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• Service & Outreach

When the Water Ministry, a daytime hospitality program, opened its doors in the fall 1990, it was in direct response to the needs of some of St. Columba’s immediate neighbors: homeless people visible daily by the Tenleytown Metro station and the Sears (now Best Buy) on the corner of Albemarle Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Our original constituency was the homeless population of Northwest Washington, specifically Ward 3. Today, the Water Ministry attracts guests from throughout the Washington metropolitan area.

Our guests are over 90 percent male, roughly 90 percent black and typically in their 30s to 50s. They are living as individuals, rather than in families. Many of our guests have children, and some maintain frequent contact with them. Our guests are largely the “chronic homeless.” Many live permanently on the street or in shelters and are “dually diagnosed” (suffering from substance addictions and/or mental illness). A relatively high proportion suffers from mental illness. Some are chronically ill with HIV/AIDS, diabetes or a physical disability. Many—but not all—are poorly educated. Many have served time in jail or prison.

A sizeable minority of our guests receives disability checks, which help them secure more permanent housing. Others have secured transitional accommodations from agencies offering such assistance. Guests who secure permanent housing or who are among the working poor use Water Ministry services to help sustain their independent living.

The Water Ministry, now in its 20th year, provides hospitality to the needy four days a week, from September to June, by providing lunch, showers, laundry facilities and a place to rest and talk. Showers and laundry facilities are a precious service for our guests, as we offer one of only a small number of such programs west of Rock Creek Park. We also put on the occasional party—one at Christmas and one at the end of the program year in early June. We distribute gifts at the Christmas party. While we do not distribute clothing or provide financial assistance directly to guests, we do seek to provide referrals as needed. We provide new underwear, t-shirts and socks, as we are able, and have “scrubs” available for guests to change into temporarily while they are washing their clothes.

We offer these services in a dedicated space on the second floor of St. Columba’s, at the back entrance off Butterworth Place. The welcoming atmosphere in which we offer our services recognizes the dignity and humanity of our guests and underscores that our ministry is one of hospitality. While with us, we require that our guests follow reasonable rules of behavior, detailed in a Covenant for Guests, which we ask each person to sign. However, we do not see our main role as changing their behavior in the outside world.

It is the goal of the Water Ministry to serve as a witness to God’s love by providing hospitality to all who come to our door. We seek to provide our guests with a place where they are treated in a welcoming, respectful way and can enjoy the dignity of cleanliness and sharing a healthy meal. Equally important, the Water Ministry is an avenue for St. Columba’s parishioners to offer their time, talents and resources in service to the greater Washington community. This service is essential to St. Columba’s identity as a faith community and part of the matrix of services that the homeless and working poor can draw upon daily. While faith is the motivation for offering the services of the Water Ministry, we do not require any profession of faith or participation in St. Columba’s religious programs on the part of our guests. Water Ministry volunteers hail from St. Columba’s parish and beyond.

St. Columba’s is grateful for the generous support of an anonymous donor and the Fannie Mae Help the Homeless program for enabling its work.

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