PORT TOWNSEND — More than 20 high school seniors in Martina Haskins’ cooking class were given a special assignment Thursday: Make an outstanding meal for 20 homeless men at the Emergency Winter Shelter.
From all outward signs, it looked like they passed the test.
In between whipping up mouth-watering garlic pasta salad, sweet chocolate eclairs and meatloaf sandwiches featuring donated Pane D’Amore bread, the students heard an impassioned presentation from homeless shelter advocate Kim Hammers.
“What you’re doing here, and what we do at this shelter, is that you are exercising humanity,” Hammers said about Jefferson County’s shelter in the basement at the American Legion Hall in downtown Port Townsend.
“This is the most benevolent and giving community that I’ve ever lived in, and what you are going to do today is feed 20 homeless men.
“What you are doing is the best thing you can do in all your life. You are doing a very good thing and I thank you for it.”
Many homeless are veterans
Hammers said many of the homeless men at the shelter are veterans, some older men and other “young men fresh from a war.”
Veterans are given priority. Walker said she is seeing a growing number of homeless vets in Port Townsend, some of them having served in the Iraq war.
Hammers recalled how she and others with Community Outreach Association Shelter Team, a collaborative of Port Townsend churches dedicated to helping the homeless, joined American Legion Post 26 and Olympic Community Action Programs to open the shelter four years ago.
The shelter is now in its fifth season housed in the American Legion’s basement at Monroe and Water streets.
“It was just a bunch of us that were all concerned about the homeless,” Hammers told the students, remembering what led to opening the shelter.
The shelter was serving 10 people during its first week in operation in late November. The shelter’s average nightly population has doubled to 20 this year.
The shelter closed March 5 last year while temperatures were still frigid and snowy, and it was such a concern that shelter supporters chose to extend it two weeks longer this season.
For the students, cooking for the homeless was a new learning experience.
‘Do this more often’
“I’d love for us to do this more often,” said senior Karl Booth, who broke away from cooking over one of the several stove tops.
“A lot of good food goes to waste often with teenagers, and it would be good to share it with the homeless.”
Senior Brook Nutter, who was showing off her bowl of pasta salad, said she thought the assignment was well worthwhile.
“It’s good for the community and helping the homeless,” Nutter said.
Teacher Haskins, who learned about the shelter through one of her students’ senior projects, said she too thought it was a good cause, and she plans to give her students two more assignments to cook for the homeless.
“This is a first,” Haskins said. “We’ve never done this before.”
Hammers said the effort is appreciated.
“They are going to eat well tonight,” Hammers said. “And they are so grateful.
To serve the homeless, a force of at least 250 volunteers have come forward to get the shelter in shape this year, brightening the basement with new paint.
The American Legion has spruced up the space and replaced its heating system. Community Outreach Association Shelter Team, or COAST, has joined with OlyCAP to make the shelter a success.
Port Townsend Lighthouse Lion’s Club members have also become involved in the shelter.
The shelter opens at 4 p.m. daily and runs through 8 a.m. the following day.
The facility with a kitchen served 75 individuals during 2007 and last year, up from 55 in 2006.
Walker said the county Sheriff’s Office and Port Townsend Police have cooperated in helping refer homeless people to the shelter.
Opened in the 2005-2006 winter season, the shelter has two paid overnight monitors, paid by OlyCAP.
Each paid monitor is assisted by a volunteer.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
