Service & Outreach October 2025 Newsletter

Refugee Resettlement Office Continues to Help Refugees

Since the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in 2021, Epiphany has assisted refugees through its financial support of the Diocese of Olympia Refugee Resettlement Office (RRO), the local affiliate partner of Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM).

In late April, the federal government informed EMM that under the terms of federal refugee resettlement grants, the agency was expected to resettle white Afrikaners from South Africa. With no credible evidence, the U.S. government had classified the Afrikaners as refugees. EMM could not accept these terms and concluded its refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government. The Rev. Sarah Shipman, Director of Episcopal Migration Ministries, announced this decision in a recent letter: Letter from Sarah Shipman on the Work Ahead for Episcopal Migration Ministries

As a result of this lost federal funding, RRO has closed its two largest programs, Resettlement and Preferred Communities. Its state-funded programs, however, are still active. These include job search and development, short-term case management, rental assistance, immigration processing, matched savings accounts program, micro-enterprise loans, and ESL classes. Please attend the Service & Outreach Adult Forum on October 26 to learn more.

Sunday, October 26, 2025 10:00 AM
Adult Forum – Great Hall

Refugee Resettlement in Seattle: What now?

Service &Outreach invites you to hear our guest Jennifer Brown, RRO Outreach Specialist and ESL Teacher, speak about the changed landscape for refugee resettlement work in Western Washington following the loss of federal funding.

Good News about Donna Jean’s Place

A recent Seattle Times article featured Donna Jean’s Place, a women’s shelter run by Operation Nightwatch. Saint Mark’s Cathedral offered space on its campus, and Epiphany helped fund renovations to provide comfortable sleeping quarters with showers and laundry facilities.

The article gives a good account of the shelter’s operation since it opened early this year. So far it has sheltered more than 220 women!

Seattle Times: At new Seattle women’s shelter, few rules, unlimited time—and hope

One Day, Two Little Stories of Gratitude

By Holly Boone

I wish that everyone who has ever dropped a dollar bill in the Hunger Basket could have come along for the ride with me and Pat on a recent food bank delivery. They could see for themselves how much people appreciate the supplemental groceries—especially the fresh produce those Hunger Basket dollars purchase—they receive each week from the YWCA Central Area Food Bank.

This past Wednesday, as we have every Wednesday since the fall of 2020, my partner Pat and I delivered bags of groceries from the food bank to a low-income apartment building near the International District. Most of the food bank clients there are Southeast Asian, many of them elderly Vietnamese widows. When we rolled our wagon of food bags into the lobby, the women were waiting for us as usual. They were delighted when Nhuan once again presented us with the treat of sweet mochi balls stuffed with mung bean paste. I had to eat one on the spot—delicious!

It wasn’t the first time we had received kind gestures of thanks. One elderly client (who would clasp my hands, look me in the eye, and earnestly say, “Thank you”) is now so frail she can’t leave her apartment; her grateful daughter-in-law has twice made us egg rolls. Another woman, who loves to chat with us, gave us salmon her son-in-law had caught. People want to express their gratitude, and they do so with touching generosity.

That day we also happened to substitute for another delivery driver. A client on that route was a woman maybe in her sixties. She had the worn and perpetually tired look of a hard life. Her smile showed teeth that you or I could have had fixed. Maybe it was her sweet tone of voice that made what she said ring true with absolute sincerity: “Oh, thank you. I appreciate this so much. You are so good to do this for me.” I was suddenly so choked up I couldn’t say a proper goodbye to her.

Any food bank delivery driver could likely tell you similar stories. So could any Epiphany volunteers doing hands-on work among people who might not be accustomed to even ordinary human kindness. People genuinely appreciate the kindness that Epiphany shares with them. Just wanted you to know.

Ronald McDonald House, Sand Point

Dates vary, 12:45–4:00 PM 

Prepare dinners for families with a sick child at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

YWCA Central Area Food Bank, Madrona 

Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Prep and pack food bags Tuesday or Wednesday morning or deliver groceries to clients’ homes Wednesday afternoon. 

YWCA Angeline’s Day Center for Women, Belltown

Third Thursday of the month, 11:30 AM–2:00 PM

Serve lunch to women using Angeline’s drop-in services for the homeless.

OSL Serves, Georgetown Third Saturdays, 9:30 am–Noon: Prep nutritious meals for people needing assistance throughout Seattle. 

Operation Nightwatch Nightly Meal, Nightwatch Dispatch Center 

Third Saturday of odd-numbered months, 7:00–10:00 PM

Epiphany’s night to cook and serve food to 150 or so clients before they head for various city shelters for the night. 

Teen Feed, UCC Church, University District 

Fourth Thursday, January–October, 6:30–8:30 PM

Epiphany’s crew makes enchiladas for young people living on the streets.

Tiny Home Build, Sound Foundations, South Seattle  

Fourth Saturdays, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM 

Swing a hammer with Epiphany friends building tiny homes, proven stopovers for people moving from the streets to permanent housing.

To get involved, please contact Amanda.