ightwatch

OPERATION

2008 was an eventful year. During this time, we’ve seen a significant growth in our service population; our activities have so established themselves that we’ve effectively become a six-night-a-week operation; we developed our networks with other institutions that have enhanced our mission; we’ve laid the groundwork for further expanding our outreach; and we’ve added a full-time Program Coordinator, doubling the size of our staff.

At the beginning of the year, an average of 80 to 120 guests visited our Hospitality Center each weekend evening. By the end of the summer, we were topping out at nearly 150 guests an evening. On more evenings than not, our Hospitality Center opens to a standing-room-only crowd.

Are we serving more people because there are more people on the streets? Or is it because the word is increasingly getting out to those on the streets is that Operation Nightwatch is the only agency available to meet their needs after 5:00 p.m., once all the other helping agencies close? Each is probably true.

Although the focus of our mission is hospitality, purely and simply—we are not primarily a feeding program, a clothing distribution program, or a referral program—we are a place of last resort at the end of the day where