After reading the March 22 edition of The Bulletin regarding a homeless couple who were residents of the Bethlehem Inn, I was moved to call the Bethlehem Inn and inquire about the services they provide for people in need or those who are homeless. I was told that the Bethlehem Inn is a shelter that not only provides a place of refuge for families and individuals, but also offers assistance in filling out paperwork, etc., to help them get back on their feet to find a permanent residence and employment. Many thanks to Lisa Radford, volunteer coordinator of Bethlehem Inn, who provided me with information on how they are managed. The Bethlehem Inn is not what some people may typically think a shelter is, that being a place where people can sleep off a night of alcohol or drugs and continue using their facility with no accountability for their actions. They follow strict guidelines about sobriety and encourage people to help themselves by giving them a hand up.

I just wanted to mention this, as there may be many people in Bend and surrounding cities who may not be educated about what Bethlehem Inn stands for in providing help to people in need. Hopefully, many of you who are more fortunate and have much to be thankful for will be encouraged to make a donation to them so they may be able to reactivate their day program to provide more services to the community, as they operate strictly on donations.

Rebecca Hendricks

Bend