For Sr. Susanne Hartung, SP, an effort to connect people with more opportunities to live the mission of the Sisters firsthand is reaching new milestones. The Mission Service Opportunities program provides Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH) caregivers with a variety of ways to directly serve people facing homelessness or food insecurity in their local communities. The program partners with local organizations that include social centers (e.g. Catholic community services sites), women’s and children’s shelters, food banks, and even community farms.
As of this summer, the program has grown to 32 sites across Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, and Alaska – ensuring that an opportunity to make an impact is close by for many throughout the health system ministry’s geographic footprint. The most rapid growth has come over the past two years, with 20 sites added in that time.
All service opportunities within the program emphasize support for people experiencing homelessness, giving those who serve a direct connection with the Sisters’ practice of charism.
Sr. Susanne, who is Executive for Mission Initiatives for PSJH, was inspired to build the program about a decade ago, when her ministry in health system leadership began to involve a significant amount of time spent at the administrative offices of Providence’s Shared Services department in Renton, Washington.
“I had lots of conversations with people who were sitting at computers all day, and some expressed that they felt they weren’t fulfilling the mission of serving the poor and vulnerable,” said Sr. Susanne. She conducted a community needs assessment that validated the need to support services within our communities for those who are homeless.
While she assured those around her that every action and role in the organization ultimately does strengthen the mission, the message was clear to Sr. Susanne: there was a growing desire to personally serve the most vulnerable.
The first step was to expand the existing presence with a handful of programs in the Puget Sound region. Then came expansion, which has involved outreach to programs in locations that the health system’s hospitals and clinics serve, and building a system in which monthly slots are made available for PSJH caregivers to contribute their service. Opportunities include clothing drives, food bank distributions, assembling hygiene kits, and providing meals and community support.
“Interaction and conversations with our most vulnerable brothers and sisters bring to life the message of the gospel,” said Sr. Susanne. “To know the poor is to serve the poor.”
Sr. Susanne also met with the health system’s human resources department to ensure caregivers could serve during their work hours. This collaboration resulted in an app that’s easily accessible to PSJH caregivers, in which they can conveniently sign up for service opportunities. After registering, caregivers then receive updates for their service from a network of more than 60 service leads who manage the program at a local level (if you’re a caregiver and interested in serving, click the link below). Ana Olazabal-Foma’i works alongside Sr. Susanne to operate and help expand the program as Senior Program Manager.
“It has been such a privilege for me to have received a vision for how the mission of Providence can be expanded to the most vulnerable in our society,” said Sr. Susanne.
