SPOKANE, Wash. — There was a time in Matthew Lawson's life where he said he didn't know what his future entailed. He said that was during the 16 months he and his son spent living in a tent at a homeless encampment, locally-known as "Camp Hope."
"I was in a tent," Lawson said. "I was in actually a number of tents, one tent burned down. It was, it was tough, but the Lord took care of me.”
Tents were set up and RVs were parked on the state-owned land for nearly one-and-a-half years. At its peak, more than 600 people lived at the camp.
Lawson said he previously lived near and worked at The Lord's Ranch, a discipleship in Elk, WA. He said he and his son left there and went to take care of a veteran in Spokane during the pandemic.
Unfortunately, he said when the veteran passed away, he and his son had no place to go. He explained that's how he ended up at Camp Hope.
While it wasn't always ideal, Lawson said his experience at the camp wasn't all bad. Mainly because he said he always knew the camp wouldn't be his forever home. He said it was his faith that kept him hopeful that better was waiting for him.
He just need to be patient.
"That's the one thing I kept in prayer, stayed in prayer," Lawson said. "And the Lord told me to sit and stay, and I did and I knew that there was a blessing. There was something there at the end of all of that.”
One could say Lawson and his son are seeing the fruition of their patience.
He said his son is now working through his journey at Teen Challenge, an addiction recovery discipleship program in Airway Heights, WA.
"He's doing good, thankfully," Lawson said. "I talked to him twice. We're, we're in touch with each other again. That's a blessing too."
Lawson lives in Catholic Charities' Catalyst Project and participates in a skilled trade program with Spokane Community College.
“I'm 48 years old, so going back school is pretty awesome," Lawson said, with a smile. "I'm super blessed.”
The program is a collaboration between the non-profit, local college and western Washington, consulting firm I2 Strategies.
CCS program lead Sarah Reed said the goal of the program is to get people who were experiencing homelessness back into the workforce.
“I2 Strategies came to us with the need of a program to help this population enter back into the workforce," Reed explained. So we kind of brainstormed some ideas and came up with this EPP program to help them learn essential skills to help them get a job."
She said participants spend three weeks in the "employment preparation program" or EPP.
“They learn how to build a resume. how to use a computer, communication skills, conflict skills, how to show up to an interview, how to show up to a job site,” Reed listed off.
Lawson is one of five people who formerly lived at Camp Hope who graduated from the first stage of the program.
Catholic Charities’ chief stabilization officer Dawn Kinder said the Catalyst mission has always been to inspire transformation.
"This was the vision 10 months ago that we weren't able to see clearly because there was so much going on," Kinder shared. "And so to be here now, and be able to see that we've got folks graduating from training, gaining jobs, keeping those jobs, that's why these programs are so important. That's why projects like Catalysts and partnerships like these with the community colleges and I2 are invaluable to the community.”
Kinder said she's proud of the work local agencies have put in to provide the people who are unhoused or were living at Camp Hope with opportunities for a better life.
“I think for a long time the homeless system has been expected to pull off miracles with very limited resources. And for us and Catholic Charities and then Catalyst is proof that the big momentous changes happen for people when they're not living in scarcity,” Kinder said.
After the participants pass the EPP, they move into the 11-week pre-apprenticeship program for hands-on construction work. Lawson said he's been able to get behind the wheel of heavy equipment like skid steers and forklifts.
Lawson also said he's been able to work on repairing the basement of a house.
“I've been needing something like this my whole life,” Lawson said.
Lawson still has several weeks left of his pre-apprenticeship classes, but he said he already has plans for the future.
"I was thinking about going to work for the City of Spokane or the laborers union,” Lawson said. "Whatever they have for work, I’m available and ready.”
Reed said I2 Strategies will be connecting participants with jobs after they complete their pre-apprenticeship trainings.
Catholic Charities and Community Colleges of Spokane are making sure Lawson's success story isn't the only one to come out Camp Hope.
Kinder said there are plenty of people still ready and waiting to re-engage with workforce and be an active participant in the Spokane community.
Reed said CCS is already working with I2 on additional classroom topics for future cohorts like education on money management. She said STCU may even be brought as a potential lead.
14 participants are set to graduate Wednesday from the next construction training cohort. According to the Inland Northwest Chapter of the Construction Association, some of the participants formerly lived at Camp Hope or on the streets of Spokane.
They are now participants in the class through the Catalyst Project and Way Out Shelter.
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