By Kristine Thomas
Sister Terry Hall remembers – at first there were five to eight migrant farm workers seeking a meal from the Benedictine Sisters at the Queen of Angels Monastery in Mt. Angel in the winter months of 1988. Then, the number grew to 28 to 35 people, jumped to 49 to 65 people, and by May, there were 400 people seeking meals – with the Benedictine Sisters and St. Paul’s Catholic Church each serving meals on different days of the week.
There were many factors that resulted in the emergency situation for migrant farm workers. The weather in 1988 played a huge role with what seemed like nonstop rain, causing the crops to be late and the workers left waiting for work to begin.
Sister Terry Hall recalled migrant farm workers slept in their vans and cars, at makeshift labor camps, under bridges or wherever they could find a room.
The Benedictine Sisters had established St. Joseph Shelter and Mission Benedict that year in response to the emergency need for housing and food for migrant farm workers stranded in the Willamette Valley. With support from Oregon Housing and Community Services and the Meyer Memorial Trust, the Benedictine Sisters converted three former college dormitories into an emergency shelter, a kitchen and dining facility and a food and clothing distribution site.
“Sister Adele (Mansfield) and I saw there was a need to do something to move forward and help the migrant workers,” Hall said. “The community got together and asked what we could do about it. God sort of directed the whole thing as things fell perfectly into place.”
Looking back, Hall said she’s grateful for the people from many communities who stepped forward to prepare the dorm rooms by painting and cleaning them, and made it possible for the shelter to open.
“People gave their time, their efforts, their money, their care and their prayers to this project,” Hall said. “I feel good the shelter is still there and still surviving and believe it is because so many people believed in what we did to help migrant workers.”
Following the Rule of the St. Benedict, St. Joseph Shelter is a ministry of hospitality in response to the Gospel message to reach out to those in need. The shelter honors the dignity of each person by providing hot meals; safe, temporary and transitional housing; case management and referrals; and other needed services.
The shelter is sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters and supported by many other dedicated individuals, churches, organizations and agencies. It can house up to 140 single men per night, as well as up to 11 families per night in a separate building.
A program of St. Joseph Shelter, Mission Benedict provides food baskets, clothing, and emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities and various other needs for residents of the Mt. Angel area. Staffed primarily by volunteers, Mission Benedict was created and is supported by the Benedictine Sisters, St. Mary Catholic Church in Mt. Angel and Mt. Angel Abbey.
From immigration laws to technology used in farming, the world has changed since the Benedictine Sisters began St. Joseph Shelter two decades ago. And those changes have prompted the Sisters to separately incorporate the shelter in 2005. The board of directors is reviewing a feasibility study to determine what direction to take to meet the needs of those it serves.
In its 20-year history, it has had three directors, the late Sister Adele Mansfield who held the position for 14 years, Frank Melé, who was the director for four years and current director Karolle Hughes.
St. Joseph Shelter has provided more than 750,000 shelter nights and 525,000 meals to needy individuals and families during its 20 years. Mission Benedict serves an average of 250-300 people each month and distributes 45,000 – 65,000 pounds of food each year.
Melé, now retired, said the shelter shows the Mt. Angel community has a heart and shows the “true leadership of the Benedictine nuns.”
“It was a gutsy decision for the nuns to take on this project and they are a great example to the rest of us,” he said. “They believed God was calling them to do this and they did.”
Melé is thankful for how the Benedictine Sisters have entrusted a board of directors to continue their work including the fiduciary responsibilities.
“Out of a chaotic need, came a stable response to the Benedictine Sisters’ gospel mission of giving shelter to the homeless,” he said.
Because of a variety issues, and “we are not sure what is making the most impact,” Hughes said the shelter is seeing fewer migrant farm workers stay at the shelter. The trend, she said, seems to be more families immigrating here to work at farms, staying with other families or moving from one place to the next.
Hughes said between January and July 2000, the migrant program provided more than 15,000 nights of shelter for men. Since Sept. 11, 2001, Hughes said, “we have seen a dramatic decrease in the numbers of migrant gentleman that pass through our doors.”
The January to July records in other years, she said, show the shelter night numbers for migrant workers decrease to 4,418 by July 2007 and 3,848 this July.
“Instead of migrant workers coming to the Willamette Valley and staying at the shelter while they look for work, they now have cellular phones so they can call ahead to the farm. Instead of coming a week before a crop is to be harvested, they can come the night before.”
As the board of directors looks at what steps to take for the shelter’s future, the facilitators will be guided by the original ideals.
Hall said the Benedictines have a rule that they should work to meet the needs of the community, which is why they started the shelter and the nursing center.
And, she said, they are guided by the rule of hospitality. “All are to be welcome as Christ,” she said.
There’s a lot of work ahead to for the board to determine how best to serve those who come to the shelter’s door.
“I think the shelter can only survive with the grace of God and the people who will make it happen,” Hall said. “I hope the shelter continues to serve people in need and we see Christ in the people that we serve who come from all walks of life.
