FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you have to be a Christian to receive help?
No, all are welcome. Even though Serve Moses Lake is focused on remaining a non profit Christian organization, we do not turn away anyone who is genuinely seeking help. We offer prayer and encourage to anyone who seeks out support through our local churches because we believe in the power of discipleship and praying for those in need. Our operation helps people discover what assistance is available in our community of resources. This effort can take shape beyond material assistance. Pointing someone in the right direction can be an act of love (Mark 12:31).
Do I have to join a church to get assistance?
Absolutely not. Nonetheless, many churches support Serve Moses Lake. All these churches make up what’s known as the Moses Lake Ministerial Association. This is where many local pastors meet every month for fellowship. From this group, many of our clients receive financial, spiritual, and emotional support as needed. When Serve Moses Lake verifies a legitimate need, we reach out to a church to support that need. We like to think that our clients will be grateful enough to say thank you. This could mean meeting with the pastor that helped or attending a service one Sunday to express their gratitude (Psalm 9:1).
Why does Serve Moses Lake not always help with hotels?
Our heart is to be the best stewards of God’s resources. This is not always easy, most of the time this is quite challenging. Our paradigm is a “doing with” not a “doing for.” Our policy on hotel stays acts as bridge assistance. This means we want to leave a person in a shelter status or recovery status rather than reentry to the streets. Serve will assess each case. We currently do not provide hotel stay for client(s). We work with local agencies so clients will move into a shelter or recovery program if necessary. It is simply not sustainable to provide hotel stay for our homeless population whenever they ask. Our hope is to enter into relationships with those who authentically seek to change their life (Jeremiah 29:11).
Does Serve Moses Lake help with any need?
Our account funds are limited to donations received from local churches and community members. We do what we can to help for financial requests but do not want to create dependency with any of our clients. If we cannot help, we will do our best to find other resources. (James 4:3)
Serve Moses Lake has a Clearing House where we can provide certain household items through a non-food pantry voucher, If a client is on the verge of eviction based on delinquent bills or financial hardship, they must schedule an appointment with a Serve Moses Lake volunteer. The first intake appointment will take 1 hour where we discuss what caused the hardship and determine an action plan. In some cases, a second appointment may be necessary before we can advocate on behalf of the client. Client(s) must understand a full review of their need(s) can take 2-5 work days.
For walk-in clients we can provide a sack lunch, hygiene kit or blessing bag with a small supply of homeless items. No scheduled appointment is necessary for this service.
Does Serve Moses Lake get government funding?
No. We do not rely on state or federal help. In 2008, Serve opened its doors because of generous local donors, churches, and businesses. Our doors remain open because of their generosity. The Director of Serve is the only paid staff member. We rely solely upon volunteers and the donations of those within the Moses Lake Community. These generous donations allow our ministry to continue to “Help People Find The Help They Need” (Philippians 4:19).