People of many faiths and organizations come together weekly at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Long Beach, California, to serve those experiencing homelessness.
Led entirely by volunteers, the church provides free clothing, showers, meals, a place to do laundry, and other services to those in need every Saturday morning from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Volunteers from various professional backgrounds also lend their services including dental hygienists, barbers, nurses, and others.
Program volunteers have also created a large garden plot for guests to grow their own produce including tomatoes, swiss chard, peaches, lettuce, basil, strawberries, and more. The plot is said to be a major morale boost for participants.
“The garden has helped restore a lot of dignity for many of our [homeless guests],” garden creator and program volunteer Julie Lie told The Epoch Times. “[Participants] are really proud of what they grow.”
Lie, who has volunteered at the church for the past three years, wears multiple hats on her quest to help those in need who walk through St. Luke’s doors including running the laundry site and garden, and connecting individuals with other services.
Lie is one of the multiple familiar faces helping Long Beach guests in need, alongside program co-founders Gail Mutke and Isaac Vanderpujie.
Mutke—who first helped expand the church’s pre-existing meal program nearly 20 years ago to include showers and other necessities—has overseen the program to what it is today: serving around 150 guests weekly with a variety of services.
According to Mutke, two-thirds of those served are men of various ages. Lack of affordable housing and other basic necessities have rendered many unable to keep a roof over their head, she said, which ultimately led her to dedicate much of her week to help meet their needs.
“I had a calling for it,” Mutke told The Epoch Times.
According to Mutke, she and a handful of volunteers remained at the church each week even during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in early 2020.
“The city allowed us to stay open because it was very important that we continued to provide our services to [people experiencing homelessness],” Mutke said. “But God provided everything we needed [during that time]. It really was miraculous how it worked out [during the pandemic].”
Mutke’s roles include scheduling shifts for the more than 15 jobs needed for the program each week, accepting donations of clothing, scheduling showers between five stalls, and connecting those seeking help with resources such as housing, food stamps, and more.
Other volunteers include Staci Loveridge, who distributes men’s clothing.
“It’s so important to help where we can, and we are always on the lookout for more volunteers,” Loveridge said. “[Guests] need and deserve the basic necessities we so often take for granted.”
