ST. ANDREW LUTHERAN CHURCH
Winter Hospitality Overflow Shelter
Safe Shelter When Families Need It Most
November through March • 151 nights • Between 40-50 neighbors nightly
6,040 total shelter nights
Opening Our Doors to All Who Need Shelter
WHO at St. Andrew serves single women, mothers, and families experiencing homelessness. Since the pandemic, our demographics have shifted dramatically—while we continue welcoming all guests, most are now intact, double-income families with children who are working hard but still cannot keep pace with rising housing costs and inflation. Last season, we welcomed 97 households—205 neighbors, including 67 children—ensuring no child has to do homework in a car or go to school from a tent.
Every dollar stays local. Every neighbor deserves a path forward.
Real Impact, Real Lives Changed
Last Season's Outcomes:
979 bus tickets helped 92 adults get to work
55% maintained or increased their income while at WHO
37 individuals moved into permanent housing
28 secured safe arrangements with family or friends
Nearly half of guests were living with disabilities
More than one-third were survivors of domestic violence
At one point, 28 children were staying at WHO—attending our local schools, sitting in classrooms beside their peers. WHO provides these families with stability, warmth, and a path forward.
Four Ways to Engage
Where Small Acts Create
Life-Changing Moments
Witness hospitality in action as we welcome guests with respect, compassion, and dignity. Experience how interfaith neighbors care for neighbors through volunteer service and professional housing support.
Understanding Our Community’s Housing Crisis
Learn about the systemic barriers that contribute to homelessness and discover how diverse faith communities create solutions that honor the worth of every person.
Join Interfaith Teams Putting Love into Action
Volunteer through meals, presence, and care. From cooking dinner to overnight hosting, find your place in this community-powered ministry that embodies neighborly love.
Help Us Reach Our $240,000 Fundraising Goal
Your generosity keeps the lights on, meals served, case managers present, and doors open. Just $42.50 provides one night of shelter, meals, and case management for a guest in need.
An Interfaith Expression of Neighbors Caring for Neighbors
For more than twenty years, WHO has been sustained by community donations and powered by interfaith volunteers from all over Clark County. We partner with Share for professional case management and the Vancouver and Vancouver North Stakes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for meals, ensuring every guest receives both hospitality and housing navigation.
Current Status: Preparing for 2025-26 Season
WHO operates November 1 through March 31 each winter. We're currently raising funds and recruiting volunteers for the upcoming season.
🎯 Fundraising Goal: $240,000
🏠 Shelter Capacity: 40 people nightly
📅 Season Length: 151 nights
Your support ensures that when winter arrives, we're ready to welcome every neighbor who needs shelter.
Contact us.
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Winter Hospitality Overflow
c/o St. Andrew Lutheran Church
5607 NE Gher Road
Vancouver, WA 98662 -
Jane Seidel, WHO Operations Coordinator
📞 (360) 607-4339 -
Linda Jo Devlaeminck and Forrest Gragg, Volunteer Coordinators
who@salcvan.org
(360) 780-6644
WHO is a community program of St. Andrew Lutheran Church. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. Federal Tax ID: 91-1034819
The Winter Hospitality Overflow at St. Andrew provides safe shelter, compassionate hospitality, and pathways to stability for neighbors in need during the coldest months of the year. Rooted in interfaith collaboration, we put love into action through volunteers, community partnerships, and professional housing support so that every guest experiences dignity, warmth, and hope.