Hometown Hero: Josh Windham Turning Volunteers into Champions for the Homeless

By Kate Makowski

Minnesota has long been one of the top states in the nation for volunteerism and Josh Windham knows a thing or two about volunteers.  Working with a dedicated team of volunteers Josh and his employer,

the Union Gospel Mission, provide shelter, food, medical and dental care for more than 167,000 people in need in the Twin Cities metro area.

Josh is Volunteer Manager for the Union Gospel Mission, a century old Christian non-profit that fights homelessness in our community.  In 2015, the Mission prepared 366,000 meals across their two campuses in the Twin Cities and delivered 2,655 hot, hearty meals to seniors and low-income high rises on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“Part of our mission is to explain how people can address the issue of homelessness in their home lives, after they leave the Mission, when they go back home or when they’re at work. My role here is to bring people in and make sure they’re engaged and appreciated but also to track those outcomes, and to make sure we’re growing deeper in ways to address homelessness,” said Josh.

According to Josh volunteering allows people to see that homelessness is much more than “a guy on the side of the road.” The reality is that homelessness takes a wide variety of less recognizable forms - like someone you see at school or in the office.

JOIN AARP FOR A VOLUNTEER SHIFT AT UNION GOSPEL MISSION

“After volunteering several times at the Mission the consciousness of understanding those in need becomes more apparent to an individual and allows that individual to begin making small, daily impacts,” Josh said.

In 2017 the Mission will host events designed to connect the larger Twin Cities community with the problem of homelessness. The Mission will host “soup for the homeless soul,” where they will hand out soup from local restaurants to community members in need. There will also be a sleep out for the awareness of homelessness event in February.

The more aware of the problem and connected to the ways to help people are the more likely they are to help according to Josh. “Next time someone goes to the grocery store, maybe they purchase a bag of groceries for someone in need and drop it off at the mission. Maybe they donate hats and mittens and other articles of clothing. Maybe they start a book club and talk about issues around homelessness and poverty. There are tons of resources to educate oneself in terms of what homelessness looks like.”

AARP is organizing a group volunteer opportunity on December 7 ^th at Union Gospel Mission’s St. Paul Men’s facility.  AARP volunteers will participate in activities like folding bed sheets and clothing donations from the Mission’s central service office building. Volunteers will also be given a tour of the Mission, and engage in a conversation with staff members about homelessness in the Twin Cities. Josh believes that volunteer opportunities like this one should be educational and resonant for volunteers.

“As a faith based organization, we do believe that people are here for a reason. I think that’s what people are longing for in their lives in this day and age,” said Josh. “It’s all about connecting with other human beings and getting to know who they are. It’s starting that conversation.”