Two years ago, Sherry Martinez was living in her car and celebrating Christmas by herself after becoming estranged from her four kids.
“When you’re alone at Christmas, that’s probably the worst time of year when you’re alone,” she said.
Martinez was a strong Italian woman who had never had thoughts of suicide flit through her mind. But they did that Christmas.
That’s when she decided to turn to Church at the Park, based in Cascades Gateway Park, and look to God to provide her needs.
Her next Christmas was spent with Room in the Inn, a three-day retreat that the church organizes for the homeless. Guests get to escape the stressors of their daily lives, stay someplace warm surrounded by friends and indulge in traditional Christmas activities
This year, Martinez, 59, is back at Room in the Inn, but she no longer is homeless. She’s been living in an apartment with her little Shih Tzu dog for five months.
“When you come out here, you’ve got a whole other family,” Martinez said. “They make you feel like family.”
With Church at the Park as the main driving force, the retreat started at Turner’s Aldersgate Camp and Retreats four years ago when organizers realized the greatest need come the holidays was a sense of family at Christmas, said D.J. Vincent, pastor and event organizer.
The name plays off of the story of Jesus’ birth. When Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, they found there were no room available for them to have their baby born in.
When God sent his son into the world, he chose to use a family living on the fringe of society, who were barely making their way, Vincent said. It seemed very appropriate to organizers to pay attention to those living on the edge of poverty and society today.
“Jesus has come and because of that we’ve made room at the inn,” Vincent said.
People continue coming out to the retreat even after they get a home, because it’s now a part of their Christmas tradition, said Mark Walker, a pastor. They’re also still living in poverty and don’t have extra money to spend on the holiday.
The guests are either connected to Church at the Park or were invited by someone who attends. There’s 20-30 people who have been coming to the retreat for years, Vincent said.
Richard Stu Naylor, who’s spent four Christmases at the retreat, said there’s a wonderful family atmosphere filled with smiling faces. He loves all the options for activities. Guests can sing carols, watch classic Christmas films, build gingerbread houses, sleep all day, win a Yahtzee tournament, walk a friend’s dog in the woods and attend a candlelight service Christmas Eve.
“It’s heaven,” he said. “I’ve been looking forward to it all week.”
The retreat began Tuesday and lasts until 1 p.m. Thursday. This allows guests to have one day where they don’t need to move and have half of Christmas Day to spend with family they may have nearby.Guests are given new pajamas, socks, pants, shirts, sweatshirts, coats, gloves and hats that were donated by eight churches.
Even in that short 72-hour span, Vincent said, they’ve seen guests moving from focusing on their day-to-day needs to the larger problems they may face, such as addiction or mental illness.
“We end up taking a lot of folks from this event into recovery,” he said.
The premise of everything both the church and the retreat do is to build relationships with the homeless, Pastor Cathy Walker said. Martinez said the pastors are there to help their community with everything they could need.
The bonds formed at the retreat were already strong but became even stronger for Martinez after she was baptized there last Christmas Eve.
“Without this, I honestly probably wouldn’t be here (on earth),” Martinez said. “Because of Church at the Park, I’m probably happier than I have been in years.”
khessel@statesmanjournal.com, (503) 399-6743 or follow on Twitter @KaellenHessel
(Photos: ASHLEY SMITH / STATESMAN JOURNAL)
Get involved: Volunteers are welcome to help with clean-up from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Christmas Day. If interested, email Gabi Vincent at gabi.vincent@gmail.com.
Please I just got out of jail and my husband is with you .his name is Brandon Michael luke.i was released today please let him get ahold of me at 9717078478. I beg you.my Christmas would be to get a way up there to be with him.i need him.
Will there be a Christmas retreat this month?
No, sadly, due to COVID, there will not be a retreat- However, check out the Church at the Park website for their 12 Days of Christmas. https://www.church-at-the-park.org/room-in-the-inn