Best Nonprofit Serving Basic Needs

Bethlehem Inn started as a group of pastors opening up their churches as winter warming shelters all the way back in 1999. Now, it has two campuses of its own, where it helps both families and individual adults navigate out of homelessness.

“We’re going into our 25th year. And I think it’s too wrong to say we’re celebrating that, really we’re honoring our mission of being able to help people in crisis, find a transition to something better than where they are when they come to us,” said Gwenn Wysling, executive director of Bethlehem Inn.

Wysling said an average of one in three graduates of their program, which typically stay for around a month, leave for long-term housing. At its Redmond shelter, over 50% of people leave for permanent housing. Families often are more fortunate when gaining housing, but Bethlehem Inn also has case managers that can help with employment, health and other factors that could contribute to homelessness.

Local volunteers are happy to serve at Bethlehem Inn. Credit: Courtesy of Bethlehem Inn

“The housing statistic is a very significant number. But they’re also scoring higher in employment and income and the other vital conditions that we measure. Housing is an important one. But there also are many other ways in which we help people move forward,” Wysling said.

Bethlehem Inn has always been a volunteer-driven endeavor. For the first several years, the nonprofit didn’t even have a kitchen and relied on the community to provide meals for its clients. And though the organization has grown, it still needs the community’s help to organize donations, make sack lunches, work reception and more.

“Summertime is when we really have a higher need for volunteers because a lot of people are on vacation, so we do weekly orientations. You can go to our website and learn more about our mission and ways to get involved. And find out why the Source and Central Oregon thinks we’re one of the best nonprofits,” Wysling said.