The interior of the building was renovated to include contemporary touches and , later , a day shelter in the basement . John Lok
would include showers , food service , and a laundry . Not only would the Catholics pay to finish off the basement , but they would also staff it with social workers from Catholic Community Services . It would be called the New Bethlehem Day Center . For the 30 people then attending Salt House , it was not an easy decision . Kirkland had become an affluent tech hub , and some of its residents — along with those in nearby cities on Seattle ’ s Eastside — were anxious about the city ’ s homelessness crisis . Recently groups such as Safe Eastside were voicing opposition to shelters near single-family residences , and 1,700 people had signed a petition opposing a proposed men ’ s shelter in Bellevue . Plus , it would be a major shift in vision for the young church . Saunders remembers how the tiny congregation sat in a circle of chairs and discussed the matter . Originally , helping people experiencing homelessness “ was far down on our list ,” Saunders admitted . But the emphasis on youth was changing , and saying yes to the shelter would be a different way to pursue that goal .
“ I thought we ’ d have this really tight relationship with the high school , but that wasn ’ t really needed ,” Wolbrecht said . “ What was needed were ways to engage with homelessness on the Eastside . At any schools in the area , there are students living out of cars or living at the shelters .” So they said yes . New Bethlehem opened in the fall of 2016 . “ It was an evolving mission and vision ,” Anderson said . “ You can plan your vision at the outset , but you also must respond to opportunities and needs which arise .”
Former shelter residents Silas Kropp and Chastidy Carlisle say their stay there was transformative . They were living in a van when they showed up at the church several years ago . The overnight shelter was not yet built , so the couple camped out in the church building and got meals , showers and laundry service provided by the church . Salt House eventually found them a place in another shelter , where they stayed for two years before relocating to Texas .
“ I ’ d recommend any family to go there ,” said Kropp , who now lives with Carlisle and her daughter , Abigail , in Mansfield , Texas . “ They showed warmth and love , and Pastor Ryan will do anything for you .”
‘ Who are we going to become ?’
Meanwhile , city officials in Kirkland were seeking land for a 24-hour shelter . The city had made a regional commitment to host a women ’ s shelter , but land was extremely expensive , and no one was selling . Deputy City Manager Tracey Dunlap , who was a member of Holy Spirit , got an idea . What if Salt House , which had empty space on the north side of its property , let the city build there ?
She approached the church with an enticing offer of $ 600,000 for land to build a 19,000-square-foot building . It would provide 100 beds to house 10 families on the first floor in a facility called New Bethlehem Place , and 48 women on the second floor , called Helen ’ s Place . Salt House members had to again decide how big their commitment to helping the unhoused should be . They decided to support the city . “ The big decision for Salt House was , ‘ Who are we going to become ?’” said Marsh , who pastors the congregation along with Wolbrecht . “ This was something the spirit of God was calling us to — to engage with the homeless — and it was something the young people said was important .”
Known as the Kirkland Place for Families and Women , the $ 10 million building opened in August 2020 . Money came from several Catholic churches and organizations , the city , the county , the state , and the Eastside organization A Regional Coalition for Housing . “ It was an unprecedented collaboration between faith communities , private philanthropy , and government ,” Dunlap said . “ None of it could have happened unless you had all the players .”
‘ What does it look like to love like Jesus here and now ?’
The congregation , now with some 150 members , goes out of its way to include the people experiencing homelessness in church activities . These include quarterly feasts ; toiletry , sock , and gift card drives ; service activities ; and parish mixers .
Wolbrecht summarized its ministries in a special 45-minute sermon in May as a retrospective of the congregation ’ s first seven years and a vision for the next seven . About 40 people were in the sanctuary , and 70 online .
“ What does it look like to love like Jesus here and now ?” she asked . Then she ran through a dizzying list of activities that Salt House oversees . Photos of each activity flashed on a screen behind her . “ Do you feel where we ’ ve been is incredible ?” she asked . “ Do you feel led to be where we are going right now ?”
Judging from the applause , they did .
This article was first published in Faith & Leadership . www . faithandleadership . com
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