To the Donors and Supporters of SPiN Cafe,
Over the past few months we have seen great changes happening in the organization of SPiN Cafe. Because of the restrictive nature of the pandemic, SPiN has had to drop its identity as a cafe and transform its food distribution programs as nomads of sorts. We are reaching out to Whidbey Island’s homeless population from the back of a car. We have been able to serve thousands of sack meals to our guests at Oak Harbor park locations. We have done this with the support of a large army of local volunteers who serve lunches out of their own cars, seven days a week. SPiN Cafe has maintained other services for our guests as well. Laundry vouchers and shower privileges have continued go out to our guests as well as gifts of toiletries, spare clothing and socks donated by the local churches.
The success of the sack meal program has given the Board of Directors time to prepare for new ways of helping out the homeless. The chief need for our homeless population has been to restore a place where they might find shelter and a place to warm themselves. Negotiations have been made to open up a local church to serve as a shelter that conforms to pandemic regulations and maintains an environmentally safe place for the guests we serve.
The SPiN Board of Directors has been hard at work to restructure SPiN’s essential task of serving the homeless. The board has grown and diversified its membership, bringing new life and new ideas to guide the SPiN program into the future. To our donors and other supporters, we thank you for the role you have played in keeping SPiN an active program that helps this community.
Sincerely,
Marcus Stroud
President, SPiN Board of Directors