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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 2016)
A4 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2016 Our Community MINISTRY PROVIDES HOPE FOR HOMELESS By TAMMY MALGESINI Community Editor A couple of years ago Mark Leslie found himself homeless and hungry. Hearing about Tacos and Testimonies, Leslie headed to Desert Rose Ministries where he was met by peo- ple that fed him — physi- cally and spiritually. Grateful for people reaching out to him and knowing he has a unique ability to touch others that are homeless, Leslie now gives back through House of Hope. The organization, which is in the process of getting its nonprofi t status, is separate from the minis- try at Desert Rose. Recently, House of Hope received a boost from The Shift Church in Albany. With a mission of “We exist to live with one hand to the gutter and one hand to the sky,” the idea of helping House of Hope came about when parishioner Eric Jefferson heard the Hermiston minis- try was serving the homeless. The Shift, Jefferson said, chooses charities and tries to help them out. Erect- ing a tent in the church’s gymnasium, he said people fi lled it with sleeping bags, hoodies, gloves, personal hygiene supplies and other miscellaneous items. Jefferson was thrilled to be a part of the project — especially getting to make the fi ve-hour drive to deliv- er the supplies. “I have a love for Jesus and a truck,” he said with a laugh. Linda Durant, vice chair- men of the House of Hope STAFF PHOTO BY TAMMY MALGESINI Eric Jefferson of The Shift Church in Albany brought a pick-up load of donations Nov. 30 for the House of Hope ministry in Hermiston. board of directors, was ec- static with the donation. “They rounded up a lot of things we can use,” she said. “They were very gen- erous to help meet the needs of people in this area.” The ministry, Durant said, has gained steam in the past year. In addition to the all-volunteer executive board, there are about a dozen li- aisons — who are affi liated with local churches or non- profi t organizations — who are also voting members. House of Hope has been operating in the space with Desert Rose — providing outreach to the hungry and homeless. Monday through Saturday mornings, people can drop in from 7-11 a.m. for coffee, tea and cereal. In the afternoons, they can return between 3-6 p.m. for soup and bread or sandwiches. “People can stick around and talk and stay warm,” Leslie said. The number of people served fl uctuates according to the weather, Durant said. This past May, around 75 stopped by in the mornings and 100 in the evenings. During one of the colder months last winter, they saw 175 for breakfast and 188 in the evening. The board, Durant said, is hoping to fi nd a larger space that will accommo- date administrative offi ces and a thrift store. “The full vision for this is very big, which is hous- ing the homeless,” she said. “We’ve been doing what we can in the interim with the space we’ve been at.” Leslie is excited about the possibilities. It helps in providing an opportunity for people to get back on their feet so they can be- come productive members of the community. “They showed me I was worth more than I thought of myself,” he said. Services provided by House of Hope are currently operated out of Desert Rose Ministries at 512 E. Main St., Hermiston. For more information, call Leslie at 541-391-6435 or Durant at 541-449-5038. In addi- tion, the public is invited to board meetings the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Hermiston Assembly of God Church, 730 E. Hurlburt Ave. Boardman offers twice the holiday fun Hermiston Herald Double your holiday fun this weekend in Boardman — activities include the Ki- wanis Breakfast with Santa and SAGE Saturday. People can start their Saturday morning out with a pancake and sausage breakfast from 8-10:30 a.m. at the Boardman Se- nior Center, 100 Tatone St. Of course, Santa Claus will be on hand — so parents should be prepared for pho- to opportunities. In addition to the meal, kids are invited to partici- pate in a craft activity. Also, horse-drawn wagon rides will be provided by Equine Elegance. The cost is $3 per person. For more informa- tion, contact 541-314-4365 or kymberli@boardman- chamber.org. Afterwards, people are encouraged to head to the SAGE Center for SAGE Saturday, which features a Holiday Gift Workshop. Children and their par- ents are invited to partic- ipate Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the SAGE Center, 101 Olson Road, Boardman. Several craft options are available to choose from to create a gift (some supplies are limit- ed). There is no charge for admission or activities. For more information, call 541- 481-7243 or visit www.vis- itsage.com. FILE PHOTO Children pet the horses while waiting their turn for a carriage ride during the 2015 Kiwanis Breakfast with Santa. This year’s event is Saturday at the Boardman Senior Center. Winter storm wreaks havoc on road trip As I watched a skiff of snow begin to form outside late Monday night, I won- dered if the traction on my Nikes would be enough to safely transport me from the newsroom door to my Jeep. I should have worn my Vibram-soled Merrell shoes. The weather report indicated Old Man Winter was blowing in, but I chose comfort over practicality. I like to think I make rational decisions based on information available. However, there was that time when I was stranded during a winter storm in Imnaha. Friends who travel with me are convinced that I put a capital O and C in obses- sive-compulsive disorder when it comes to preparing for trips. So, it still baffl es me that I actually hit the road with minimal plan- ning. It was nearly 15 years ago when Bonnie Kessell and I volunteered to help Charlotte Jeffries move her sister’s belongings out of a remote Wallowa County house. We didn’t even have overnight accommodations arranged. Before heading out of town, we stopped by Les shield and we proceeded to Schwab. Charlotte was sure the gas station with them that her tread-bare tires protruding like Martian an- would be just fi ne — mean- tennas. ing it would be cheaper to Of course that wasn’t the merely buy chains. only technical diffi culty we I was having none of experienced during the trip. that — I had seen the bald A big chunk of ice discon- tires AND the winter storm nected some of the wires warning. After much con- between the U-Haul and templation and Les trailer we had rented. Schwab caramel I surmised we had a corn, it was decided 50-50 chance in cor- I would get SkyMiles rectly matching the for the privilege of colored wires. Char- putting the tires on lotte decided green my American Ex- should go with red. press card. That was “They just go to- the fi rst of many pur- Tammy gether, like Christmas Malgesini chases that contrib- INSIDE MY colors,” she reasoned. uted to my next free SHOES I suggested it could airline trip. be black and blue be- As we headed up Cab- cause that’s what our bod- bage Hill, it became appar- ies were going to look like ent the windshield wipers when we short-circuited the were lacking. Two sets of system, causing a wreck wiper blades later, they still and resulting in contusions weren’t functional. Char- and massive hematomas. lotte decided to head to a gas It was well after dark station to fi nd some chival- when we arrived in Imna- rous man to install them. ha. Luckily, the owners of Starting up the engine, the Imnaha Store & Tavern the bladeless wiper arms also managed a small motel began wreaking havoc on and RV park. Room No. 2 the windshield. The simple would become home for the thing would be to merely next couple of days. turn them off. But no, Char- In the morning, we hob- lotte jumped out, pulled the nobbed with the coffee arms away from the wind- klatch before driving 23 miles on the treacherous snow-covered mountain road. More than an hour later, we arrived to fi nd that Charlotte’s sister hadn’t loaded anything into the U-Haul. It became apparent as the day wore on that we weren’t going to make it home that night. Between all the crap in the house and the storm warning, which had become a full-fl edged storm, we were stuck in Oregon’s east- ernmost settlement. We were grateful that Dave and Sallie had saved our room for us — not that anyone else was venturing to Imnaha during the storm. We hung out in the store/ tavern, getting our fi ll of food and Imnaha stories. It was an adventure, but I’ve never been back to Imnaha. I’m afraid our pictures are on the wall as Charlotte wrote a hot check to these kind country folks who carry big guns. ——— Tammy Malgesini is the community editor. Her column, Inside my Shoes, includes general musings about life. Contact her at tmalgesini@eastoregonian. com or 541-564-4539. E-mail your community news items to: community@hermistonherald.com IN BRIEF Library announces youth holiday parties ‘Tis the season for hol- iday parties — and the Hermiston Public Library has a pair planned for area youths. The fi rst one, which is open to kids in fi fth grade and younger, is Fri- day from 4:30-6 p.m. The Candy Land Holiday Par- ty features craft projects, cookie decorating (and eating), games and activi- ty booths. There is no ad- mission charge. For grades 6-12, the Teen Advisory Council will meet Monday, Dec. 19, at 4 p.m. Those at- tending should bring a present valued at $5 and be prepared to “steal” a gift when it’s their turn. Also, bring your inner art- ist for cookie decorating. Also, an ornament hunt is planned Wednesday, Dec. 21 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Prizes will be award- ed for fi nding all 10 orna- ments. The library is located at 235 E. Gladys Ave., Hermiston. For more in- formation, call 541-567- 2882. Aglow celebration features holiday fun A holiday celebration featuring the viewing of a comedy DVD with Ken Davis is planned for the December Walla Walla Aglow Community Light- house. The public is invited to attend Saturday at 10 a.m. at Whitman Court, 305 Ash St., Walla Walla. A freewill offering will be taken for the event, which includes lunch. The author of 12 books, Davis heads up Lighten Up ministries, which pro- duces inspirational and motivational live shows, DVDs, books and confer- ences designed to make a positive difference in people’s lives. The event also features the singing of Christmas carols. Aglow is an interna- tional organization that ministers to its members and shares God’s word in the community. For more information, call Kathy Owsley at 509-540-2684, Lora Sykes at 509-540- 0212 or visit www.ecwa- glow. Irrigon sets holiday food drive Santa and maybe an elk or two will appear during the Holiday Food Drive in Irrigon. Sponsored by the Friends of Irrigon Li- brary and the Irrigon Fire Department, people are asked to bring non-perish- able food items to donate to needy families in Irri- gon. The event is Saturday from 4-7 p.m. at the Huwe residence, North Wash- ington and First streets, Irrigon. The free event includes cocoa, cider, coffee, cook- ies and candy canes for the little ones. For more information, call 541-922-0138. Giving Tree helps kids in Irrigon The Irrigon Giving Tree is available for the public to help area chil- dren in need during the holiday season. The tree is set up in the lobby at Irrigon City Hall/ library, 490 N.E. Main St. People can take a tag or two with children’s gift information, shop for gifts and wrap them. The gifts need to be returned with the tag at- tached by Monday, Dec. 19. For more information, contact Aaron Palmquist at 541-922-3047 or man- ager@ci.irrigon.or.us. Bookminders to discuss bestseller A feel-good story about the angry man next door is featured during the upcoming Bookminders meeting. The Hermiston Public Library’s book club will discuss “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Back- man. The meeting, which is open to the public, is Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 1:30 p.m. at The Pheasant Bar & Grill, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston. A New York Times best- seller, the story unfolds after new neighbors fl at- ten an old man’s mailbox. It leads to a warm and comical tale of crazy cats, unexpected friendship and the art of backing up a U-Haul. The club meets the sec- ond Wednesday of each month. For more informa- tion, call 541-567-2882. Elgin Opera House stages holiday favorite ‘Tis the season — the Elgin Opera House has just the performance to get people into the holiday spirit. “A Christmas Story: The Musical” is based on one of the most popular Christmas movies of all time. Set in the 1940s, the story follows Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christ- mas gifts — an offi cial Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifl e. The 9-year-old plots numerous schemes to achieve his desperate desire for the coveted BB gun. Performances are Fri- days and Saturdays (through Dec. 23) at 7:30 p.m. and matinée shows are Satur- days (through Dec. 24) at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $8 to $17. For more information, call 541-663-6324 or visit www.elginoperahouse.com. Printed on recycled newsprint VOLUME 110 ● NUMBER 48 Gary L. West | Editor • gwest@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4532 Tammy Malgesini | Community Editor • tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4539 Jade McDowell | Reporter • jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4536 Jeanne Jewett | Multi-Media consultant • jjewett@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4531 Shannon Paxton | Offi ce coordinator • spaxton@hermistonherald.com • 541-564-4530 Audra Workman | Multi-Media consultant • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • 541-564-4538 To contact the Hermiston Herald for news, advertising or subscription information: • call 541-567-6457 • e-mail info@hermistonherald.com • stop by our offi ces at 333 E. Main St. • visit us online at: hermistonherald.com The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN 8750-4782) is published weekly at Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838, (541) 567-6457. 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