Way Station
at
Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church
On the patio of Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, Way Station volunteers serve a hot breakfast five mornings a week, 52 weeks a year, to Houston's hungry and homeless people.
The Way Station began in 1989 when the vestry of Palmer Church was charged with developing a program to assist the homeless who gathered at the church for help. Five clients came in the first week in January 1991, for coffee, water, instant hot cereal, juice, cheese crackers, and a cup of soup.
Now over 300 clients a day receive a traditional hot breakfast, prepared on-site, such as scrambled eggs, pancakes, grits, hearty soups and casseroles, and ham, as well as coffee and juice. After their meal, our clients can receive medical and mental health services and referrals to community resources that serve their physical, psychological, and spiritual needs.
Mission
The mission of the Way Station is to care for the hungry and homeless by feeding them and treating them with love, dignity, and respect. We believe that people who experience themselves as lovable, dignified, and worthy are better able to access resources to fulfill their God-given potential.
Vision
The vision of the Way Station is that the corner of Main and Cambridge Streets will be the Kingdom of God, where people will view themselves and one another as precious to God and to themselves.
The Hospitality of the Way Station
Around the fountain on the patio of Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, each weekday morning at eight o'clock, the Way Station welcomes hungry and homeless men, women, and children to enjoy a nourishing, delicious breakfast and a respite from the streets.
The Way Station Provides
- A hot, nourishing breakfast prepared and served by Way Station volunteers
- Access to a mailing address, a telephone, and restrooms
- Toiletries such as soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and razors
- Referrals to agencies that provide items such as clothes and identification cards
- Bus service
- Bible study and the Eucharist
- For those who wish, Medical services and referrals
- The Way Station offers nourishment for the body and the spirit—and a warm welcome.
"Thank you for everything you did to help me. You listened, you treated me with dignity, and you helped me overcome obstacles. I never felt a burden to you."
—Sarah, former client of the Way Station
Supporting the Way Station
The Way Station is an on-going program supported partially by Palmer Church. Palmer provides the building space, administrative support, equipment, utilities, volunteer base, furniture and some financial support. We appeal for outside funding from foundations and individual donors to provide the balance of the support we need. We invite you to join us in helping our clients overcome obstacles to an abundant life. Please send a check payable to Palmer Church with Way Station on the memo line to The Way Station, Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, 6221 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77030.
Also, we would love your help on the patio.
Join us as a volunteer for one of the many and varied jobs at the Way Station, including:
- cooking and serving breakfast
- distributing toiletries
- leading Bible study
- interacting with clients
- fundraising
- publicity
For further information on volunteering, please contact Terry Henry, the program director, at 713-529-6196; thenry@palmerchurch.org or Dean Swanson, the volunteer coordinator, at 713-880-2832; email swansonad@sbcglobal.net. You may also wish to read the volunteer orientation document available at the link below.
The Way Station has established a Sponsor-a-Day program to fund its services and to recognize a premier circle of donors. A gift of $1,000 for a day sponsorship or $5,000 for a week sponsorship will pay for everyone who comes to the Way Station (three to four hundred people daily) to experience every component of the program for a day or a week. By becoming a sponsor, you and your company will participate in this important work, and will be recognized for its compassionate relationship to the community.
Furthermore, you may send volunteers to work during your day or week of sponsorship – or at any other time that is convenient. Serving at the Way Station will be a powerful teamwork and bonding experience for participants from you or your company and Way Station staff and seasoned volunteers will be there to guide them in preparing breakfast and serving on the "chow line" or in other capacities.
Your generous contribution will be recognized in the Sunday bulletin of Palmer Church and in Flash, the weekly church email newsletter, that reach more than 1000 people. You or your company's name will also be posted at the Way Station's entrance gate.
We invite you, our valued friend, to sponsor a day or a week at the Way Station, one of Houston's great programs in service to the hungry and homeless.
Download the Individual Sponsorship form
Download the Corporate Sponsorship form
