TREx Community Partnerships: St. Francis House

SEATTLE – The COVID-19 pandemic had an outsized impact on intercollegiate athletics, but Seattle University student athletes persevered, and sports have returned to normal. The transition back to normalcy has come much slower for nonprofits that serve the less fortunate in the community.

One such organization is St. Francis House, which has served Seattle's poor and needy since 1967 in Seattle University's backyard. Forced to close during the pandemic, St. Francis House has only recently reopened and has embarked on a forced facility transition that won't see it settle into a permanent home until late summer. 

In this transition phase, during which St. Francis House is providing donated clothing and toiletries and other essential items to clients in a smaller temporary space, Seattle University student-athletes have stepped up to volunteer in St. Francis House's donation center, currently located inside Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. 

Dr. John Eshelman, who spent three decades in Seattle University's executive leadership, serves on St. Francis House's board and is a key link connecting the nonprofit to the university. Eshelman says SU student-athletes have provided invaluable support during a challenging period for St. Francis House.

"The student-athletes who've volunteered in our operation at Immaculate Conception have been, without exception, excellent representatives of Seattle University—bright, friendly, open and energetic," Eshelman says. "They've sorted a lot of  donated clothing, and they do it quickly. Since many of the regular volunteers at Immaculate are retirees, we've taken particular advantage of students' energy and strength to do some of the warehouse tasks we can't easily do."

Volunteers made their return to St. Francis House in February, and three Redhawk student-athletes have taken 90 minutes out of their Tuesdays to help sort through donations. Before volunteers returned, SU Athletics partnered with the Center for Community Engagement on a clothing drive for St. Francis House in December.

"I learned how important the work of St. Francis House is and how caring all the volunteers and workers are," said men's soccer student athlete Richard Bedats, a senior from Slovakia. "It made me think deeper about the people we see every day and showed that I really can make a difference through the platform and school."

On top of regularly sending volunteers on Tuesday, SU Athletics is piloting a program this spring where at the end of a road trip, student-athletes collect unused, complimentary toiletries. Upon returning from their trip, they drop off the toiletries in a container at the front desk of the Redhawk Center and then next week's volunteers take those toiletries to St. Francis House on Tuesdays.

Val Gorder, St. Francis House's president, says she's grateful for the "injection of energy" the Seattle U student athlete volunteers provide. She and Eshelman are looking forward to welcoming student volunteers to their permanent space in the fall where they'll be more directly integrated into the service experience.

"Students working with the clients we serve, many struggling and experiencing homelessness, gives an increased empathy and understanding of so many we see on our streets," Gorder says. "When a name and a life story can be attached to someone you pass on the street, your perception changes drastically. The work that happens at St. Francis House fits Jesuit teachings to a tee."

Stay connected with Seattle U athletics and get all the latest team updates by downloading the GoSeattleU mobile app available now for free in the App Store or Google Play.