{"id":14942,"date":"2017-03-08T19:25:09","date_gmt":"2017-03-09T03:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/?p=14942"},"modified":"2017-03-09T11:18:13","modified_gmt":"2017-03-09T19:18:13","slug":"ronald-commons-provides-stability-exit-out-of-poverty-in-shoreline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/ronald-commons-provides-stability-exit-out-of-poverty-in-shoreline\/","title":{"rendered":"Ronald Commons provides stability, exit out of poverty in Shoreline"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lauren Thomas (Hopelink), Janet Pope (Compass Housing Alliance), Pastor Kelly Dahlman-Oeth (Ronald UMC), Councilmember Rod Dembowski (King County Council), and Mayor Chris Roberts cut a banner “ribbon”\u00a0during the\u00a0grand opening of Ronald Commons in Shoreline, Wash. \u00a0For more photos, visit\u00a0bit.ly<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/em>\/photos-ronald-commons<\/em>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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By Jesse N. Love<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"On January 24, 2015 King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski<\/a><\/strong><\/span> along with members of his staff and a US military veteran participated in One Night Count<\/a><\/strong><\/span>. They strolled through the Aurora Corridor in Shoreline, Wash. and encountered eight individuals sheltered in their automobiles. According to Dembowski, 220 children in the Shoreline school district are \u201chomeless or unstably housed\u201d and sheltered veterans amounted to 2,200 with a \u201cgrowing net\u201d of 60 every month.<\/p>\n

Dembowski served as one of several speakers welcoming everyone to the grand opening of Ronald Commons, a new living community established on the grounds of Ronald United Methodist Church<\/a><\/strong><\/span> in Shoreline. Around 250 people, including the members of Ronald UMC, listened to speakers, reflected on the journey, and took a tour of the new digs.<\/p>\n

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A view of Ronald Commons from Linden Avenue North.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ronald Commons features 60 living units and welcomes low-income families, veterans, disabled persons, and young children. Along with living spaces, the Commons has many features to help stabilize and empower families out of poverty; it has a food bank that has the look, feel and functionality of an everyday grocery store. It also has rooms for adult educational programming including financial counseling and a small playground for children.<\/p>\n

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Inside Ronald Commons’ food bank, the look and feel is much like a mini-market with home basics: bread, dairy, canned goods and more.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Janet Pope, CEO of Compass Housing Alliance<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, shares, \u201c\u202614 months ago, this was an underutilized piece of property. Today, we embrace hope.\u201d Ronald Commons was developed primarily through a three-way partnership between Ronald UMC and social service networks Compass and Hopelink.<\/a><\/strong><\/span> \u201cStaff will strategize each individual to overcome hardship and trauma. (We are) pulling together talent and resources for the most vulnerable,\u201d shares Pope.<\/p>\n

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The Rev. Kelly Dahlman-Oeth welcomes everyone to the grand opening of Ronald Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During the grand opening, the Rev. Kelly Dahlman-Oeth recognized the work of his predecessor, the Rev. Paula McCutcheon who was at the forefront with her then congregation in developing this movement for affordable housing on the grounds of the Church over the last 5 years. McCutcheon could not make it to the ceremony because of the changing event date due to a recent snowstorm and a scheduled family appointment.<\/p>\n

Dahlman-Oeth has described \u201cPhase 2\u201d as a time for \u201cbuilding relationships and community\u201d. During his previous appointment at Lake Washington UMC<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, he and his congregation stood with the homeless by having its church doors open 24\/7 to C<\/a>amp Unity Eastside <\/span>and a safe parking program for those living inside their vehicles. Dahlman-Oeth will continue his work at Ronald UMC living the vision that \u201call should be fed, all should be housed, and all should be welcomed.\u201d Currently, Ronald UMC hosts weekly dinners for the community with Dale Turner YMCA and other churches in the Shoreline community.<\/p>\n

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The Rev. Rich Lang (center) shares “Ronald Commons is a great example of a church going beyond charity into justice.” Lang serves as the superintendent of the Seattle District.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWith courage, compassion and true grit, Ronald UMC gave itself away for the love of Christ’s greater community,\u201d shares the Rev. Rich Lang, Seattle District Superintendent of The PNW Conference. \u201cI look forward to seeing how the church will connect relationally with its new neighbors.\u00a0 It is a model that I hope several other churches will duplicate.\u201d<\/p>\n

As rooms fill and community grows in this place, the partnership of Compass Housing Alliance, Hopelink, and Ronald United Methodist Church will continue to combat the challenges of homelessness through affordable housing, case management, access to employment resources, and feeding the bodies & spirits of those in the city of Shoreline.<\/p>\n

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Special thanks to the Revs. Kelly Dahlman-Oeth, Paula McCutcheon, and Rich Lang. Also special thanks to Darrell Bulmer, Paul Purcell, Jan Laskey, Deb Burkhart, Mayor Chris Roberts, and Josephine Wong<\/em><\/p>\n

Jesse N. Love serves as the graphic designer & print manager for the PNWUMC.<\/em><\/p>\n

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