This week you’ll learn about the Spokane’s largest homeless shelter, antisemitism and Islamophobia in area universities and faith for business leaders
News Story by Tracy Simmons
The new FāVS calendar is up and working! Readers can now seamlessly submit their own events. Each day we share at least one item from the community calendar on our social media platforms, and the items are featured on our homepage too. We hope you’ll take advantage and upload your upcoming events!
City Extends Shelter Contract with Salvation Army
In local news this week, the Salvation Army will continue operating Spokane’s largest homeless shelter on Trent Avenue potentially through April 2023. The Spokane City Council approved a $750,000 per month contract extension amid an ongoing dispute over issues that arose this summer in the process to potentially select a different operator, according to The Spokesman-Review.
The Salvation Army took over operations of the shelter in October 2022 from the Guardian Foundation due to concerns over financial mismanagement. The shelter was originally intended to house 150 people but now has capacity for 350. Several months ago, it seemed the Salvation Army would not retain the contract as the city issued a request for proposals for the 2024 contract. A committee selected Jewels Helping Hands as the top candidate but the mayor’s administration called for a pause in the process due to uncertainties over funding sources.
The contract extension with the Salvation Army will cost $3 million, paid for mostly with COVID relief funds and state funding. The high costs are attributed to significantly expanded services and capacity compared to original plans. If the contract runs through April, the Salvation Army will have been paid almost $13 million to operate the shelter for 18 months.
Area Universities Address Antisemitism, Islamophobia
The Spokesman also published a story this week about how universities across the U.S., including those in the Inland Northwest region, are grappling with accusations of antisemitism and Islamophobia among students and administrators. This follows congressional testimony by university presidents who failed to firmly state that calls for genocide against Jewish people would violate school conduct codes.
At Gonzaga University, some students took issue with the administration’s initial statement condemning Hamas attacks but not addressing Palestinian deaths. The administration then released an additional statement acknowledging Palestinian deaths. Eastern Washington University’s president stated calls for genocide would violate their conduct code.
Whitworth University removed antisemitic materials from campus but hasn’t received reports of harassment. Washington State University’s president encouraged using campus mental health services to cope with the crisis. Overall there is a challenging balance between free speech, hate speech and inclusive campus environments with diverse viewpoints.
Faith-based Organization for Business Leaders Coming
And in statewide religion news, C12 Business Forums, a faith-based organization that provides peer advisory groups and learning opportunities for business leaders, is looking to expand its Inland Northwest chapter to the Tri-Cities area. The chapter currently has 19 members from 13 companies in the Spokane area that meet monthly, including 12 presidents/CEOs and seven other executives, collectively employing over 2,000 people and accounting for over $100 million in regional economic impact per year. This is according to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.
The article also notes that Chapter chairman Tom Walther, who emphasizes applying faith in how companies care for people rather than religious practices, aims to create more local chapters in Yakima, Wenatchee, Walla Walla, Moscow, Lewiston and ultimately the Tri-Cities to make C12 more accessible across the region.
Membership costs $1,350 annually for CEOs and $675 for executives but can provide major cost-savings advice for decision makers of faith-based companies looking to positively impact their organizations and communities.
Christmas Listings
Christmas is just a few days away and as we do every year, FāVS has a roundup of area worship services published here. If you’d like your church added to this list, just let us know by emailing [email protected].
