ightwatch

OPERATION

 On the last Wednesday of every month, Birthday Night takes the place of Bible Study. This occasion celebrates all our guests who had their birthdays during that particular month. Birthday Night continues to be ably organized by Madeline Grimm, assisted by Becky Mowe and Jenny Pietka.

Tuesdays are earmarked for special activities. Comedy Movie Nights are held every third-Tuesday-of-the-month. Outings occur on the last Tuesdays. This year, our outings have taken us to the Oregon Zoo and the Oregon Garden, to Silver Falls State Park and Mt. Angel Abbey, to Cape Lookout and the Wildwood Recreation Area, to the Columbia Gorge and Camp Adams. We’ve also gone bowling, to see the Spruce Goose at the Evergreen Aviation Museum, and to the Grotto at Christmastime to enjoy the seasonal lights and music. Other special Tuesday activities have included an Election Night get-together to watch the returns.

This year, we entered into a valuable new relationship with the Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing. Operation Nightwatch has become a field-work site for its nursing students where they may engage in a six-week practicum for their mental-health rotation. Our first experience with the students was in spring, 2008. The three students we hosted conducted interviews and offered workshops for our guests, with supervision both by academic personnel and myself. Their presence at the Hospitality Center turned out to be popular with everyone. In the fall, we hosted a further group of four Linfield nursing students. This group has facilitated a flu-shot clinic for our guests.
We have also begun to forge a relationship with the professional