in many shelters one of the most impressive things about PHFS to me is when a guest leaves the shelter they are not alone.
Do you have any specific memories of Goose Hollow or Thirteen Salmon? Listening to families share stories of their lives currently or in the past is so hopeful. If you are lucky enough to hold a baby it is truly a good evening. Sharing a birthday or other life cycle events with guests and staff brings a sense of community.
Name: Blythe Olson
Length of Involvement: 11 years
Do you have any specific memories of Goose Hollow or Thirteen Salmon? One family with two small kids came back to Goose Hollow a year or so after having lost their housing a second time and when the mom saw me there as overnight host, she came up with a big hug and said "when you're here, it feels like home", a memory so warm that it still fills my heart.
Name: Mary Louise McClintock
Length of Involvement: Since the shelter opened in 1994
How have you seen PHFS evolve and change over the years? PHFS has grown and changed in response both to identified needs and evolving thinking about how best to support and empower families. In the early years, we sent families out into the elements without knowing whether they had any place to be during the day — but that changed pretty quickly with the development of the day shelter space at Thirteen Salmon. Similarly, the approach to development of Family Village embodies the ethos of PHFS as a learning organization that applies research-based practices.
Do you have any specific memories of Goose Hollow or Thirteen Salmon? In the early years there were no fold-out cubicles in the Goose Hollow gym; everyone — client families and volunteers — slept spread out around the gym. (That didn’t last long, though — families needed to have private spaces in which to decompress from their days.) Once my family happened to volunteer together overnight when the holiday party was happening, and my kids got to experience a visit from Santa along with a crowd of kids staying in the shelter.
