P.O. Box 65358 Vancouver, WA 98665

1600 W. 20th St. Vancouver, WA 98660 Phone: 360-750-4752

Dear Friends, Let us love one another because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God 1 John 4:7

NONPROFIT

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PERMIT 702

VANCOUVER, WA

January, 2013

Contact Us!

Rev. Duane Sich, Exec. Director Cell Phone: 360-936-3461 Kate Prigge, Administrative Manager Phone: 360-750-4752 Craig Cluff, Facilities Manager Phone: 360-750-4752 Jay Kitchin, Activities Coordinator Phone: 360-750-4752 Tom Iberle, Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator Cell Phone: 360-903-3626 Bill Jennings, Yard Coordinator Cell Phone: 360-771-0172 Jerry Swan, Financial Secretary

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Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? Are you looking for something to do? Perhaps you might have four hours a week to volunteer. Perhaps you have some items to donate. YOUR SUPPORT OF FRIENDS OF THE CARPENTER IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE. New items are put out daily! Everyone who volunteers here has fun! We will pick up large furniture donations! YOUR ITEMS CAN BE DONATED AT THE STORE MONDAY THRU SATURDAY 10 AM-5 PM Everyone can help by bringing in useable items. All donations must be clean and in GOOD condition. R merchandise includes: a wonderful book selection, vintage items, house wares, children’s clothing, men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, shoes, specialty items, linens, and much more.

Season’s Greetings from the

2nd Chance Thrift Store volunteers

3414 NE 52nd St. (52nd and St. Johns Blvd) Vancouver, WA 98661

(360) 750-3867

2nd Chance Thrift Store

place to BE. On these cold winter days, just imagine how valuable that is if you didn’t have any other options. FOC has many people who fulfill court assigned or other affiliation community service hours. We have several special needs friends (aren’t we all) who have physical or mental limitations who come with their care providers. They find projects and activities at their level of function which gives them fulfillment and FUN as they interact with those on the premises. FOC is an approved training site for Partner in Career placements – people under supervision at FOC learning and performing good work ethic while seeking other viable employment. All these and others who volunteer at the Friendship Center interact and actively work together to create a loving and accepting community atmosphere. The Friendship Center becomes a sanctuary, a safe haven and a setting where no one is better than anyone else, but just by BEING here everyone leaves better than they were. That’s what we DO.

The Friendship Center is open Monday through

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

The title of this article is not really original: “To Do Is To Be,” penned by Nietzsche; “To Be Is To Do,” by Kant; and “Do Be Do Be Do,” was by Frank Sinatra. As we enter this New Year, will your resolutions and aspirations be “To Do” or “To Be” or just “Do Be Do Be Doing it” throughout 2013?

At the Friendship Center, we often get phone calls and inquiries about what we do? Calls come from those need-ing assistance, and also those who want to volunteer or make a donation. Many times our response leads to a “see-saw” sort of conversation starting out with, “The Friendship Center is a Day Shelter.” We say everyone is welcome; we provide a safe place for people to be; we provide woodcraft activities to do so that positive friendships can be formed. Almost predictably the next response is, “But what would I do?” Those who are calling for assistance generally want to know what’s in it for them. Those inquiring about volunteering want to know what we need them to do for the ministry. Perhaps what

confuses and complicates things is, Friends of the Carpenter is mostly about BEING, not so much Doing. Oh, we do plenty, but mostly it’s about being available, being gracious and nice to everyone, being grateful and ready to “give back.” It’s about B E I N G p r e s e n t a n d representing (re-presenting) the presence and power of God’s love.

Sometimes, maybe often, at first that doesn’t sound like much; like what good will just being do? If you need help, you want something done. If you want to help, you want to do something. When a person is hurting or in trouble or scared or hungry, they need help and generally want it in a hurry. In a similar way, when someone wants to help (volunteer), generally they want to get busy and start “picking up the load.” But often what helps the most is just being. Many times I tell our friends, “Today, we may not change your situation much, but we can help change you; and when you are different, you will change your situation.”

So back to, “What do we do at Friends of the Carpenter?” Again, we are a Day Shelter that is available for those who are homeless, unemployed or anyone who just needs a good

FRIENDS OF THE CARPENTER

JANUARY, 2013 VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1

The Carpenter’s Tool Box

INSIDE THIS ISSUE :

1

2

FROM JAY ’S

CORNER

2

CALENDAR OF

ACTIVITIES

3

BUSINESS AND

CHURCH SPONSORS

3

THRIFT STORE 4

The Carpenter’s Tool Box

is a monthly publication of

FRIENDS of the CARPENTER

P.O. Box 65358

Vancouver, WA 98665

(360) 750-4752

Board of Directors: Brent Stahl, President

Phil Sherman, Treasurer

Gary Ervin, Secretary

Bill Parsons, Frank Stowe

Bob McKusick, Shirley Knight

Stewart Kent, Tom Tucker

Sandy Mathis

A Ministry Of

Relationships

Continued on page 2

“To Do, To Be; To Be to Do; Do Be Do Be Do” Rev. Duane L. Sich

Christ calls us to minister with all in need of safe haven by being a caring fellowship

and providing a sense of purpose through interaction with people of faith

Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. We do daily devotions at 9:30 am – it’s a 30 minute time span where everyone in the Center gathers to sing praises, hear a short devotional mes-sage (lead each day by a different community faith leader) and we pray together. We begin our devotions by sharing “God Sightings.” Each day people testify and tell others of where they have seen God present and active in or around them. It’s a precious time. Personally, I think 9:30 each morning is the best time to BE in the Friendship Center.

Each day, 40 to 75 people

pass through the Friendship Center, sometimes more. It’s a wide array of people from different life situations. Some come often; we always have first timers every day. The coffee counter and a snack tray often seems to be a good starting place for many who come into the Center. But soon thereafter, sitting down at a work table, taking on a simple task of assembling, gluing, sanding, painting or placing a product tag are just a few of the activity projects. People who are authorized or in training move towards the scroll saws, turning lathe or milling shop

to do special tasks. There are other opportunities such as working in the office, being a receptionist and kitchen duty prepar ing snacks and beverages. Cleaning, sorting and organizing in the warehouse are tasks always needing someone to help out. (If you want to work off-site, we need volunteers at the 2nd Chance Thrift Store, and woodworkers can always prepare kits in their home shop.)

So … what will you DO? We’d like you to come BE with friends at Friends of the Carpenter. And though sometimes it may feel like

PAGE 2 THE CARPENTER ’S TOOL BOX

“TO DO, TO BE; TO BE TO DO; DO BE DO BE DO” CON’T

you are just “Do Be Do Be Doing,” actually by BEING here, God will be D O I N G s o m e t h i n g amazing. God will change you and will use you to change someone else … and then the situation will change for everyone. Come Do Something At Friends of the Carpenter! Call Tom Iberle, our newly “re-hired” Volun-teer and Outreach Manager or talk with me.

God Bless You. Happy New Year!

Duane

Brrrrrrrrrrrr. The Friendship Center is cold this time of the year but

filled with lots of positive energy and evidence of God’s abundant

Grace. Each day provides a new glimpse of just how awesome our

God is. Please consider coming to the Center to experience His

transforming power that we get to see each day. We are always in

need of more people to help with activities, run scroll saws or at one

of our many events. We will have a H.U.G.S party in February and

we are in need of ladies underwear, Long Johns of all types and sizes

and warm sweatshirts or heavy shirts. On these COLD days we go

through lots of coffee trying to help warm all who walk through our

doors, can you help out with a can or two of regular coffee?

From Jay’s Corner:

The annual Lenten Bible Study series, led by Bill Lehmann, will begin on February 15 and continue the five consecutive Fridays at noon. The series is entitled "Psalms Seldom Sung" , treating a variety of lesser known psalms in the context of their use in ancient Temple liturgical practice. Duane will accompany singing. Bring your lunch!

New Bible Study

for Lent with

Bill Lehmann

PAGE 3 VOLUME 15, ISSUE 1

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

Devotion & Activity

9:30-11:30

Devotion & Activity

9:30-11:30 Newsletter Prep

Jan 8th and Feb 12th

Pointman Ministries for all

Veterans 2-3:30 pm

PATH Drop In

10-11 am Feb 5th

CARE Meeting

Jan 22 & Feb 26

Devotion & Activity

9:30-11:30

Afternoon Event 1-3 pm

Newsletter Jan 9th and Feb 13th

Woodturners

Jan 16 & Feb20

Devotion & Activity

9:30-11:30

Devotion & Activity

9:30-1:30

Woodworkers

Show and Tell

Jan 26 Breakfast

9 am at 1st

Presbyterian

Feb 23rd at FOC

January 2013

BUSINESS SPONSORS: Aartvark Graphics

Becky Willey – American Family Insurance

Asset Protection Professionals, Inc.

Greg Nuber - Big Blok

Cascade Awards

CFS

Christel and Isely, LLP., Attorneys at Law

Davidson and Associates Insurance

FastTap Screws

Nicholson and Associates

OTSU Fisheries

Pacific Continental Bank

PIP Printing

Shur-way Building Centers

Michael Harris – State Farm Insurance

Yard and Garden Land

CHURCH SPONSORS:

All Saints Episcopal Church

Bethel Lutheran Church

Faith Foursquare Church

Grace Lutheran Church

Orchards United Methodist

Salmon Creek United Methodist

This month we would like to thank all our annual business and church sponsors for their support: