Local Outreach

Local Focus Project: Serving Beaverton School families experiencing homelessness


Our congregation identified that it wanted to increasingly “serve people living on the margins of society.” We surveyed our community and asked what the greatest need facing our community was and they responded homelessness.  We prayed and sought counsel about what a church could do and were led to begin a partnership with Family Promise of Beaverton (FPB).  FPB works to unite our community in helping stabilize and transform children and their families experiencing homelessness.  The FPB Day Center and offices are on campus at Sunset.  We are also part of a network of church and community partners who provide overnight hospitality and hosting throughout the year.


Volunteers serve bringing meals, spending time with families, doing laundry, set up & tear down and overnight hosting at Sunset five weeks a year








Family Promise Host WEEK

Host Week: Jan 12-19

Sunset hosts up to 4 families in our church 5 weeks a year. During these “host weeks” we provide breakfast, lunch and dinner a place for the families to sleep. Each “Host week” requires ~60 volunteer slots to be filled. These slots include Setup, Tear Down, Evening Host, Dinner Host, Breakfast Host, Overnight Host and Laundry Host. Each person must first be trained and once trained, may sign up for one or more volunteers slots.

Helping Hands

Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me…” (excerpt from Matthew 25:35-40)

Our local outreach programs feed, clothe and welcome the stranger through our Helping Hands ministry.
 
Pack the Pack

Sunset’s Backpacks of Food Program, serves three schools with 170 backpacks of food bi-weekly.
Volunteers serve in a variety of ways: order & inventory, receiving & stocking, packing, delivery and pickup of empty backpacks.
 
Food Pantry

Open twice a week, 50 weeks a year, provides healthy food to Sunset families and our neighbors. The Pantry is open to all those in need regardless of race, color, church affiliation, address, or  age.  35% of the folks served are below the age of 18 and  13% are over the age of 55 years.    11% report medical problems requiring special diets.


Hours are: Wednesday 9:30 – 12 and Thursday 4-6:30
Volunteers serve ordering & inventory, receiving and stocking, shopping with guests


A client commented “ I’ve visited lots of pantries in lots of churches, but I never got to come in the front door.  This is real nice.”
 
Clothing Closet

Open twice a week, provides clothing donated by our congregation.  There are other Free Clothing Closet in our area for students, but the Sunset Clothing closet is unique in Washington county, providing clothing for all ages


Hours are: Wednesday 9:30 – 12 and Thursday 4-6:30
Volunteers serve ordering & inventory, receiving and stocking, merchandising and assisting shoppers.
 
Community Garden

Located in the south parking lot, provides garden beds at an affordable rate to our neighbors. During the 2019 growing season 9 beds provided fruit & vegetables for our Food Pantry and 34 were “rented” by our community.


Volunteers serve maintaining the garden, watering and growing produce for the Food Pantry

Food & Toy

Our annual outreach to our community.  School counselors recommend families and our congregation assists individual families by purchasing toys and delivering a foodbox on a Saturday in December. 


Volunteers serve by assisting families, day of event tasks and a seasonal leadership team

Project Homeless Connect

In the summer we open our doors to people in our community, experiencing homelessness, to connect and receive vital services.  Through our partnership with Project Homeless Connect we are able to provide medical, dental, vision services, haircuts and also connection to vital services i.e. mental health, housing and work, sexual violence counselors etc.
Volunteers serve by set up and clean up, food prep & service and professional services i.e. chiropractic, massage, hair stylists, medical, vision and dental.