As one of the Mission’s ‘concierges,’ Doerksen has volunteered since 2022.
Ron Doerksen sat at a desk in the front office of the Lighthouse Mission Ministries (LMM) building on Dec. 23, awaiting the next guest to walk through the doors stationed below the large welcome sign parallel to Astor Street.
He donned a long-sleeve shirt with the John 3:16 verse “Your Life Matters” printed on the front and “Born Once, Die Twice. Born Twice, Die Once” on the back. His gentle smile, wealth of knowledge about LMM and its services and Christ-centered approach to life makes him one of the shelter’s most valued volunteers.
Doerksen marks his third year volunteering next April, and he was recently one of the many individuals who witnessed the change in locations from 1530 Cornwall Ave. to 1312 F St.
Asking for God’s help and receiving an answer
Doerksen and his wife have been guided by God’s light for many years. The couple served as missionaries for Campus Crusade for Christ, which involved working with university students. They moved to Lynden in 2007 and relocated to Bellingham in 2020 to give his wife a different living environment in order to alleviate the situation of her medical condition. However, in 2021, Doerksen’s wife died, leaving him to continue their mission of helping others.
“I started praying about this and asking God, ‘What do you want me to do with my time?’ Part of that answer came through the fact that the place that I was working for had to shut down their business, so I terminated my time with them,” he said. “But I still had all this time, so I got sensitized to the people living on the street a number of years ago through a pastor who’s connected to the Lighthouse Mission whose name is Mitch Senti.
“Mitch is very well-known here in this area. He’s a pastor, and he’s been working on the streets for years and years and years,” he continued. “He takes people out with him on the streets to let them see what’s going on. A number of years ago, I started going out with Mitch to see what was happening, and that was kind of my first exposure. So I was already on a track to be around homeless people. And then after my wife died, a friend of mine who was working in operations at the Mission, … he challenged me to consider volunteering. And the more I prayed about that, the more I felt like this was something God was asking me to do.”
New building, same mission
The pandemic halted volunteer opportunities at the Mission from 2020 through the end of 2021. And once the mask mandate was removed in 2022, Doerksen got on board and worked the front desk at the old building. He said the position allowed him to get exposure to residents by helping distribute amenities, clothing apparel, answering questions about transportation and other tasks.
“It was like being a concierge in a hotel, and I really liked that,” Doerksen said. “I got to know a lot of the guests. I heard a lot of stories. Unbelievable. I got to be with the staff who were just exceptional people. Very gifted, very dedicated. … So now we’re in 2024, and it’s been a good run.”
He said the transition to the new building has helped organize the flow of residents with various levels of commitment. At the previous location, residents could stay inside all day whereas the new location allows them to come in during the morning for breakfast but be away until 7 p.m. when they return to stay overnight. People with a higher commitment level are allowed to return by noon for a hot lunch and stay the remainder of the day.
“(Those changes) really needed to happen. It really clarified so many things for the Mission and for the guests,” he said. “I think it’s a better system, but unfortunately for me, it means that I have less contact with the guests (since they’re not in one space all day).”
Doerksen said another major improvement in the new building is a dedicated floor and living space for families. At the old location, he said there were two rooms that could have been labeled as “broom closets” due to their small spaces. At the new building, however, he said there’s several beds for people requiring medical attention when there was only one at the previous location.
“The Mission really leveraged the opportunity of moving into a new building to clean things up,” Doerksen said. “The Mission is a Godsend. There is nothing similar to us north of Seattle. … And on top of that, the Mission is locally supported. They could not have built that building without people in Whatcom County.
“People gave above and beyond,” he continued. “When people complain about the homeless, but they don’t want to give credit to the Mission, I just say, ‘You’re not serious. Go and talk with these people who are sleeping outside. Or try it yourself: you go and sleep out on the ground.’”
If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering and building a relationship with our residents like Doerksen has, visit our website here for more information.
“I will tell anybody who asked me that the reason I work at the Lighthouse Mission is because Jesus asked me to. That’s it,” Doerksen said. “I feel very strongly that this is something He’s asked me to do, and that’s why I’m there, and that’s why I’m committed.”
