SERVICES
WHAT WE DO
FRIENDS
TELL US
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Yes, WORKship is a church: The WORKship Methodist Church for anyone who has a particular interest in those things. We're a church who:
• Doesn't take any money (and never has)
• Has wonderful members who are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Agnostics, Atheists, and others who are just too darned busy helping to pick a label
• Has intelligent members who are Republicans, Democrats, Socialists, Libertarians, Anarchists, and others who are just too darned busy helping to conveniently fit into any one group
• Joyfully welcomes anyone of any persuasion (with great love and without exception or reservation)
• Celebrates women, men, and people of all genders as equal in all respects
• Has no "leader" but has many members who help lead
• Features "sermons" that are 7 minutes long (that frequently deal with topics like heat exhaustion or the latest unfortunate cuts to Food Stamps)
• And deeply believes in the power of friendship and belonging as ways to change the world
FOOD
Every Sunday at the Z Mansion we feed up to 200 friends. First, we prepare a beautiful brunch that tries to use locally grown organic produce along with the freshest meats, eggs, cheese, pasta, bread, and more. There is no menu. No one decides what we'll be preparing. All we know is that every Sunday people bring us heartfelt raw ingredients that are then prepared in a licensed, immaculate kitchen overseen by volunteer chefs and volunteer food safety experts.
Think of it as "Iron Chef" -- only this time it's for real.
Next, we prepare sack lunches. Hundreds of sack lunches. With the same attention to quality and cleanliness. And this time we add the helping hands of our many children who decorate the paper bags and then gleefully stuff them.
Think of it as "Mister Roger's Neighborhood" -- only this time it's for real.
Finally, we serve the hungry. We have always been able to serve everyone generous firsts. We usually are able to serve glorious seconds. And sometimes -- those amazing sometimes -- we stand there dumbfounded as the generosity of our friends allows us to serve miraculous thirds.
Think of it as "The loaves and the fishes" -- only this time it's for real.
Over the years, we have served over one-quarter million meals. Without money. Without planning. Without dogma. And always ...
With love.
FIRST AID
The facts are beyond alarming:
• Homeless women aged 18-44 are up to 31 times more likely to die than housed women.
• Homeless men with drinking problems have 400 times the rate of traumatic head injuries.
• Homeless women & men are more than 7 times more likely to die from drug abuse.
Something had to be done. So WORKship did it.
Beginning in our earliest days, WORKship provided first aid and community health services. First with blood pressure clinics for the elderly. Then with basic first aid at a feeding project at a dirt lot on 22nd street. Today, we offer comprehensive all-volunteer first aid services at the Z Mansion every Sunday. In addition, a WORKship spin off, the Community Emergency Medical Responders Foundation, performs first aid street patrols and trains medical providers in the intricacies of homeless health care.
This has all been accomplished through the all-volunteer efforts of our doctors, nurses, pharmacists, audiologists, physical therapists, paramedics, EMTs, EMRs, massage therapists, Reiki healers, Bowen practitioners, and many, many others.
They all recognized that something has to be done. And they -- unhesitatingly --are doing it.
CLOTHES
A toddler without a winter coat or even a long pair of pants. A six-year-old going to his first day of school with sneakers held together with duct tape. A job-seeker with a t-shirt still stained from years of work as a part-time landscaper.
This isn't "Project Runway."
This is a concerted effort by dedicated volunteers to raid their closets, the closets of their friends, and the closets of their friends' friends to provide good, clean clothing for those in need.
Every Sunday at the Z Mansion there is a large clothing area where guests can browse the clothing racks for what they need. In addition, a "Shoe & Sock Station" and a "Children's Clothing Station" are set up in the courtyard for easy access. Finally, personal shoppers go table by table to find clothing for those who are unable to walk.
No, it isn't "Project Runway." It's way cooler than that.
PETS
WORKship happily welcomes homeless pets.
Every Sunday, volunteers bring bags of pet food and pet supplies to hand out to pet owners in need. These are vital supplies that help maintain the strong and important bond between homeless owners and their pets.
Many homeless pet owners make sure their pets are fed before they are. Here at WORKship, we are happy to feed both.
In addition, WORKship partners with Pima Animal Care Center to regularly provide veterinary pet care for pets on the streets. About once a month, PACC offers check ups, shots, chip implants, and other services all at no charge.