WHO@SALC Press

St. Andrew Lutheran Church hopes to raise $175,000 for its winter homeless shelter for women and families.

The Winter Hospitality Overflow shelter at St. Andrew is open every night between Nov. 1 and the end of March — a feat that requires many volunteers and lots of money. It costs about $195,000 to operate the shelter for those five months.

The Winter Hospitality Overflow, or WHO, operates two emergency shelters that are set to open Nov. 1 to shield the homeless from these harsh situations. They will be open every night through the end of March.

In a way, it’s still winter — at least when it comes to the seasonal shelter system. Some wintertime shelter facilities in Clark County remain open due to COVID-19. The Winter Hospitality Overflow shelter serving families at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Orchards is open but at reduced capacity to promote social distancing.

The Winter Hospitality Overflow (WHO) and the Satellite Overflow Shelters (SOS) are now open to provide additional nightly shelter space in Clark County seven nights per week for people in need of temporary housing.

St. Andrew Lutheran Church lost its leader, the affable Rev. Jim Stender. Described as a warm, thoughtful man who radiated love, he was a stalwart advocate for the homeless and disadvantaged. Stender, who hailed from Bellingham, became pastor of the Orchards-area church in 1998. He died Thursday night of a heart attack. He was 67.

The Rev. Cindy Muse was recently welcomed to her new position as pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church.

The Winds and Strings Christian Celtic Band drew more than 350 people to three benefit concerts this month that raised about $5,100 for the homeless charity Winter Hospitality Overflow. Along with a $1,000 donation match from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, the money brought in is enough to help provide 677 warm nights for families at the shelter, according to event organizer David Britton.